Jesse Hitefield

HOW CAN YOU LOVE THE JEWISH MESSIAH WHILE DESPISING THE JEWISH PEOPLE? 10 Biblical Reasons Every Believer Should Love the Jewish People Your Savior is Jewish. His apostles were Jewish. His prophets were Jewish. The Scriptures you treasure were entrusted to the Jewish people. The covenants that anchor God's redemptive plan were first given to Israel. Yet throughout history, antisemitism has found its way into communities that profess to worship Israel's Messiah. How can we claim to love the Jewish Messiah while harboring contempt for the people from whom He came? This is not primarily a political question. It is a biblical one. And Scripture gives us ten compelling reasons to love, honor, and pray for the Jewish people. 1. BECAUSE GOD LOVES ISRAEL "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). God chose Israel not because of its greatness, but because He loved them and remained faithful to His oath (Deuteronomy 7:6–8). His love was never based on Israel's perfection, but on His covenant faithfulness. If God loves Israel, shouldn't believers reflect that love? 2. BECAUSE GOD'S COVENANTS ARE EVERLASTING God promised Abraham descendants, land, and blessing (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:18–21; 17:7–8). He reaffirmed those promises to Isaac and Jacob. Psalm 105:8–11 identifies Canaan as Israel's inheritance under an everlasting covenant. And in Jeremiah 31:35–37, God connects Israel's continued existence as a nation before Him to the fixed order of the sun, moon, and stars. If God refuses to abandon His covenant promises, why should we presume He has? 3. BECAUSE JESUS IS JEWISH Jesus descended from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David (Matthew 1:1–17; Hebrews 7:14). He worshiped in synagogues, celebrated Israel's feasts, and taught from the Hebrew Scriptures. Revelation 5:5 calls Him the Lion of Judah. Revelation 22:16 identifies Him as the Root and Offspring of David. Our Savior did not arrive disconnected from Israel's story. He came in fulfillment of it! 4. BECAUSE ISRAEL WAS ENTRUSTED WITH GOD'S WORD Paul declares that the Jewish people were entrusted with the very words of God (Romans 3:1–2). Romans 9:4–5 identifies Israel's extraordinary privileges: the covenants, the law, the promises, the patriarchs—and the Messiah's human ancestry. Consider what came through Israel: The patriarchs. The prophets. The Scriptures. The covenants. The apostles. The Messiah. We did not receive a faith disconnected from Israel. We received the blessings of God's unfolding redemptive plan through Israel. 5. BECAUSE SALVATION CAME THROUGH THE JEWISH PEOPLE Jesus declared, "Salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22). God promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). Genesis 22:18 connects that worldwide blessing to Abraham's offspring, ultimately fulfilled in Messiah (Galatians 3:16). God's election of Israel was never intended to exclude the nations. Through Israel's Messiah, God extended salvation to the world! The nations have received an immeasurable blessing through the Jewish people. 6. BECAUSE GENTILE BELIEVERS WERE GRAFTED INTO THE OLIVE TREE Romans 11 contains a sobering warning against Gentile arrogance. Paul describes natural branches and wild branches grafted into a cultivated olive tree. Then he warns: "Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches" (Romans 11:18). Through faith in Israel's Messiah, Gentile believers share in the nourishing root of God's covenant blessings. Paul never tells the wild branches that they have replaced the natural branches. Instead, he warns them against boasting (Romans 11:17–24). We were graciously grafted into a story God began with Abraham. The root supports us. We do not support the root! 7. BECAUSE JESUS AND PAUL LOVED THEIR JEWISH PEOPLE Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He lamented over her and longed to gather her children (Matthew 23:37). Paul expressed profound sorrow for his fellow Israelites (Romans 9:1–4). And his prayer was unmistakable: "My heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1). Their love was not sentimental indifference. It included compassion, grief, prayer, and a longing for salvation. Yeshua wept over Jerusalem. Paul grieved for Israel. When did indifference toward the Jewish people become acceptable among believers? 8. BECAUSE GOD HAS NOT REJECTED HIS PEOPLE Paul asks: "Did God reject his people?" His answer is emphatic: "By no means!" (Romans 11:1). He later declares that Israel remains beloved because of the patriarchs and that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:28–29). Even amid Israel's present unbelief, God's covenant faithfulness remains. Paul explicitly warns Gentile believers against conceit (Romans 11:20, 25). If God could abandon His promises to Israel, what assurance would we have that He will keep His promises to us? Thankfully, He is the God who keeps His Word. 9. BECAUSE GOD HAS A FUTURE FOR ISRAEL Israel's significance in Scripture is not confined to the past. Ezekiel 36:24–27 anticipates Israel's regathering and spiritual cleansing. Zechariah 12:10 describes an outpouring of grace upon Jerusalem. Romans 11:25–27 anticipates Israel's future salvation. And the prophets describe a coming Kingdom in which the nations stream to Zion to learn God's ways (Isaiah 2:2–4; Micah 4:1–4). Gabriel declared that Yeshua would receive David's throne and reign over the house of Jacob (Luke 1:32–33). Zechariah 14:9, 16 describes the LORD reigning over the earth, with nations coming to Jerusalem to worship the King. Israel is not merely where God's redemptive story began. Jerusalem is central to where His prophetic promises are leading! 10. BECAUSE SCRIPTURE COMMANDS LOVE, PRAYER, AND GRATITUDE "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). Yeshua commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). And Paul provides an extraordinary reminder in Romans 15:27: Gentile believers who shared in the spiritual blessings of Jewish believers were indebted to serve them with material blessings. Our gratitude should produce action. Love does not mean believing every Jewish person is righteous, endorsing every Israeli government decision, or suggesting salvation comes apart from Yeshua (Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16). It means rejecting antisemitism, confronting hatred, cultivating genuine friendships, praying for Jewish people, demonstrating compassion, and sharing the hope of their Messiah. Biblical love is more than a theological position. It is a responsibility. THE ROOT SUPPORTS YOU. YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THE ROOT. Consider what Paul teaches in Romans 11: God has not rejected His people (verse 1). Gentile believers must not boast against the natural branches (verse 18). Israel remains beloved because of the patriarchs (verse 28). God's gifts and calling are irrevocable (verse 29). This is not about elevating one ethnicity above another. Jew and Gentile alike need salvation through the same Messiah (Romans 10:12–13). It is about honoring God's Word, recognizing His faithfulness, and refusing to despise a people He calls beloved. The Church did not create the olive tree. We were grafted into it. The Jewish people were entrusted with the Scriptures and the covenants. From their ancestry came the Messiah, who will reign upon David's throne. If Jesus loves His people, if Paul grieved for their salvation, and if God still calls them beloved, what business do believers have treating the Jewish people with contempt? Love the Jewish people. Reject antisemitism. Pray for Jerusalem. Proclaim Jesus, Israel's Messiah. Trust the God who keeps His covenants. "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." — Romans 11:29 One root. Natural branches. Wild branches grafted in. One faithful God.

FROM MORIAH TO THE THRONE: DID GOD REVEAL THE MESSIAH'S MISSION THROUGH THE PSALMS? One beloved son. One suffering righteous man. One exalted Lord. One reigning King. And one everlasting covenant connecting them all. What if Genesis 22 and the Psalms reveal an extraordinary Messianic progression—from Mount Moriah to David's throne and ultimately to the ends of the earth? Written across centuries, these passages form a remarkable picture of suffering, vindication, and kingdom glory. And the connection begins with Abraham. 1. GENESIS 22 — THE BELOVED SON God promises Abraham: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) Then comes an extraordinary test: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac...” (Genesis 22:2) Isaac carries the wood. Father and son ascend the mountain. When Isaac asks about the sacrifice, Abraham answers: “God himself will provide the lamb.” (Genesis 22:8) God provides a ram, and Isaac is spared. Centuries later, John identifies Yeshua as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Paul declares that God “did not spare his own Son” (Romans 8:32). Hebrews 11:17–19 adds another remarkable connection: Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead. Genesis records Abraham's historical obedience, while the New Testament reveals profound parallels involving sacrifice, divine provision, and resurrection. Isaac was spared. God's Son was given. And God's promise continues: “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 22:18) Remember those words. 2. PSALM 2 — THE SON WHO INHERITS THE NATIONS The LORD declares to His Anointed: “You are my son; today I have become your father.” (Psalm 2:7) Then: “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:8) Who is this Son whose inheritance encompasses the nations? Psalm 2 concerns God's appointed Davidic King, yet its worldwide vision exceeds the accomplishments of Israel's historical monarchs. The New Testament applies this psalm to Yeshua (Acts 13:32–33; Hebrews 1:5). Genesis 22: Abraham's offspring blesses the nations. Psalm 2: God's Anointed Son inherits the nations. The promises are converging. 3. PSALM 22 — THE SUFFERING RIGHTEOUS ONE David cries: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) Yeshua repeats these words from the cross (Matthew 27:46). Psalm 22:7–8 describes enemies mocking the sufferer's trust in God. Matthew 27:39–43 records strikingly similar mockery. Psalm 22:18 describes garments divided by lot. John 19:23–24 records its fulfillment at the crucifixion. But Psalm 22 does not end in defeat! “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD.” (Psalm 22:27) Isaiah describes a related pattern. The suffering Servant bears the sins of many, is vindicated, and receives a victorious portion (Isaiah 53:10–12). Suffering. Vindication. Worldwide blessing. Genesis 22 promises blessing to the nations. Psalm 2 promises their inheritance to God's Son. Psalm 22 anticipates their worship following the sufferer's deliverance. Could these passages reveal different dimensions of the same Messianic mission? 4. PSALM 110 — THE EXALTED LORD David writes: “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1) Yeshua asks why David calls his promised descendant “Lord” (Matthew 22:41–46). Then Psalm 110:4 announces an eternal priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7 identifies Yeshua with this priesthood. Hebrews 10:12–13 describes Him seated at God's right hand after His sacrifice, awaiting the subjection of His enemies. The Messiah suffers, rises, and is exalted—but His promised earthly reign still awaits its complete fulfillment. 5. PSALM 72 — THE KING WHO BLESSES THE NATIONS Now comes perhaps the strongest connection. Psalm 72 describes a righteous Davidic King who delivers the needy, establishes justice, and brings peace. “May he rule from sea to sea...” (Psalm 72:8) “May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.” (Psalm 72:11) Then: “May all nations be blessed through him...” (Psalm 72:17) Compare! Genesis 22:18: All nations blessed through Abraham's offspring. Psalm 72:17: All nations blessed through the Davidic King. Psalm 72 begins with Solomon's kingship, yet its worldwide expectations extend beyond anything Solomon accomplished. God had promised David: “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) The Abrahamic and Davidic promises converge in the expectation of a righteous King. Matthew introduces Yeshua as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). Gabriel declares that God will give Him David's throne and that His kingdom will never end (Luke 1:32–33). The promised offspring of Abraham is also the promised King from David's line! 6. THE COVENANTS HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN The Psalms also reaffirm God's promises to Israel: “He remembers his covenant forever...” (Psalm 105:8) Psalm 105:9–11 identifies the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—including the promised land. The blessing of the Gentiles does not cancel God's promises to Israel. Romans 11:29 declares that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable. Isaiah 2:2–4 anticipates nations coming to Jerusalem. Isaiah 11:1–10 describes the righteous Branch of Jesse. Zechariah 14:9 declares the LORD King over all the earth. Read alongside Revelation 20:1–6, these promises anticipate Yeshua's future earthly reign. The King fulfills God's covenants. He does not cancel them. ONE MESSIAH. SUFFERING FIRST. GLORY AFTERWARD. Consider the biblical progression: Genesis 22:18 — Abraham's offspring blesses the nations. Psalm 2:7–8 — God's Anointed Son inherits the nations. Psalm 22:27 — The nations turn to the LORD. Isaiah 53:10–12 — The suffering Servant bears sin and is vindicated. Psalm 110:1 — David's Lord is exalted. Psalm 72:17 — The Davidic King blesses the nations. Different historical contexts. One unfolding redemptive plan. And Yeshua provides the interpretive key: “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:26) Suffering first. Glory afterward. The Tanakh does not explicitly require every Messianic promise to be fulfilled in one appearance. Could the suffering Messiah and the reigning Messiah be the same promised Redeemer? Yeshua ben Yosef—the suffering Messiah. Yeshua ben David—the reigning King. The God who provided on Moriah has not forgotten Abraham, abandoned Israel, or surrendered His promise concerning David's throne. The beloved Son was given. The suffering Messiah was vindicated. The exalted Lord will return. And the King will reign. One Messiah. One unfolding redemptive plan. One covenant-keeping God.