Jewish Road 101: How To Know And Share The Gospel From The Old Testament
Within the pages of the Old Testament, known to the Jewish community as the Tanakh, lies a rich collection of Biblical wisdom, history, and prophecies that hold profound significance. While often associated with Jewish tradition, these ancient scriptures also contain valuable insights into the Good News - the Gospel - largely unexplored within the Christian church, and rarely assembled in a systematic perspective that forms God’s plan of atonement from the Old Testament.
In Christianity, God’s plan for salvation in the New Testament is often described as the “Roman Road,” walking through the book of Romans to share the gospel. But the Jewish people are often not interested in the New Testament, so we have created what we call “The Jewish Road,” our namesake, to show both the Jewish people and Christian community the gospel pointing to Jesus as the Messiah can be seen in the Old Testament as well.
Walk with us down the Jewish Road, be equipped, and be prepared.
Jewish Road Stop #1: Isaiah 59:1-2
1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Just as Moses reminded them regarding their deliverance in Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:19):
…the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.
The Jewish people, the physical descendants of Abraham, are told by Isaiah that their iniquities have caused a separation (barrier) between them and their God because they have not followed God with their whole heart. This is a universal truth that applies to all people (Romans 3:23).
God is certainly able to deliver captive Israel — Just a few verses earlier we are told that a time is coming when they will call and He will say “Here I am.” Isaiah 58:9:
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
The Lord will hear and respond to the prayers of His people. This will take place when Israel turns to the Lord with a repentant heart. Then the fullness of blessing will be poured out on the House of Israel (Isaiah 65:24):
Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.
This will be at the time of Messiah’s return. When He restores the long awaited kingdom to Israel. When all Israel looks unto Him whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10):
“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [a]the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look unto Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
This is the day that Paul spoke of when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).
Jewish Road Stop #2: Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
That phrase, “Life of the flesh is in the blood,” is intensified and deepened in 7:14: “For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life.” That is to say it is the blood that is carrying all that is necessary to all parts of the body to sustain life. And so it represents the most basic and important element that is necessary for life.
In contrast, the shedding of blood represents the shedding of life, that is death. That point was made as early as Genesis 9:4:
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
The second important phrase is “it is the blood that makes atonement.” Since it is the blood that carries the life it is, therefore something that is sanctified and holy to God.
We would be missing the whole point of substitutionary atonement as given to Israel in the Law (Torah) if we didn’t follow it through to its new covenant fulfillment. In the case of a blood sacrifice, the death (shed blood) from a substitute makes atonement for or covers the sinner who passes from death to life. He is allowed to live by virtue of a substitute that took his place in order to cover his sin.
In Matthew 26:27-28, Yeshua is at the last Passover with His disciples before His crucifixion. After taking the bread (Matzah) he then took the cup:
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
The writer to the Hebrews makes a most important point in (9;22):
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Here again the point is made that the shedding of blood refers to death, which is the means by which “forgiveness” comes. As in Leviticus 17:11 it is the blood that makes atonement by virtue of the life that is in the blood. And Yeshua’s own words in Matthew 26:28: “my blood poured out (shed)...for the forgiveness of sins.”
Jewish Road Stop #3: Deuteronomy 18:15,18
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
It should be noted that a singular pronoun is used and emphasizes the ultimate Prophet who was to come. God is going to raise up, in the future, a prophet like Moses. The end of Deuteronomy states concerning Moses (34:10):
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
Peter: When that future time came, Peter, speaking at the Temple to the people on Shavuot (Pentecost) said (Acts 3:22-23):
22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’
And Stephen, in defense of the gospel before the religious leaders (Acts 7:37):
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’
So we can see that the Old Testament (Act I) tells us of the prophet who is to come; and the New Covenant Scripture (Act II) references Deuteronomy as the fulfillment in Messiah Jesus. In fact, there are a number of ways in which Jesus was like Moses:
He was spared death as a baby (Ex. 2; Matt. 2:13-23)
He renounced a royal court (Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 11:24-27)
He had compassion on His people (Nu. 27:17; Matt. 9:36)
He made intercession for the people (Deut. 9:18; Heb. 7:25)
He spoke with God face to face (Ex. 34:29-30; 2 Cor. 3:7)
He was the mediator of a covenant (Deut. 29:1; Heb. 8:6-7)
Jewish Road Stop #4: Isaiah 53:3-6
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This is a chapter of the Hebrew Scriptures that can definitely change your life. We’ve focused on just a few verses, but one should read the whole chapter. It presents Yeshua within a Jewish context that is so necessary for Jewish people since most of the images that we see of Yeshua portray him a such a way that he doesn’t look very Jewish at all.
Verse 3 presents the Messiah/Servant as despised and rejected and as one who will suffer. He was abused physically and suffered grief internally over the rejection of those he came to save. The people could not conceptualize a crucified Messiah — as a result they hid their faces and esteemed him not.
As we read further, what is so interesting is that Isaiah is using a Hebrew literary device. The verbs are in the past tense, but pointing to a time future to Isaiah’s time. Isaiah is saying that the Messiah will bear the sins of men, verse 4, borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, even though they thought he was dying for his own sins.
Verse 5 is filled with language of substitution (remember Leviticus 17). He was wounded for our transgression; crushed for our iniquities. Looking ahead prophetically, Messiah will suffer not for his own sin since he was sinless, but as a substitute for sinners — us.
The focus of the chapter and particularly central in this verse is Messiah as being a substitute recipient of God’s wrath on sinners. As such, he suffered the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his stripe we are healed. The stripe (singular) that caused his death brought salvation to those for whose sins he died.
Verse 6, all we like sheep have gone astray. That is to say, every person has sinned. Every one has turned to his own way. And the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. In other words, God treated him as if he committed the sin of every person who would ever believe, even though he was perfectly innocent – a perfect, unblemished lamb.
In doing so, God could then give to the account of sinners like you and me forgiveness. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the blood of the perfect, unblemished animal being sacrificed provided atonement and would cover the person’s sin. But Yeshua, the perfect Lamb of God, provided atonement and forgiveness of sin.
It is as if He lived our lives of sin and we lived His life of perfect righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
Jewish Road Stop #5: Jeremiah 31:31-33
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
For those of us who grew up in traditional Jewish homes and never read the New Testament, it is somewhat surprising the first time we come across this passage in the Old Testament in the book of Jeremiah.
In verse 31 we read that the days are coming when God is going to make a new covenant. And who is He going to make it with? — Israel and Judah. Would we have expected God to make a covenant with someone else? — I don’t think so.
In verse 32 God says that this Covenant is going to be different. “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, this covenant is going to be different.
It's not going to be like the Law. And here is tells them why — “My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the Lord.”
In contrast to the Mosaic Covenant, they failed time and again to keep it. God characterized His relationship with Israel as that of a husband to his wife. God ultimately gave her a writ of divorce. Hosea characterizes Israel as an adulterous bride.
That violates the marriage contract (covenant) left and right. He gave them the contract. They broke it. Now God does what no man would do. He comes back to His bride with a new contract — this time He brings a contract that is unbreakable by the bride.
In verse 33 He describes this New Covenant: But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Israel has been living under the Law. For example, the Day of Atonement. If you did any work on that day you would be “cut off from among the chosen people.” No longer a Jew. “He who does not afflict his soul” shall be destroyed from among the chosen people.” Death was the penalty. The laws of the Day of Atonement — extremely strict. And that was one law. The Jews had to keep that Law, file those sacrifices. But without the sacrifice and all that went with it, there was no hope.
Now God says He’s going to make a different covenant than that. He’s going to put it in each man’s heart. The difference is that under the Law we served God out of fear. Under the New Covenant we serve God out of love.
What a covenant He would make with such a rebellious people.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As we have journeyed down The Jewish Road, exploring these pivotal verses within the Old Testament, we are reminded of a God who has fully revealed Himself, in both Act One (Old Testament) and Act Two (New Testament).
For either group to ignore this fact is simply willful ignorance.
By embracing the truth contained within the Tanakh, we deepen our faith and open doors to meaningful conversations about the Messiah. The Good News found within these ancient scriptures offers us a pathway toward depth and understanding we may not have had previously.
Let’s walk together on this road and continue our journey toward the saving knowledge of Him.
About The Jewish Road
At the heart of The Jewish Road lies a passion ignited by a father-son duo, Ron and Matt Davis. Our journey began with a simple yet profound desire: to bridge the gap in understanding that has kept two faith communities apart for too long. We're here to help Christians connect with the roots of their faith and for Jews to explore the life and teachings of Jesus with an open heart.
Imagine a world where every believer, be it Jewish or Christian, not only knows their faith but truly understands its origins and interconnectedness. We strive to restore the Jewish essence of the Gospel, offering insights that deepen knowledge, bolster faith, and propel the growth of the Kingdom. The narrative of faith, we believe, is a two-act play where both acts are essential for a comprehensive grasp of the story. By uniting these acts, we're presenting a more holistic and enriching perspective.
Life is too short to wander without knowing the full essence of your beliefs. Whether you're attending a synagogue or a church, there's so much more to discover. The Jewish Road is here to guide, enlighten, and, most importantly, bring both halves of the story together. Join us on this journey; together
