Category Archives: Anti-Semitism

February 15, 2024 · 8:30 AM

Christian Zionism

As I write this letter, the war in Israel and its repercussions are still impacting the lives of Israelis. They are hurting and in great need of our prayers and support. Please also remember to pray for the forty-plus Chosen People Ministries staff members currently serving in the land. They are faithful amid incredible challenges to their lives and ministries! 

In light of current events, I am especially eager to present to you this current volume of our newsletter. It addresses the critical and contemporary issue of Christian Zionism, or Christian support for the modern State of Israel, which should be a central concern for all who love the God of Israel, the Messiah of Israel, and the land of Israel. This month’s feature article (pages 4–5) was written by Reverend Thomas Fretwell, who leads the Ezra Foundation and partners with Chosen People Ministries—United Kingdom. We welcome Tommy’s excellent contribution to this newsletter and are pleased to offer you two of his books as a resource. To purchase, please go to store.chosenpeople.com. 

This newsletter will answer the question: What role does the Bible ask Christians to play regarding modern Israel? 

LET US START AT THE BEGINNING!

In Genesis 12:2–3, God made a covenant with Abram (later renamed “Abraham”), which included making him a great nation, giving him a land, and granting his descendants a holy purpose. The Jewish people were also to be a bridge of blessing to the world. God did not choose Jewish people for this task because Abram or his descendants somehow deserved this role. Rather, God chose Israel because of His love for her (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). 

The Abrahamic Covenant not only established the unique role of Israel in the world, but also forged an extraordinary relationship between Israel and the nations. There were mutual obligations for both Jewish and Gentile people toward one another embedded in the covenant from the very start! God would bless all the families of the earth through Jewish people. Gentiles were also to bless Israel (Gen 12:3). 

Paul recognized the key role his own people would play in the drama of world redemption when he wrote to the Roman believers, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:28– 29, emphasis added). 

THE LAND OF PROMISE

I understand that godly and sincere Christians might not see eye to eye about how to understand the covenant God made with Abraham. But according to a recent poll, 80 percent of evangelical Christians do believe God gave the land to Jewish people based upon Genesis 12:1–3.1 If you are one of those who do, then you are a biblical Zionist, one who believes God gave the land to Abraham and his descendants. God provided the boundaries of the land gifted to Abram so there would be no mistake regarding the parcel Abram and his descendants would inherit: “From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (Gen 15:18). The promise of the land and its boundaries were specific and even larger than those of the modern-day State of Israel. 

The One who created the heavens and the earth is sovereign over the boundaries of nations and holds the hearts of the kings of nations in His powerful hand (Deuteronomy 32:8–9; Proverbs 21:1; Acts 17: 24–27). We should not think it odd at all for God to delineate the specific boundaries of Israel’s territory when He first called Jewish people as His special nation. 

THE PROMISE OF THE LAND ENDURES

God’s promise of the land passed from Abraham to his son, Isaac:

Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. (Genesis 26:3, emphasis added)

God then made these same promises to Jacob, after He changed his name to Israel:

God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” (Genesis 35:11–12, emphasis added)

In summary, God created and chose Jewish people to be a holy nation and a blessing to the nations. The greatest blessing from Jewish people came when the greatest Jewish person who ever lived, Jesus the Messiah, was born into this world. The story of His first coming was set within a Jewish context, and His second coming will be the same. The Jewish people and the land of the Savior’s birth will play a major role in His glorious return. In fact, He will return to Jerusalem when, and only when, Jewish people turn to Him as Savior and Lord (Matthew 23:37–39; Zechariah 12:9–10). 

BIBLICAL ZIONISM

The hope of Zion and the promise of God to Jewish people of a land, a purpose, and a destiny is not a political philosophy, but a truth from the Word of God. 

What, then, are the responsibilities of believers in Jesus? 

First, we are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. In Psalm 122:6, the psalmist tells us to pray for God’s peace to come to Jerusalem. Jerusalem also represents the whole nation of Israel, so please pray for all Israel and Jewish people worldwide. We need to pray for the Prince of Peace to return to His rightful throne in Jerusalem and reign over Jewish people and the nations with true righteousness. 

I hope that every follower of Jesus will support Jewish people as Israel is home to more than half of the world’s Jewish population. Supporting Israel, however, does not mean every Christian must agree with every decision made by the prime minister of Israel or the government of Israel. Rather, followers of Jesus should support the right of the State to exist and thrive, and ultimately be a place ready for Messiah’s return. Overall, Christians should bless Jewish people in any way possible as instructed by God (Genesis 12:2–5). 

Of course, one of the most obvious responsibilities Christians have toward Jewish people is to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Paul instructs Gentiles to make Jewish people jealous of the Jewish Messiah living in their hearts (Romans 11:11). 

Finally, it is very important to bless Jewish people by standing against antisemitism. The line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism is being crossed regularly. We see this fact in the exponential rise in global antisemitism since October 7, which is no coincidence. Today, the political, ethical, moral, and spiritual issues intertwine in ways difficult to separate. Christians must show God’s love for Israel and Jewish people by countering antisemitism on social media. There is also prejudice against Jewish people and Israelis on many college campuses; we should speak up against it at our alma maters and on campuses in our respective towns. 

In light of the massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023, it is very important for those who love the Lord to make a clear, unequivocal statement of love and support for Israel and Jewish people. Supporting modern Israel and caring about Palestinians are not mutually exclusive! A testimony of your love for Jewish people and the State of Israel will demonstrate God’s love and faithful commitment to His Jewish people.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this urgent newsletter, and I encourage you to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. 

1 “Evangelical Attitudes Toward Israel Research Study: Evangelical Attitudes Towards Israel and the Peace Process,” Lifeway Research, 2017, https://research.lifeway.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/12/Evangelical-Attitudes-Toward-Israel-Research-Study-Report.pdf. 

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February 1, 2024 · 2:32 PM

“Mommy, Why Do They Hate Us?”

Shalom in His grace. I am still reflecting on my recent trip to Israel and remain in constant contact with our forty-plus staff members serving the Lord in the Holy Land. The impact of the war and security challenges for Israel continue, but this is not the only problem Jewish people and lovers of Israel face today.

I am sure you have also noticed the increased antisemitism around the world and in our country, much of it occurring on our college campuses. It was encouraging how many in the global community, saved and unsaved, were supportive of Israel at first after the atrocities of October 7, 2023. But with the advancement of the ground war to neutralize the lethal threats Hamas and Hezbollah pose against the Holy Land, we now find Israel, unfortunately, cast in a negative light among the nations of the world.

Current circumstances remind me of the words of the prophet Zechariah, who wrote, “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3).

We already see Jerusalem, all of Israel, and Jewish people once again becoming a heavy stone the nations of the world are trying to lift with dire consequences. Many countries like Iran and their proxies in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Yemen are gathering against Israel, determined to destroy her. 

When one looks at the span of world history and the millennia of persecution Jewish people have endured, we gain a deeper understanding of what is happening today. The attacks against Israel by Iran and her proxies and the rising global vitriol foisted upon Jewish people are a new expression of an older antisemitism masquerading as noble politics and compassion for the Palestinian cause. 

WHY DOES THE WORLD SEEM TO HATE JEWISH PEOPLE?

During a recent conversation with one of our Jewish staff members in Israel, she recounted how her young son asked the piercing question, “Mom, why does the world hate us so much?” Little boys and girls have asked this very question for many years! 

We can also ask this “why” question about other events in Jewish history. Please allow me to expand the question: “What did the Jewish people do to deserve the Crusades, the Holocaust, the pogroms in Russia, or the attacks of October 7?” 

I hope to answer these questions as I think many of us might be wondering the same. From what I can see, the whole world does not hate Jewish people. Those who love the God of Israel usually love the people of Israel, both those living in the land of Israel and those in the Diaspora. There is no better friend of Jewish people than non-Jews who cherish the same Bible (at least the first half) and identify with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

The spiritual connections between Jewish people and true Christians are powerful. Most Christians I know love Jewish people, recognize the Bible is a Jewish book, understand Jesus is Jewish, and believe God chose Jewish people for a special purpose. I wish my own family could meet many of you reading this letter and sense your love for Jewish people because of these truths. 

Jewish people today are often surprised to discover there are non-Jews who love Jewish people. I myself was stunned to discover the love for Jewish people and loyalty to Israel, which unites many true Christians. Numerous Jewish people, especially in our current antisemitic environment, ask me why Christians seem to love Jewish people with such passion. In contrast, many other non-Jews seem to express the opposite. 

Those who express hate for the State of Israel and the Jewish people are not familiar with the promises of God to Israel and are inspired by demonic plans to wipe out Jewish people. My reading through the Scriptures leads me to believe the underlying reason Israel is so hated is because the devil knows God’s plan for the people of Israel and the triumph of Messiah’s kingdom. Is it any wonder our adversary is trying to get all the help he can to put an end to God’s plans? 

HOW WOULD YOU DESTROY JEWISH PEOPLE?

From the start, the devil wanted to destroy Jewish people to prevent the possibility of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross! Satan understood the power of the cross, resurrection, and what history’s most critical and transforming event would do to his plan to usurp God’s throne. Perhaps the easiest and most thorough way for the devil to prevent Jesus from ever being born was to annihilate Jewish people beforehand through agents of evil, like Pharaoh, Haman, and those who followed after them. Yet, against all odds, they all failed! Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, was born into a Jewish home in Israel, as the Hebrew Scriptures predicted, and God’s plan of redemption came to pass. 

Destroying Jewish people would have prevented the Messiah’s first coming and solved the devil’s problems. Now, the evil one is again using the nations of the world to try to prevent the second coming. The devil knows when Jewish people turn to Jesus and say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” He will return (Matthew 23:39). I believe this is a foundational biblical teaching embraced even by Christians who hold differing views on the end times. Believers representing almost every theological perspective believe a day is coming when, according to the apostle Paul, “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26)—which refers to all Jewish people alive when Jesus comes back. 

Since the devil is trying to prevent the second coming, he once again needs to wipe out Jewish people! If the devil can annihilate Jewish people, then he thinks he can foil God’s plans for the ultimate redemption of the world, overthrow the holy one of Israel, and 

remain the god of this world. Remember, according to Scripture, the devil is not all-knowing or all-powerful and will fail in his mission. He will never be successful, but he can cause considerable suffering along the way. 

One of my dear friends, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, founded Ariel Ministries, an excellent Bible-teaching ministry. He entitled his sermon on Jeremiah 31, “How to Destroy the Jews.” Sarcastically, he presents Jeremiah 31:35–37 as a manual on how to annihilate Jewish people, which includes the disruption of the solar system, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the trajectory of the planets. Jeremiah wrote: 

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the Lord of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs from before Me,” declares the Lord, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the Lord, “If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:35–37) 

This extraordinary passage of Scripture teaches us Jewish people are indestructible—not because of human greatness but because of the power and plan of the one true God who created and called Jewish people to be a light and a blessing to the nations. It seems ironic how the very nations called to bless Jewish people will attempt to destroy the nation God created to bless them. 
STAND UP FOR JESUS AND FOR JEWISH PEOPLE 

How should followers of Jesus respond to the devil’s diabolical efforts to derail the plan of God? 

We cannot sit idly by while the devil uses nations to annihilate Israel and Jewish people. He will never be successful, but he can deceive and cause great harm. What, then, can we do? 

  • The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and promises blessing to those who love Jewish people (Psalm 122:6). 
  • The Scriptures tell us to bless and not curse Jewish people, who, in turn, will bless all the families of the world (Genesis 12:1–3).

Some Christians may have objections to supporting the modern State of Israel. However, God wants non-Jews to support Jewish people, which might mean standing with the State of Israel even if you do not believe the modern state is the fulfillment of prophecy or has a biblical right to the Land.

Blessing Israel includes the modern state and Jewish people more broadly. Since the majority of Jewish people live in Israel (7.5 of 14.5 million), in order to bless Jewish people, we need to extend love, mercy, grace, and understanding to Jewish people within the Land of Israel and worldwide. 

God wants Gentile believers to bless Israel so she can, in turn, bring blessings to the world. Therefore, we must help Israel survive and fulfill her divine destiny. Jewish people need our support, for when Israel is left on her own, she is far more vulnerable to the efforts of her enemies—and the evil one—to destroy her. 

The text in Jeremiah and many others make it clear: no one can utterly wipe out Jewish people because God made an indestructible covenant with Israel’s patriarchs. On this subject, Paul wrote, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28–29).

We are not suggesting the government of Israel is God’s government, nor are we claiming disagreement with the policies of Israel is unchristian. Sinful people lead governments and are subject to human frailty, sin, and bad decisions. 

What we saw transpire on October 7, 2023, in Israel was not simply one nation rising up against another but rather an all-out effort to destroy Jewish people. It was genocide! I believe followers of Jesus should love what God loves and hate what God hates, which means nothing less than loving Jewish people and working toward the benefit and against the destruction of the Jewish community. 

So, to return to the simple question of a small child to his mother, “Why do they hate us?” Sometimes, simple questions have complex answers. But sometimes, they do not. Those whom Satan influences will hate Jewish people. Those who belong to the God of Israel—Jewish and non-Jewish—must be steadfast in their love for Jewish people. Moses wrote about this love:

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7–8)

Let us imitate God’s love for His Jewish people. Have you considered this . . . one of the most effective ways to show your love for God and Jewish people is to share the good news of the gospel with His chosen people? Thanks for caring.

P.S. Please take another look at the statement we wrote in support of Jewish people in light of the Israel-Hamas war and the global rise in antisemitism—and please sign it! Go to chosenpeople.com/affirmationofisrael. Also, pray with us as construction on our new Tel Aviv center is moving along—praise God!

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November 15, 2023 · 8:30 AM

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

The last several weeks have been incredibly difficult as we grapple with the violence and conflict in Israel. This crisis began on Saturday, October 7. Because it was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and it was the Sabbath, the Israelis were thoroughly unprepared to fight as they were resting and celebrating the holiday. It was also the fiftieth anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, when Arab invaders chose Yom Kippur in 1973 because they knew the Israelis would be fasting, attending synagogue, and ill-prepared for the attack. 

On October 7, 2023, at 6:30 AM, more than 1,500 Hamas terrorists broke through the Gaza border into Israel and began slaughtering more than 1,400 innocent men, women, and children, including almost 300 soldiers. 

Hamas fired missiles into southern Israel and killed and kidnapped the Israelis in their path. At the southern kibbutz of Kfar Aza, the terrorists murdered more than 100 civilians, decapitating some, including babies! They murdered at least 260 young people at a music festival. Though our staff are safe for the moment, they personally know people, including Holocaust survivors and young adults, who were killed. Some of our volunteers, staff, and their children are now on the front lines of the war. 

This unprecedented massacre of Israelis reminds me of the dire need to pray for Israel and work toward peace for all people in the Middle East. In Psalm 122:6, we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I hope we all take this mandate for prayer seriously. Please pass this along to your family, Bible study groups, and local congregations. The more we pray, the greater we will experience God’s blessing. 

Psalm 122:6 is an often-quoted verse, but the entire psalm has a richness and depth I invite you to explore with me. 

THE PSALMS OF ASCENT

Psalm 122 is considered one of the psalms of ascent. These psalms are known by this term 

because the children of Israel probably sang them as they climbed the craggy and dangerous paths toward Mount Zion to celebrate the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles. King David is usually recognized as the author of this beautiful piece of divinely inspired poetry. 

The psalms of ascent include Psalms 120–133. Thematically, this section of Psalms begins with repentance and concludes with the psalmist extolling the virtues of community. You might be familiar with the beginning of the last psalm in this group, “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Ps 133:1). 

There is a pattern to interpreting the Psalms. Most commentaries or Bible studies on the Psalms identify the central theme as worship. Indeed, there is much in Psalm 122 about worship, as in verse 1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Ps 122:1). Then we read, “To give thanks to the name of the Lord” (Ps 122:4b), which could specifically refer to the offering of thanksgiving sacrifices at the Temple, not simply to singing songs of thanksgiving. 

However, a closer reading of the psalm reveals the real focus is the destination of the pilgrims— Jerusalem. The great theme of Psalm 122 is Jerusalem: where their feet are standing (v. 2), built compactly (v. 3), to which the tribes go to give thanks (v. 4)! This city is the home of the Temple, where sacrifice and all other forms of worship took place. David’s intent was to highlight the city. There is no reason for us to do any differently or read other meanings into the words of the text. 

THE FIRST FIVE VERSES

There is much to learn from the first five verses of Psalm 122. They set the scene by describing a pilgrimage whereby members of the tribes of Israel were obedient to God and traveled to Jerusalem to worship the Lord—probably on one of the three great pilgrimage festivals. The phrase “give thanks” may very well refer to the thanksgiving offerings outlined in Deuteronomy 16:16–17: 

Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.

Then, in verses 3–5, the psalmist refers to the tight-knit construction of the city, thrones of judgment (referring to the courts), and thrones of David (referring to the role of the Davidic kings). All these images lead to the appeal for prayer in verse six. 

A FOCUS ON VERSE SIX

The psalmist instructs the pilgrims: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Ps 122:6).

The psalmist calls upon the people of God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The very name Jerusalem includes this hope for peace. The English term -salem in “Jerusalem” comes from the Hebrew word shalom—peace, wholeness, and completeness.1

When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are praying not only for the cessation of temporal hostilities (such as terror and missile attacks, the enmity between Israelis and Palestinians), but most of all for the return of the Messiah—the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Our hope is for the personal peace of those who live in the Holy Land!

A COMPARISON BETWEEN PSALM 122:6 AND GENESIS 12:3

The blessing attached to this call to prayer is important and harkens back to the Abrahamic Covenant, in which God promised blessings to those who bless Israel and Jewish people. As the Lord told Abraham, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

God’s promise to Abraham is clear: The reward for blessing Israel is blessing! However, the benefits God had in mind are not primarily materialistic. The fulfillment of this promise comes to us in many shapes and forms and should not be limited to what this world offers. When we are in a right relationship with Him and obedient to His Word, the blessings we receive will be myriad! 

Psalm 122 parallels the Abrahamic Covenant as David promises those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem will “prosper.” Curiously, the promise is for those who “love Jerusalem,” and therefore, we understand the prayers are motivated by love for God’s holy city, as the psalmist writes, “May they prosper who love you” (Ps 122:6b).

The Hebrew term for “prosper” is shalah, which can easily be translated as “have peace and quiet.”2 The prosperity described is a quality of soul and life. This calmness enables those who love Jerusalem to enjoy a similar personal peace as enjoyed by God’s chosen city. 

If we bless Israel, we are participating in unfolding God’s promises to Jewish people, directly impacting Gentiles. One of the ways we can bless Israel and Jewish people is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. When we do, we will receive what money can never buy—God’s presence in our lives—the very source of peace and prosperity! 

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING

Thank you so much for joining us as we pray for the Prince of Peace to reign in the hearts of individuals in the land of Israel and worldwide to experience the abundant life the Messiah promised so many years ago (John 10:10). This prayer would include the Jewish people who live in Jerusalem, Israel and around the globe as Jerusalem is often used in Scripture as a stand-in to refer to the entire nation. We must also pray for the Palestinian victims of Hamas who have suffered terribly for many years, especially in Gaza. Join us in praying for those who live in all the lands promised by God to Jewish people—including what is now known as Gaza (Joshua 15:47). 

Please remember to pray for the work of Chosen People Ministries in Israel, especially as the country mourns the tragic deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis and enters what might be a long and complex military conflict. The nation of Israel is in shock, grieving for her lost children and traumatized by the insecurity of living in the Holy Land. Our people desperately need the gospel, and we pray for many Israelis to be open to hearing about the Messiah Jesus. 

As we provide food, needed items for displaced families, love, and counsel for those who have lost loved ones and have family members in harm’s way every day, we already have many opportunities to proclaim the love of Jesus to Israelis. 

We are grateful for your support and prayers, as we could not continue this work without your sacrifice and generosity. 

Thanks for caring.

1 William Lee Holladay and Ludwig Köhler, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament: Based upon the Lexical Work of Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, 12. corr. impr. 1991, reprinted (Leiden: Brill, 2000), 371, 73.

2 Ibid, 370.

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March 15, 2023 · 8:30 AM

Antisemitism Today

Thank you for taking a moment to read our latest news! We appreciate your interest in what God is doing among the Jewish people and through Your Mission to the Jewish People today! We deeply value your prayers and support. 

TEL AVIV UPDATE

I want to update you on the new Messianic center in Tel Aviv. We are working on two fundraising tracks right now. First, we are only in the third month of raising funds for the purchase of this new Messianic Jewish outreach center in the greater Tel Aviv area—home to about four million Israelis!

Second, we are beginning construction on the build-out of the center as this new commercial space will house our Bible study classrooms, weekly outreach lectures and concerts, young adult activities, a café, and hopefully future congregational activities! The entire area is new, so we will need to renovate the interior space by adding walls, flooring, heating and air conditioning, bathrooms, and more.

We could not be more excited about the future as we are finding a new openness to the gospel in Israel, especially among younger Israelis. It is like an unstoppable wave moving across the country, and we are doing all we can to disciple those coming to faith.

Please pray and join us in building the future of the IsraeliMessianic community through your prayers and generous support for the new center. On the back of this newsletter, you will find more information about how you can give toward the purchase and renovation of the property.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We can only get it done with your partnership!

ANTISEMITISM KEEPS JEWISH PEOPLE FROM BELIEVING IN JESUS

As you continue reading the newsletter, you will quickly discover this edition focuses on the alarming and deeply tragic increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States and around the globe. This trend dramatically impacts our efforts to bring the gospel to the Jewish people today. Generally speaking, Jewish people blame Christianity for antisemitism.

Unfortunately, one of the most frequent and negative Jewish responses to the gospel is not driven by differences in the interpretation of Scripture or Jewish tradition but by the past and present experiences of Jewish people with Christianity and the church as an institution.

I remember when I told my grandmother I was a believer. She accused me of joining the side of those who persecuted Jewish people. It was incredibly difficult to convince her otherwise. She immigrated to the United States from Belarus because she experienced pogroms, and later the Nazis murdered her entire family for being Jewish. She thought those men and women were Christians! I cannot blame my grandmother for feeling this way, as she did not know any better. She judged what she thought was Christianity based on the actions of so-called Christians.

Is this claim against Christianity accurate? Historically, it is certainly the perception of the Jewish people. Still, I cannot imagine how true Christians who love the Lord and believe the Bible could hate the Jewish people. It has not been my experience since I accepted Jesus a half-century ago. On the contrary, I found true Christians love the Jewish people and do not persecute anyone! If more of my people had genuine Christian friends, they would immediately discover those who persecuted Jewish people—especially in Europe—are different from those who name Jesus as Lord today.

Jewish people still hold Christianity accountable for the crusades, the pogroms of eastern Europe, and even the Holocaust. Without question, some in the past who called themselves Christians mistreated the Jewish people. This truth is a blight on the history of Jewish-Christian relations. Some Christian leaders spoke and wrote harsh words against the Jewish people in the earlier days of the church. These ideas tragically influenced Christian attitudes toward the Jewish people for centuries.

John Chrysostom (354–407 ce),1 who was considered a church father and the “golden-mouthed preacher” (chrysostom is Greek for “goldmouthed”), wrote a series of eight sermons called “Against the Jews.” In one message, he wrote:

Certainly it is the time for me to show that demons dwell in the synagogue, not only in the place itself but also in the souls of the Jews. . . . Do you not shudder to come into the same place with men possessed, who have so many unclean spirits, who have been reared amid slaughter and bloodshed?. . . Must you not turn away from them since they are the common disgrace and infection of the whole world? Have they not come to every form of wickedness?2

There are many other examples from the writings of the early church fathers as well as later pillars of Christianity, including Martin Luther. They were flawed men who did a lot of good but also mischaracterized the Jewish people in ways leading to what is often called “Christian antisemitism.” This history caused the Jewish people to view Christianity—and therefore the gospel—as a threat rather than a lifeline to salvation.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF ANTISEMITISM

The real issue is much more profound; we must look at the Scriptures to understand it.

Our current dilemma begins in Genesis 12:1–3 and the Lord’s covenant with Abraham. By God’s Spirit, Moses penned this promise, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3).

From the moment God made Abraham His friend, the devil chose Abraham and his descendants as enemies. After all, Satan understood God would one day save the world through the death and resurrection of a son of Abraham. He also knew the Jewish people would one day repent and call upon Jesus, leading this same Savior to return to reign as king.

When Israel acknowledges Jesus as Messiah (Romans 11:26), all the plans of the ultimate heavenly rebel will fail. Therefore, from the moment of Abraham’s call, the devil tried to hinder God’s plan by moving heaven and earth to crush Abraham’s descendants.

THE SOLUTION TO ANTISEMITISM

The apostle Paul urged the Gentile followers of Jesus to tell Jewish people about Jesus by demonstrating His love in word and deed. For Paul, this lovingkindness would cause the Jewish people to be jealous of the Jewish Messiah living in the hearts and souls of Christians (Romans 11:11–15).

Paul wrote in Romans 11:11, “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.”

Therefore, we must ask ourselves why Jewish people often perceive Gentile Christians—whom God gave a primary role in reaching the Jewish people for Jesus—as seeking their harm.

We know the enemy works especially hard at turning all of God’s people against each other. One of those ways is to mobilize the same people God called to bless the Jewish people to do the opposite. This sabotage is his failing effort to keep the people of promise from recognizing their Messiah and thus destroy the plans of God for the ages.

We can stand against the evil one by reversing his evil plan. We can make Jewish people jealous and bring the blessings of the gospel to His chosen people.

We can be part of His effort to reverse the curse. By fighting antisemitism, we challenge the devil’s cosmic plot to undo what God created for the world’s redemptive good.

Therefore, Your Mission to the Jewish People wants to encourage you to oppose antisemitism vocally and publicly when you see it. We are the solution to the problem of antisemitism, which is destructive and keeps Jewish people from considering the gospel.

Together, we can make a difference in changing the mindset of many Jewish people about the gospel. Through simply being ourselves and living as authentic believers, we will show Jewish people the gospel is not antisemitic but rather Jewish in nature. As Jesus said, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

I am sorry to say antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the globe. It is time for Christians to take a stand and oppose antisemitism whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. We do this not simply because antisemitism is wrong and satanic but because we love the God who created the Jewish people and the Jewish Messiah. We want to see Jewish people come to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

1 John Chrysostom (354–407 ce) was the most distinguished church father of the East and one of the most virulently anti-Jewish preachers. Born in Antioch, he was baptized in 373 ce and ordained a priest in 384 ce. He delivered his eight sermons (homilies) “against the Jews” during his first two years of preaching in Antioch (386–387 ce).

2 John Chrysostom, Against the Jews, Homily I, VI, 6–7, accessed February 2, 2023, https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chrysostom_adversus_judaeos_01_homily1.htm.

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December 15, 2022 · 8:30 AM

The Light of the World Is Born

Shalom in the name of our glorious Messiah!

On behalf of the Chosen People Ministries global family, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

For many of my fellow Jewish people, the very idea of linking these two holidays together is awkward. It still feels a little strange to me, even after being a Jesus follower for the past fifty years. Yet, I realize that having one without the other is impossible.

Let me explain. The story of Hanukkah describes the ways God protected and preserved His chosen people. If Antiochus Epiphanes destroyed the Jewish people, then how would Mary have given birth to the Jewish Messiah, Jesus? In other words, “Without Hanukkah—there would be no Christmas!”

I continue to reflect upon the similarities and differences between Christmas and Hanukkah. The similarities include the theme of lights, giving gifts, families gathering, and viewing the God of Israel as the deliverer of His people. Yet, the differences between the holidays loom large because there is no other time of year when Christians think more about the incarnation—God becoming human—than on Christmas.

HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

It is still astounding to me, and largely unknown by my Jewish people, how the only mention of Hanukkah in the Bible is found in the Gospel of John chapter 10. But, of course, if you have read our newsletter for a while or spent time on our website, you know Jewish people do not accept the New Testament as God’s Word. I do, as does all our staff, but again, this is not a typical Jewish view.

The traditional Jewish view of the New Testament is one of the most difficult challenges we face in bringing the gospel to the Jewish people.

I still remember the day I realized Jesus was the Messiah. It happened after I read the New Testament and understood Jesus was Jewish and celebrated the Jewish holidays—including Hanukkah! Then, as I continued reading, I realized the New Testament, especially the Gospels, seemed like part two of the Hebrew Scriptures.

In the Old Testament, we read about the promises of God to the Jewish people and the nations of the world. In the New Testament, we see how those promises are fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, tells one magnificent and seamless story of God’s plan for redemption.

GOD IN THE FLESH

This incredible story, told through both testaments, made perfect sense to me. Even more importantly, I fell in love with the Messiah Jesus and believed He was indeed God wrapped in human flesh!

Yet, accepting His deity is difficult for most Jewish people, as we are raised to believe God has no physical form. Jewish people expect the Messiah to be a religious, political, and military leader, not God in the flesh.

Modern Judaism considers the first two commandments—to have no other gods before us nor to create graven images of God—the reason why the very idea of an incarnation is unacceptable.

The Christmas/Hanukkah season intensifies these differences as it is increasingly difficult for Jewish people to avoid the issue of Jesus’ deity! Every nativity scene reminds us of the New Testament teaching about how God became a man. As believers, we know the Messiah’s deity is true and fulfills God’s promises to the Jewish people found in Isaiah 7:14 and again in chapter 9, verses 6 and 7.

In Micah 5:2, we learn this leader in Israel, the Messiah, was to be born in Bethlehem, whose “goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

The Hebrew Scriptures present unshakable evidence for the deity of the Messiah throughout its pages, yet most Jewish people do not recognize or accept it. This conflict over the deity of Jesus is at the heart and core of Christmas and Hanukkah.

It was during the celebration of Hanukkah when Jesus made one of the clearest statements about His deity. We also see how the Jewish people of His day took exception to His declaration of divinity:

“I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” Jesus answered them, “. . . If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. (John 10:30–39, emphasis added)

Have you ever wondered why the Jewish leaders had such a strong reaction to Jesus’ pronouncement? It seems to stretch far beyond theological disagreement as, after all, they wanted to stone Him! It is impossible to understand the reaction of the Jewish leaders without knowing the background of Hanukkah.

THE HANUKKAH STORY

So, I hope you do not mind me telling you the Hanukkah story. It is always a blessing for me.

You will not find the story of Hanukkah in the Bible. Instead, it appears in the books of the Maccabees, which are part of the Apocrypha, writings outside the canon of Scripture. Jewish people view these books as historical documents but not divinely inspired Scripture.

Again, please allow me to summarize the story of Hanukkah in my own words.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Seleucid king who reigned from 175–164 BCE over part of the Greek Empire, which Alexander the Great’s four generals divided among themselves upon his death. Antiochus bore the title Epiphanes (God manifest), implying his “incarnation” of the Greek god Zeus. Jewish people called Antiochus the madman (Epimanes) because of his cruel and erratic behavior.

This polytheistic madman wanted the Jewish people to follow Hellenistic ways and periodically outlawed Jewish worship and practices. Finally, he sent his emissaries throughout Israel along with a portable statue of himself and demanded the Jewish people bow down and worship him as a Greek god incarnate. But those faithful among the Jewish community could not stomach idolatry and would not bow to the statue of Antiochus Epiphanes!

The Jewish people who lived in a small town called Modi’in led a grassroots rebellion against the Syrian Greeks from 167–160 BCE under the leadership of Mattathias, a Levitical priest, along with his son Judah.

The Maccabees fought hard for seven years and in 160 BCE defeated the Syrian Greeks, retaking Jerusalem and the Temple. But their joy turned quickly to horror when they discovered that Antiochus sacrificed a pig on the Temple altar.

The Maccabees dismantled the holy altar and removed the stones, which they believed to be beyond cleansing. Jewish tradition tells us they heaped the stones into a pile in the Temple area where they would await the coming of a great prophet to cleanse them. Then, they built a new altar.

JEWISH LOYALTY TO THE ONE TRUE GOD

Hanukkah celebrates the victory of faithfulness over idolatry—more specifically, worshiping the image of a man who believed he was the incarnation of a false god. In this instance, it was Antiochus. Jewish spiritual loyalty resisted idolatry and refused to worship the image of a man claiming to be god.

May I speculate? I believe this spiritual loyalty and resistance to the idea of an incarnation was a strategy the devil used to repel the Jewish people from the actual incarnation of God as predicted by the prophets of Israel. Who can blame the Jewish leaders for resisting what, in their understanding, was an idolatrous statement by Jesus in declaring His oneness with the Father (John 10)? The religious loyalty of the Jewish leaders blinded them. They did not recognize God was fulfilling the promises of Scripture through taking on flesh and dying for the sins of the Jewish people and the world (Isaiah 9:6–7, 53:1–12; Micah 5:2, etc.)!

I cannot blame my people for resisting idolatry. However, the leaders already observed a Messiah who healed, performed miracles, and claimed to fulfill the prophecy of the One who was indeed God in the flesh. He opened the eyes of the blind, fed multitudes miraculously, cast out demons, and fulfilled the messianic qualifications peppered throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.

My prayer is for both Jews and Gentiles who have not yet concluded that Jesus is God in the flesh. Understanding this and coming to know the One who is the reason for the season, the son of David, and the Savior of the world is life changing! I pray the Lord will lead each of us to make the truth of His deity known among both Jews and Gentiles in the days ahead.

Thank you so much for your prayers and sacrificial support of Your Mission to the Jewish People. We have some incredible outreach projects on the horizon, which I will tell you about in the future. Meanwhile, I pray your love for the Messiah will grow more profound as you reflect upon the miracle of the incarnation!

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March 1, 2022 · 8:30 AM

Esther: The Right Place at the Right Time

Your Mission to the Jewish People will soon celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. This holiday is one of the most joyous on the Jewish calendar. I am sure you know the story, but please allow me to summarize these critical events in Jewish and biblical history and share a few thoughts and lessons we can learn from them.

INTRODUCTION

During this festival, Jewish communities read the entire background of Purim in the book of Esther. The story describes the Jewish people’s deliverance from certain destruction at the hand of Haman, a leader in the Medo-Persian Empire during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes). Ahasuerus ruled from 486 to 465 bc.

In the story, lots (or purim in Hebrew) were cast in the presence of Haman to help select the date for him to carry out his plan to destroy the Jewish people. Hence the name of the holiday, Purim, comes from the Hebrew word for “lots.”

It is important to recognize the tale’s heroes and how God used them to deliver the Jewish people from Haman’s wicked plan. By God’s providence, Ahasuerus chose Esther to be his new queen through a national beauty contest. She replaced Queen Vashti, who had refused the king’s command to appear at a banquet celebration. The other hero is Mordechai, Esther’s cousin (Esther 2:7), who raised her and played a critical role.

But the true hero of the story is God Himself, who sovereignly arranged all the events to work toward the good of the Jewish people. The name of God never appears in the book of Esther, but His presence and providence are evident throughout the book.

He is not silent! We hear His voice through the actions of Esther and Mordechai!

JEWISH PURIM TRADITIONS

Jewish people celebrate the deliverance from Haman’s evil plot by reading the book of Esther, shaking groggers (noise-makers), and yelling out “boo!” every time the reader mentions the name of Haman and “yay!” when we hear the names Esther and Mordechai. During Purim, we also eat hamantaschen, cookies shaped to resemble Haman’s hat or ears. Children celebrate by dressing up in fun, colorful, and creative costumes and by putting on plays that re-tell the story of Esther (yay!) and her triumph over wicked Haman (boo!).

In Israel, people flood the streets in costume to celebrate, and some ultra-Orthodox Jewish men drink alcoholic beverages until they cannot tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman.

THE MAJOR THEMES OF PURIM

During this time, we center on God’s power to orchestrate the events of life while remaining behind the scenes! Purim shows us how the hidden hand of God guides, empowers, protects, and accomplishes His divine purposes on earth.

The festival of Purim focuses on God’s covenantal faithfulness. It celebrates the deliverance of God’s chosen people and shows the Lord’s faithfulness to the covenant He made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “. . . I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Gen 12:1–3)

The promises of this magnificent covenant play out through the story of Purim—the destruction of Israel’s enemies, the exaltation of the nation’s heroes, and the blessing upon those who bless Israel, like King Ahasuerus.

THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

One of the great lessons of Purim and the book of Esther is that God puts His children in the right place at the right time to do His will. The first puzzle piece is that the king chose Esther as queen and put her in the right place at the right time.

The God of Esther is still putting His people in the right place at the right time today! Revisiting the book of Esther during Purim greatly encourages us to accept the places where God puts us as well as the people He puts in our lives!

Mordechai also saved the king’s life by being in the right place at the right time to hear the plot of the two assassins who had lost their jobs in the palace (Esther 2:21–23). Of course, Esther was in the right place at the right time to receive the information from Mordechai to save the king’s life. Ahasuerus was also the right “pagan” king for the right moment—another king might not have ultimately listened to his wife!

The story reaches its zenith with Mordechai telling Esther, “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). As a result, Esther took the challenge and approached the king even though she could have died for visiting uninvited!

The Lord went before Esther, and she received a favorable outcome to her request to save the Jewish people. So, the Lord switched the lots. Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he prepared for Mordechai, and the king permitted the Jews to fight back and destroy their enemies. So, Mordechai became the king’s most valuable advisor instead of Haman.

Purim is a reminder that God’s all-powerful and invisible hands hold and guide us during difficult times. The Lord is always good and has a purpose for our lives, just as He did for the Jewish people. Indeed, He often allows us to experience suffering so that we may become more and more like His Son.

HEROES FOR THE MESSIAH

Esther was a heroine and was willing to die for her people. Yeshua also loved His people and was ready to perish for them. The history of the Jewish people, the church, and Chosen People Ministries is filled with stories of brave and godly women who served the Lord faithfully, who faced dire and challenging circumstances, and even risked their lives to bring the gospel to the Jewish people.

Allow me to introduce you to one of these godly ladies, a founder and early pioneer without whom Chosen People Ministries would not exist today. Her name was Augusta Sussdorff.

Born in 1867 to German immigrants, Augusta Sussdorff was one of the Mission’s earliest workers. Rabbi Leopold Cohn spoke at her youth group at Hope Baptist Church and invited people to come and sing at the Mission. Augusta and a friend volunteered. Their presence drew more Jewish women and girls to the ministry. Previously, the Mission’s audience was primarily male. Rabbi Cohn was passionate about women studying Scripture and encouraged Augusta to join the Mission full time, which she did around 1912.

She conducted many programs at the Brooklyn headquarters, including mothers’ meetings, sewing school, and Bible classes. Augusta also made home visits, greeted people at the medical clinic, brought clothing to the poor, helped English-speaking immigrants find jobs, and served on the board of Chosen People Ministries when this was quite unusual within Christian work.

She served with the Mission for more than fifty years and continued volunteering long after her retirement.

Ms. Sussdorff was incredibly dedicated to faithfully serving the Jewish people so that they would experience the love of Jesus and hear the message of salvation. To honor Augusta Sussdorff, we are creating a scholarship in her name for women in the United States, Israel, and around the globe who are serving with Chosen People Ministries but have trouble raising their missionary support.

This scholarship is part of our Foundations ’22 campaign, as encouraging godly women to serve the Lord with Chosen People Ministries is a part of who we are. We are praying that more and more women will join the ranks of Chosen People Ministries as missionaries, students at our Feinberg program, volunteers in our VIP program, and so much more.

What better way to re-affirm our back-to-basics approach to 2022—refocusing on evangelism, discipleship, and training—than to help future Augusta Sussdorffs give their all for the salvation of Israel!

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October 15, 2021 · 8:30 AM

Hope in Suffering

Everyone from the angelic-voiced Mahalia Jackson to the great Louis Armstrong sang the traditional African-American spiritual entitled, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” The lyrics are worth noting:

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
Nobody knows my sorrow
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
Glory Hallelujah

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
Glory Hallelujah

This great song poignantly expresses the loneliness and heart-rending nature of suffering. Have you ever tried to tell your story of personal pain to another individual, especially someone who is not very close to you? Have ever you felt like your story sounds hollow and trite as soon as you begin to recount it to someone else, even though the experience was deeply agonizing for you? If you have, then you know the feeling of emptiness when you realize the other person simply cannot appreciate your pain.

In moments like these, when the gap in understanding is so deep and wide, we might just decide to give up explaining and suffer in silence to avoid trying to give good reasons for why we are hurting. Nobody likes having their suffering minimized by someone else’s inability to empathize and feel their pain. We should never be put in the position where we need to justify why life hurts.

The moving lyrics of this old spiritual and its haunting melody breathes authenticity into its testimony of pain. We know it grew out of the bitterness of slavery and a desire to rise above that hateful circumstance and turn our hearts to God who alone understands life’s trials. It is sad but realistic as it seems the only time our hearts reach out to heaven is when life’s solutions are elusive or shrouded in darkness, and we have come to the end of our proverbial rope.

Everyone suffers, but the history of the Jewish people is best understood only through the lens of national suffering. The saying, “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!”—always mentioned with a wry smile—is tender, touching, and true. So much of Jewish life tells the story of survival, celebration, and remembrance. “Never Again”—declared in remembrance of the Holocaust—is a mantra that befits the Jewish experience and helps us seize the future with defiance and hope.

Our Jewish people have been enslaved, persecuted, oppressed, and virtually destroyed during the Holocaust. The prayers, poems, and songs of our people encourage us to turn toward God who is above and beyond all and gives meaning to the pain and suffering that would otherwise be meaningless.

The Shehechiyanu prayer expresses our corporate gratitude and acceptance of the destiny God allows. Along with heartfelt mourning, our tradition reminds us to be thankful that we are still alive! This sentiment is captured in one of our most familiar prayers when we recite,

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech Ha’olam, shehechiyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu lazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to arrive in this moment.

This traditional Jewish response to good times and bad, to suffering and celebration, is prayed at almost every Jewish holiday. Recognizing God’s hand of protection upon the Jewish people as we have lived to enter another year’s holiday season, it speaks of the faithfulness of God. He is the rock in the midst of our suffering.

The Mourner’s Kaddish, another well-known prayer, is prayed at perhaps our greatest times of suffering as we come face to face with the death of a loved one.

There is nothing like death to make us appreciate life.

The Mourner’s Kaddish is a magnificent, eloquent, and hopeful prayer that is mistakenly understood as a prayer for the dead. The opposite is true. It is a prayer of praise to God for life itself. The Kaddish is life-affirming, and it is at the heart of the Jewish response to suffering and death. The Kaddish lifts our hearts as the words we say glorify God and extol the virtues of His divine perfections. The prayer gives voice to our suffering by reaffirming our acceptance of His plan for us personally and as a people. This acknowledgment enables us to be thankful to God in the face of great loss and the worst of human pain.

The ability to recite the prayer in a heartfelt and sincere way is in itself a victory over the potential emptiness of suffering that can consume us. Although the Mourner’s Kaddish is only recited once at the end of synagogue services, versions of the Kaddish are repeated throughout. At the heart of every variation of the prayer is the following statement about the character of God:

Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, elevated, and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He—above and beyond any blessings and hymns, praises, and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen.

When we pray these words together as a family and community, it becomes easier to accept the isolation and desolation of suffering.

I believe this Jewish approach to hope is found in the Bible—in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. The well-worn words of Job, the master of theodicy, enable us to walk into the “whirlwind” of distress with faith and hope in the character of a good and gracious God. Job, in a perfect illustration of submission to God’s will, said, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15).

We might understand suffering today in deeper and more profound ways than ever before. COVID-19 has shattered many of our lives in so many ways. Some of us have unfortunately lost loved ones. We have also recently witnessed terrible floods, earthquakes, fires, and wars we thought we would never have to fight again.

Yet, we can have hope in the midst of suffering!

Bitterness, hopelessness, and anger are self-destructive options , but there is a whole range of life-affirming choices we can make as well. We might never quite understand the why of our pain, but we can still find peace in suffering when we entrust our souls to the God who made us.

The story of Jesus as told in the four Gospels is worth reading as you will see how the God of the universe chose to suffer on our behalf and repair the damage brought about by sin. In fact, He clothed Himself with humanity and endured pain and loss and injustice, just like we experience. He did even more for us. He died for our sins and rose from the grave to pave a new way into the presence of God. His suffering is the ultimate solace for our suffering! Once healed, this new and personal relationship with God through Yeshua the Messiah will become your greatest source of joy and give meaning to your suffering.

As the venerable rabbi and apostle Paul wrote so many years ago,

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3–5)

Like most of us, you are probably suffering in one way or another today. How can you avoid it? You do not have to be a weak person to suffer—we all have our limits. Loss and disappointment are a part of life, and we desperately need to find ways to cope. I and so many others affirm that knowing God intimately and personally, through Jesus the Messiah, is not only true—it will transform you!

I was searching and quietly suffering when I read the following for the very first time. Growing up in a Jewish home, we did not read the New Testament, of course! Jesus said,

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

These words were so comforting, although at first, I did not even know who said them! I hope and pray you will discover what the Messiah promised to be true for you as well.

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February 15, 2021 · 8:00 AM

Warning: Global Antisemitism Is Growing!

Dear friend,

Shalom in His grace. There is another unseen virus wreaking destruction upon God’s chosen people today that demands our attention. That virus is antisemitism.

This newsletter will look at the unfortunate growth and virulence of modern antisemitism in North and South America. We will also look at contemporary European antisemitism, including the United Kingdom.

We witnessed synagogue members in Pittsburgh murdered in 2018 simply because they were Jewish. Anti-Jewish slogans and graffiti regularly mark our college campuses today, fueled by hatred of the Jewish people and often further inflamed by posts on social media.

Antisemitism all too often expresses itself through political opposition to the State of Israel. It leads to various movements such as BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) and other groups actively opposing the Jewish state. But antisemitism is not a term we want to throw around lightly, as this “oldest hatred” is now considered a hate crime.

The U.S. State Department in cooperation with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), developed a non-legally binding “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016, which is generally accepted across the globe: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”1

The Anti-Defamation League also provides an excellent definition of antisemitism, defining it as “the belief or behavior hostile toward Jews just because they are Jewish. It may take the form of religious teachings that proclaim the inferiority of Jews, for instance, or political efforts to isolate, oppress or otherwise injure them. It may also include prejudiced or stereotyped views about Jews.”2

Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States, and it is essential for us as a Jewish mission to address this crucial topic. My people often blame Christianity for antisemitism because of tragic events like the Crusades, Pogroms in Russia, and the Holocaust. WE believe that loving Jesus the Jewish Messiah is incompatible with antisemitism. Yet, the fear of Christianity because of past actions by alleged Christians created a deep antipathy on the part of Jewish people toward the gospel, which is why it is so crucial for us to dispel this association between Jesus and antisemitism.

The Spiritual Roots of Antisemitism

We always need to view life’s critical issues through the lens of Scripture. The roots of antisemitism are ancient and have changed dramatically over the centuries. What started as Greek and Roman disdain morphed into theological anti-Judaism in the early and medieval church. It became racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century leading to the murder of more than six million Jewish people. At the time Adolf Hitler implemented his catastrophic “Final Solution,” antisemitism was primarily racial. If you had a Jewish mother or father, or even a Jewish grandparent, you were declared Jewish, placed in a concentration camp, and likely put to death.

But, if we pull back the curtains of time and history and consider the role God gave to the Jewish people in the redemption of the world, it becomes evident that the roots of antisemitism are spiritual and satanic. When God chose Abram to become the father of the Jewish people, the devil chose the Jewish people to be his perennial enemy (Genesis 12:1–3).

Throughout biblical history, we see attempt after attempt to destroy the Jewish people, which was predicted by the ancient Jewish prophets, especially Daniel. He envisioned the Jewish people’s oppression by Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome in the post-Old Testament period. The Bible never mentions the antisemitism-inspired activities of the Crusaders, the Russian and Ukrainian pogroms, or the Holocaust. The Bible also did not predict the attacks in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, when eleven Jewish people were killed. Nor did it foresee the attack at the Chabad congregation in Poway, California, on April 27, 2019, when Lori Lynn Gilbert-Kaye was killed, and others shot, only for being Jewish.

The reasons for hating the Jewish people have changed over time, but the source remains the same. The devil is not all-knowing like God, but he truly believes he can thwart God’s plan. That is why he has focused on destroying the Jewish people throughout the ages. Satan hates the Jewish people because he knows that it was through the Jewish people the Lord revealed Himself through the Scriptures. At the right moment in history, God unveiled Himself through His Son by choosing a young Jewish virgin to give birth to the Jewish Messiah (Isaiah 7:14)!

God is not finished with His chosen people. There is so much more to come! One day, the Jewish people whom God promised to preserve—will repent, recognize Jesus as Messiah, and the Lord will return and establish His Messianic kingdom on earth (Romans 11:25–29).

Antisemitism is satanic. A good friend of mine once said, “We need to love what the devil hates!” As followers of the Jewish Messiah, we have a holy duty to bless the Jewish people, which fulfills His sacred purposes and demonstrates our loyalty to the One who chose the Jewish people for His divine purposes.

What Can We Do Today to Counter Antisemitism?

1. We should counter antisemitism and enlist the help of the church to do the same.

2. We should counter antisemitism as a witness of God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people.

3. We should help mobilize Christians to stand with the Jewish people in opposing antisemitism. These activities could save Jewish lives.

4. We should post messages of love and support for our local Jewish communities on Facebook, Twitter, or even encourage our pastors to use their church marquees.

5. We should provide believers with information about the Jewish people and antisemitism. Good communication helps believers better understand God’s love and plan for the Jewish people.

A Call to Action:

Some things are just too horrible to let pass! 

That was the theme of an article that appeared in a newspaper.3 The horrible act that could not go unnoticed was the writing of antisemitic statements on a subway car’s walls in New York City—my hometown. Several good Samaritans saw the remarks and came up with the idea of erasing them, using hand cleaner that had high alcohol content to cut through the thick, waxy strokes of a sharpie pen. I cannot tell you how happy I am that New Yorkers took the initiative to act on their outrage and eradicate these despicable statements. Their quick-thinking act of righteousness demonstrates to me that New Yorkers—and Americans, in general—believe we have a culture of freedom, respect, and goodness that is worth preserving. We are willing to put our most cherished values into action.

As a Jewish New Yorker who follows Jesus the Messiah, I am impressed by what these good citizens did on behalf of the Jewish people, especially since the newspaper does not indicate that those who erased the graffiti were Jewish. I long for my fellow believers to take the same kind of actions when we see antisemitism rear its ugly head in our local communities. I would love to see local churches make a public stand against antisemitism. What a testimony that would be of Christ’s love to your local Jewish community!

When believers in Jesus take personal or public stands against antisemitism, they express God’s heart for His chosen people, which is one way to bring your Jewish friend another step closer to thinking about Jesus.

Thanks for your prayers and generous support! I pray that you and your family will have a safe, healthy, and fruitful 2021.

In Him,
Mitch

1 “Defining Anti-semitism,” U.S. Department of State, https://www.state.gov/defining-anti-semitism/.

2 “Antisemitism,” ADL.org, https://www.adl.org/antisemitism.

3 Mark Sundstrom, “Police Investigating Anti-Semitic Graffiti in Upper West Side Subway Station: Officials,” Pix 11, November 11, 2019, https://www.pix11.com/2019/11/11/police-investigating-anti-semitic-graffiti-in-upper-west-side-subwaystation-officials/.

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January 6, 2020 · 11:15 AM

Defeating the Darkness of Antisemitism

Shalom dear friend,

I am sure you remember or know the opening line of Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I think the entire quote is worth reading:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

As I write to you this morning, I completely identify with these words. A certain darkness has settled upon my soul as I write with a broken heart about the repeated antisemitic attacks in the New York City area!

Like you, I was trying to enjoy the recent holiday season with my family. Yet, over the course of a few weeks, I was shocked to hear about the latest series of antisemitic attacks in New York City, where I live and where Chosen People Ministries has our world headquarters. It became a daily nightmare to discover that another attack against my Jewish people had taken place!  I suppose I was hoping they would just end once and for all!  But this is not the case.

It seems to me that our world is going mad and Satan is again freely roaming the earth as when he discovered Job! These antisemitic incidents are inspired by the enemy of our souls who seeks to destroy all that is good and holy. He has the deepest hatred for the Jewish people and the role God’s chosen people play in His plan of redemption. Every time you think the evil one is done and the Jewish people are finally safe, a new legion of Haman-like characters emerges on the world scene. This time, the demonically inspired hatred of Jewish people is perched on our very doorstep, in our land of the free and home of the brave.

Early on Sunday morning, December 28, I awoke to this headline: “Five Jewish People Attacked in a Home During the Festival of Lights.” My Orthodox Jewish friend, and someone I have grown to love and appreciate through our many debates, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, sent out an alert that his son, a Hasidic rabbi, lived five houses away from this attack. Shmuley, of course, reacted to the attack very personally. We all understand that when things like this happen, we feel horrible. But when it happens close to home, we also feel terribly threatened…and grateful to God for His protection over our loved ones.

I live in Brooklyn and my family lives in New York City and nearby areas. The Jewish community is my community and God’s chosen people, and I am sounding an alarm—an alarm that will hopefully spur us on to action and to pray for the Jewish people. We simply cannot allow this to continue without raising our voices in prayer to God and in opposition to those who are perpetrating this evil or creating the climate that encourages violent and aggressive attacks against the Jewish people.

This past summer, we held a rally against antisemitism by the courthouses in downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, and we were joined by hundreds of Christians and many Jewish people who might not have agreed with us on the messiahship of Jesus but they appreciated our willingness to stand with the Jewish community.  We are planning to take action once again and hope you will join us in opposing this “oldest hatred”— antisemitism! I will tell you what we plan to do and how you can help. But first, let me give you an overview of the events that transpired a few months ago that we are now working to counter!

Remember, the following took place within eighteen months of the killing of eleven people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and since the murder of the precious Jewish woman who tried to protect her rabbi during the attack on the synagogue in Poway, California. According to Kenneth Jacobson, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, there have been thirteen arrests of white supremacists intended to attack synagogues since the Tree of Life shootings.

The Antisemitic Attacks

Allow me to list the specifics of the attacks that took place in 2019 immediately before and during the Hanukkah-Christmas season. There were many news sources reporting on the incidents, but I prefer to share information gathered locally by the New York NBC affiliate, beginning with the vicious attack at the Hasidic rabbi’s home during a Hanukkah party.

  • The Monsey home attack: Authorities say five people were stabbed at a rabbi’s home late Saturday night in Monsey, New York, “the latest and most violent in a string of antisemitic attacks in the greater New York City area in the last few days. Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said the suspected attacker entered the residence around 10 p.m. armed with a knife. Saturday was the seventh night of Hanukkah and was being widely observed in Monsey, a hamlet that is home to thousands of Orthodox Jews.” The Hasidic organization Chabad, citing sources in the community and witnesses at the scene, said someone in the home threw a table at the attacker, chasing him off. He then allegedly tried to gain access to the synagogue next door, but the occupants barricaded themselves inside.[1]
  • The Jersey City Kosher market attack: “Authorities identified the suspects as David Anderson, 47, and Francine Graham, 50. Jersey City Police Detective Joseph Sealswas killed Tuesday shortly before officials say the suspects attacked the store. The victims in the store were identified Wednesday by authorities as Mindy Ferencz, 31; Miguel Douglas, 49; and Moshe Deutsch, 24. According to three sources, Anderson was a one-time follower of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, whose members believe they are descendants of the ancient Israelites, and his social media pages include anti-police and anti-Jewish writings. Investigators are looking to see if it was Anderson himself who posted that material.”[2]
  • Upper East Side attack: “The first attack of Hanukkah was on Dec. 23 on the Upper East Side, according to the NYPD. A 65-year-old man was hit in the face with a closed fist after the suspect made an anti-Semitic remark, then was kicked while on the ground. The victim suffered cuts to his face and hand, police said.”[3]
  • Brooklyn attack: “A 34-year-old woman and her 4-year-old son were attacked in Brooklyn Thursday by someone who yelled anti-Semitic slurs and hit the mother in the head, the latest in a spree of hate during the Jewish holidays that has the community and city officials alarmed.”[4]
  • Brooklyn attack: Another attack took place in the early morning in Brooklyn “when a 25-year-old Jewish man was walking on the sidewalk when he saw a large group of people walking toward him, police said.” That man told police that members of the group yelled curses at the obviously Jewish man “before hurling a Slurpee at him.”[5]
  • Brooklyn attack: “A man in his 50s was standing in front of a building on Union Avenue in a Hassidic neighborhood when he said he saw as many as six people approach him after 5 p.m. on Dec. 24, according to police. One of the people who came up to the man punched him in the back of the head, and the group took off.”[6]

What Can We Do Together to Oppose Antisemitism?

This is a critical moment for those who love the Jewish Messiah to show the Jewish people their concern and opposition to the rise of antisemitism. Whereas we are grateful for all legislation that identifies and even defines antisemitism as illegal activity, this is simply not enough. As followers of the Jewish Messiah, we need to act now on behalf of His “kinsman according to the flesh.”

Antisemitism has been the concern of Your Mission to the Jewish People for more than a century. One of the early leaders, Joseph Hoffman Cohn, the son of our founder Rabbi Leopold Cohn, often appealed to evangelical churches in the United States in the 1930s to take a stand against antisemitism. He took many trips to Europe at that time attempting to rescue Messianic Jewish leaders from the terrible times ahead. Joseph did not know exactly what was coming, but early on recognized the serious threat to the Jewish people in Europe.

One of our ministry’s values is to “seek the welfare of the Jewish community.” We are now doing this by shining the light on modern antisemitism and calling Christians to action!

And so, we must act!

We intend to continue holding rallies in New York City against antisemitism. I also encourage you to consider initiating some type of anti-antisemitism event at your local church or in your community. We have found that Jewish people who are not yet believers in Jesus are willing to stand with our efforts to protest antisemitism. So, do not be surprised if Jewish people in your community will want to be involved with your efforts to counter antisemitism.

Chosen People Ministries would be happy to help you organize this event. It can be as simple as a prayer meeting where you invite folks from your church and the local Christian community to pray for God’s protection of the Jewish people. Contact us for additional ideas.

We are immediately launching a digital petition campaign and will continue the campaign for the foreseeable future.

We are praying that we will move at least 50,000 people to sign this petition of concern for their Jewish friends as a very tangible way of demonstrating God’s love for His chosen people. 

I cannot tell you how much your efforts on behalf of the Jewish people are appreciated. Jewish people, especially those who do not believe in Jesus, will align themselves with us in our joint opposition to the growing antisemitism in our country.

Thank you for your prayers and for your generous support to help us combat antisemitism—in the name of Jesus! Thank you so much for standing with the Jewish people and with Your Mission to the Jewish People as well. I know this will be a wonderful testimony to your Jewish neighbors.

In our Messiah,
Mitch

[1] Jonathan Dienst and Ken Buffa, “5 Stabbed at Rabbi’s Home in Ny; Suspect Charged: Police,” NBC New York, December 28, 2019, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mass-stabbing-at-jewish-synagogue-in-rockland-county-ny-reports/2251668/.

[2] Jonathan Dienst and Minyvonne Burke, “Jersey City Suspects Targeted Kosher Store Where 3 Died, Officials Say,” NBC News, December 11, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jersey-city-suspects-targeted-kosher-store-where-3-died-motive-n1099606.

[3] Erica Byfield and Myles Miller, “‘Open Season On Jews’: Outrage Over Spike in NYC Hate Attacks,” NBC New York, December 27, 2019, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/open-season-on-jews-reports-of-anti-semitic-attacks-during-hanukkah-cause-for-concern/2250584/.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

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August 19, 2019 · 4:31 PM

Ministry Update: Shalom New York & Oppose Antisemitism

Shalom from New York City, the home of more than two million Jewish people. Throughout July and August, we have enjoyed the privilege of sharing the gospel intensively with Jewish people throughout the metropolitan area. Our team of more than 125 staff and volunteers have spoken to hundreds of Jewish people about the gospel. I wish you could have been here!

Good News from the Streets of New York City

We are in the midst of following up with the many Jewish people who indicated they are interested in hearing more about Jesus.

We also had two major events that drew many Jewish seekers. We sponsored a well-attended dialogue between scholars about the value of the Old Testament Scriptures. We also held a debate between Messianic apologist Dr. Michael Brown, and Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. The title of the debate was, “Is the New Testament Antisemitic?” This is a hot issue in the Jewish community today as antisemitism is on the rise. The purpose of this debate was to show that the New Testament and Jesus Himself are Jewish.

Showing Jewish People the Love of the Messiah

So, how do we respond to common historical and theological objections Jewish people have from considering Jesus? This is done one heart at a time. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans of the critical role believers, especially those who are not Jewish, play in the salvation of individual Jewish people. The Apostle writes:

“I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous” (Romans 11:11).

This passage may encourage Gentile believers to share the love of Jesus with their Jewish friends from a heart of gratitude for what God has done through the physical seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

During our recent outreach campaign in New York City, we had dozens of Gentile believers on the streets of New York City speaking to Jewish people about the Lord. They also brought food to the poor and elderly and cleaned homes for those who cannot keep up because of age or illness. Showing love in practical ways gave power and authenticity to our proclamation!

Hundreds of us also marched over the Brooklyn Bridge in an effort to call upon the public and Christians to oppose antisemitism!

Oppose Antisemitism

Christian opposition to antisemitism is a powerful witness to our Jewish family and friends. This reshapes the gospel playing field by showing from the start that real Christians love the Jewish people and condemn antisemitism.

Would you stand with us against antisemitism? Believe me, our actions as the Body of Messiah will make a difference in how the Jewish people feel about the Messiah Jesus.

Think Globally, Act Locally!

You can help put a stop to antisemitism in your community! Let me suggest a few ways to do this:

  • Educate your church on the evils of antisemitism—we have great materials on our online store.
  • Encourage your pastor to preach about this issue from the pulpit.
  • Pray for the Jewish people in your community.
  • Attend Jewish community events in order to build bridges with the Jewish people.
  • Say something if and when antisemitism arises in your community.
  • Make sure the Holocaust is taught in your local school systems and especially at Christian schools and homeschooling associations.
  • Encourage your church or Messianic congregation to teach about the history and current expressions of antisemitism from a biblical perspective.

It is critical that we make our Christian community aware of the problem and that you positively engage the Jewish community where you live so that you can build loving and respectful relationships with the Jewish people.

Our love will be used by God to create a bridge for the good news.

Partners in the Gospel

Thank you for taking the time to hear my heart for my people! I hope you will pray for the Jewish people and for Your Mission to the Jewish People as we share the good news in nineteen countries across the globe.

I pray the Jewish people in your community will take notice of your efforts to stand with them and to finally see that true Christians love the Jewish people!

Thanks for caring!

Mitch Glaser

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