Jews

Before the exile, Israel was divided into two nations:

Israel - The northern kingdom of Israel comprised the ten tribes of Israel except the tribe of Judah and Benjamin.

Judah - The southern kingdom of Judah comprised the tribe of Judah and Benjamin.

1 Kings 12:15–20

Assyria invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and the Israelites were carried into exile.

2 Kings 17:6

Babylon invaded Judah and the inhabitants were carried into exile.

2 Kings 25:11

The word Jew is derived from the word Judah. The first occurence of the word Jew is in the book of Ezra. In Scriptures, it is used to refer to the inhabitants of Judah who returned from the seventy years of exile in Babylon to build the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Today, the word Jew is also used to refer to those who follow Judaism.

Jews

• Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah when He came to Israel
• Jews who opposed Jesus
• Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah after Yahweh raised Him to life
• Jews who are yet to believe that Jesus is the Messiah

Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah when He came to Israel

There were Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah when he came to Israel, in fulfillment of the prophecies, to accomplish the works entrusted to Him by Yahweh.

Luke 4

43

But he said, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

44

And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

John 10

41

Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.”

42

And many in that place believed in Jesus.

John 6

14

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

John 7

40

When they heard these words, some in the crowd were saying, “This really is the Prophet,”

41

while others were saying, “This is the Messiah!”

John 8

31

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

32

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 11

45

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.

Matthew 4

25

The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Mark 3

7

a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea,

8

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him.

Jews who opposed Jesus

Mark 11

18

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

Luke 19

47

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.

Mark 12

12

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Matthew 21

45

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.

46

They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Luke 22

2

the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

4

Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.

The Greek term, hoi Ioudaioi, traditionally translated the Jews refers in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus:

John

1:19

5:10, 15, 16;

7:1, 11, 13;

9:22;

18:14, 28, 36;

19:7, 12, 31, 38

Exceptions

Mark 12

28

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

32

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

34

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

John 3

1

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

2

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

John 12:42

Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.

Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah after Yahweh raised Him to life

Acts 17

2

As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3

explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.

4

Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

Acts 13

42

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.

43

When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 14

1

In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.

Acts 17

11

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

12

As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Acts 18

8

Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord.

baptize – to believe and follow

1 Corinthians 10

1

our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

2

They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Acts 2

5

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

41

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 19

2

and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4

Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

5

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6

When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Romans 10

9

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Acts 2

38

Peter answered them, "Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

Acts 2

39

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

James 1

1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

Hebrews 9

28

so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

Jews who are yet to believe that Jesus is the Messiah

Some of the reasons why there are Jews who are yet to believe that Jesus is the Messiah:

• There are errors and discrepancies in the New Testament

Read: Are errors present in the gospels of New Testament?

• The mystery of the prophetic Scriptures has not been revealed to them

Romans 10

1

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

Romans 10

14

How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

15

And how can they preach unless they are sent?

• The unique message of Scriptures has not been made known

If Scriptures is the word of Yahweh then there can be only one true interpretation of Scriptures is not known. Because the unique message of Scriptures is not known, there exists many denominations with different beliefs and doctrines.