[Biblemat] S:> Why Israel Failed: They Rejected Jesus Their Messiah
Ethan R. Longhenry
disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com
Mon May 7 21:29:30 CDT 2007
http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/outlines/index.html
Why Israel Failed:
They Rejected Jesus Their Messiah
I. Introduction
A. Recognition of Israel's failure
1. Israel in the flesh, overall, a failure
2. They did not keep their obligation in the covenant
3. God first punished them, exiled them, and then entirely
destroyed their religious system in 70CE
(cf. Matthew 24:1-36)
4. Parable of the Vineyard shows what happens
(Matthew 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-11)-- original occupants
(Israel) removed, new inhabitants (Christians) enter
B. 1 Corinthians 10:6
1. Failure of Israel is designed to be a lesson for us
2. We must learn so that we may not fall into the same
temptations!
C. Many failures can be listed
1. In the wilderness, Egypt never left them
2. When conquering the land, they did not fully conquer
3. They did what was right in their own eyes
4. They rejected God's form of government
5. They adapted God's commands
6. They conformed to the other nations
7. They never fully reformed themselves
8. They trusted in their status
E. Let us continue to examine failures of Israel
II. Rejecting Jesus Christ
A. As terrible as their failures were, and despite all the
previous consequences suffered, Israel had one chance to redeem
itself fully
1. Israel could have entirely cleaned their slate had they only
recognized Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah
2. He was willing to receive them all, cleanse them of their
sins, and reconcile them to God (Luke 15:1-10, Luke 19:10)
3. Israel could have been successful in Christ.but they
rejected Him
B. Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah
1. Yes, it is true that some Jews did convert and follow Jesus
2. On the other hand, the vast majority of Jews kept in their
own way
3. John 1:11-- His own did not receive Him
4. John 12:36-43: most did not accept Him or profess Him for
various reasons
5. Acts 3:13-15: Jews rejected Jesus, had Him killed as a
criminal; God raised Him up!
6. The book of Acts attests to the paucity of Jews who convert
in terms of the whole nation
C. Why did Israel reject Jesus as the Messiah?
III. Why Israel Rejected Jesus
A. The reasons for the Jews for rejecting Jesus are many
B. Jesus was not the Messiah they were seeking
1. The Jews knew the prophecies and focused on the portrait of
the Messiah as the son of David who would rule on His throne
2. They therefore imagined that the Messiah would come and
fight the Romans and restore the land to Israel
3. It would seem that even the disciples expected this out of
Jesus (cf. Acts 1:6)
4. Therefore, when Jesus came preaching forgiveness of sins
and defeat of Satan, but having nothing to do with Rome,
the Jews wanted nothing of it
5. The Gospel of the Kingdom had nothing to do with ending
Rome's power (cf. Matthew 4:23)!
C. The power of many was at stake
1. The elders, chief priests, Sadducees, and many others had
much to lose but nothing to gain if Jesus were the Messiah!
2. His message was that those who exalted themselves would be
humbled (Matthew 23:12)
3. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, they were not
concerned about believing in Him but that the Romans might
come and take their nation and their place (cf. John 11:48)!
D. People loved man's glory, not God's
1. John 12:42-43
2. Many Jews did believe, but since belief was not politically
popular, they kept it hidden
3. They would rather be condemned than to be rejected by men!
E. They were hard of heart
1. Romans 10:21
2. Israelites saw their world according to their perspective
and would not change
3. What Jesus required was too radically different from their
upbringing!
4. Therefore, they rejected Him
IV. Consequences of Rejecting Jesus
A. The consequences for rejecting Jesus were severe
B. Parable of the Vineyard: Matthew 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-11
1. Jesus returns to Isaiah's image in Isaiah 5:1-7
2. Vineyard owner: God; vineyard: God's land; tenants: Israel;
servants: prophets; son: Jesus
3. What is the message? They kill the Son, they get cast out
4. Such was fulfilled in 70 CE
C. God was true to His ancient promises: God establishes a new
people for Himself (Christians) from Israel and the nations
(cf. Romans 11)
D. The old nation, Israel, is cast off
1. Matthew 24/Mark 13/Luke 21 all point to the destruction
foretold in Daniel 9:24-27
2. Such is manifest in 70 CE: Romans come, destroy Jerusalem
and the Temple
3. All sacrifice stopped-- to this day has not returned
4. No Israelite since has been able to perform the Law of Moses
as stated
5. Modern Jews following an entirely different religious system
based on the traditions of the Pharisees and later rabbis
E. Severe consequences, then, for rejecting Jesus!
V. Importance of Accepting Jesus as Messiah
A. What, then, can we learn from Israel?
B. We must not reject Jesus!
C. We all intellectually know this to be true, but do we really
know what it requires?
1. Remember: Jesus came to the people chosen by God, having
been given the covenant and the promises and all else, and
they rejected Him
2. If Jesus came today, would He recognize us as not just
people chosen by God, but also being the people who would
accept Him?
D. Is Jesus the Messiah we are seeking?
1. Israel had its own expectations, and Jesus did not meet up
with them
2. Most rejected Him for it
3. Will we be willing to change our expectations of the Messiah
and what we are to do for Him, as His disciples were willing
to do?
4. Or if Jesus is not convenient will we cast Him off?
E. Do we seek His glory or the glory from men?
1. Jesus bluntly predicted how His disciples would be
mistreated by people (cf. Matthew 10:16-28)
2. Such ought to be no less expected today (cf. 1 Peter 2:12)
3. It is easy to follow Jesus when socially acceptable; but
when following Jesus truly and purely is socially
unacceptable, what will you choose?
F. Are our hearts hardened?
1. Jeremiah 18:1-12
2. God has always sought for people with soft hearts, willing
to be molded to His will
3. A hard heart can only be shattered and broken!
4. Israel, as a whole, was considered hardened
5. God forbid that we would be seen as the same!
G. What is the end of these things?
1. If we reject Jesus, should we expect to have any better fate
than those who rejected Him before?
2. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 presents a bleak picture for such
persons!
3. Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 13:23-30: even some who profess Jesus
will be cast out!
H. Be not deceived: we fail if we are found to have rejected
Jesus as the Messiah!
VI. Conclusion
A. We have seen, then, the ultimate and complete failure of
Israel
1. They rejected Jesus their Messiah
2. The one whom God had predicted would come was not what
they wanted
B. Their rejection of Jesus led to their own rejection by God
C. Let us not stumble by the same example!
D. Let us strive to be found as humble disciples of Jesus,
acceptable to Him!
E. Invitation/songbook
Ethan R. Longhenry/ disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com
Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio
(http://www.norwalkchurch.org)
Website: http://www.deusvitae.com
AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ#: 28317056
MSN Messenger ID: deusvitae at hotmail.com
Yahoo! Messenger ID: discipuliiesus
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