Click HERE to access a video lecture.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Saturday, October 22, 2005
What Convinced Me? Part 3 - Liar, Lunatic, Lord, or _______?
She called herself a Messianic Jew. She'd been born into a nominal Jewish home. Very little of Jewish tradition was practiced by her family. By the time she got to college, she was spiritually curious. A missionary supplied her with answers that appeared to make sense. She believed she could have the best of both worlds - being Jewish and believing in Jesus. After all, he was Jewish, as were all his original followers.
She had come to the home of a friend of mine in Atlanta to hear me speak about my journey to Judaism. During the question & answer session, she hit me with a favorite missionary question. She raised her hand politely and asked, "But what do you do with the person of Jesus? He was either a liar, a lunatic, or lord. Which is it?"
I love questions like this. They suggest that the options given are the only options there are. I suggested to her that there was at least a fourth option beyond her list. "Lore," I said tersely, "I believe we have to consider lore as an option".
I then proceeded to give her a brief overview of the "god-man" theme that runs through many ancient mystery religions existing prior to and contemporarily with early Christianity. Many of them share elements strikingly similar to the life of Jesus. A pre-existent deity becomes human through the agency of a virgin birth, lives a life of miracles, gathers disciples, dies on a cross or tree as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of others, is buried for three days, rises again, and ultimately ascends back to heaven. A memorial meal consisting of bread (representing the body) and wine (representing the blood) is also a common element amongst some of these mystery cults.
I suggested to my inquirer that she investigate this further. She did. Thank G-d she was willing to do some openminded homework. Today she is Torah observant and reclaiming the heritage she never knew growing up in a "typical American Jewish family".
G-d, speaking through the prophet Hoshea (4:6), said "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (nidmu 'ami mi'bli da'at). Ignorance has caused many sincere Jews to drift into scores of cults and isms. Baruch Hashem, our young lady in this case made it home to a spiritual treasury she hadn't known existed, yet had been hers all along.
(I read an insightful book on the relationship of Jesus' life to the themes of pagan mystery religions. It was written by two Australian Christians. Click here to learn about it at Amazon.com.)
She had come to the home of a friend of mine in Atlanta to hear me speak about my journey to Judaism. During the question & answer session, she hit me with a favorite missionary question. She raised her hand politely and asked, "But what do you do with the person of Jesus? He was either a liar, a lunatic, or lord. Which is it?"
I love questions like this. They suggest that the options given are the only options there are. I suggested to her that there was at least a fourth option beyond her list. "Lore," I said tersely, "I believe we have to consider lore as an option".
I then proceeded to give her a brief overview of the "god-man" theme that runs through many ancient mystery religions existing prior to and contemporarily with early Christianity. Many of them share elements strikingly similar to the life of Jesus. A pre-existent deity becomes human through the agency of a virgin birth, lives a life of miracles, gathers disciples, dies on a cross or tree as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of others, is buried for three days, rises again, and ultimately ascends back to heaven. A memorial meal consisting of bread (representing the body) and wine (representing the blood) is also a common element amongst some of these mystery cults.
I suggested to my inquirer that she investigate this further. She did. Thank G-d she was willing to do some openminded homework. Today she is Torah observant and reclaiming the heritage she never knew growing up in a "typical American Jewish family".
G-d, speaking through the prophet Hoshea (4:6), said "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (nidmu 'ami mi'bli da'at). Ignorance has caused many sincere Jews to drift into scores of cults and isms. Baruch Hashem, our young lady in this case made it home to a spiritual treasury she hadn't known existed, yet had been hers all along.
(I read an insightful book on the relationship of Jesus' life to the themes of pagan mystery religions. It was written by two Australian Christians. Click here to learn about it at Amazon.com.)
26 Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus
For nearly ten years, my friend Asher Norman, an attorney from Los Angeles, has been working assiduously to complete his compelling new book "26 Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus". It is a very well researched volume and, distinct from most other books in this genre, it is not combative or polemical.
There is not another book on the market quite like this one. It contains the least a Jew should know when confronted by a missionary.
One of the most remarkable endorsements Asher Norman received came from the Reverend Doctor John Goldingay, Professor of Old Testament Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena CA. He said, “Obviously, I disagree with Asher Norman’s interpretation of the facts that feature in this book, but he has worked hard to get the facts right, and as far as I can tell, his facts are correct.”
You can visit Asher Norman's website and order the book directly online at: www.26reasons.com.
There is not another book on the market quite like this one. It contains the least a Jew should know when confronted by a missionary.
One of the most remarkable endorsements Asher Norman received came from the Reverend Doctor John Goldingay, Professor of Old Testament Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena CA. He said, “Obviously, I disagree with Asher Norman’s interpretation of the facts that feature in this book, but he has worked hard to get the facts right, and as far as I can tell, his facts are correct.”
You can visit Asher Norman's website and order the book directly online at: www.26reasons.com.
Friday, October 21, 2005
What Convinced Me? Part 2 - 300 Prophecies?
As a missionary working in Israel in the 80's, I spoke to many Jews about why I believed that Jesus was the Jewish messiah. One of the platform declarations I would make is that there were some 300 prophecies from the Jewish Scriptures which were fulfilled in Jesus' alleged virgin birth, his ministry, his death on the cross/tree, his three day burial*, his resurrection, and his ascension. I would cite many of the connected "fulfillments" between the testaments to show inquisitive Jews how these prophecies were validated.
In truth, I was unwittingly shooting an arrow, drawing a bulls-eye, and then claiming pinpoint accuracy as an archer!
About a year and a half ago, I wrote an article on this subject which was published on Jewsweek.com. You can read that here.
* No matter how you calculate it, there is no way that Jesus spent three days and three nights in the grave as he said he would. All the gospel accounts are fuzzy on this point. This is disturbing because of all the specific events Jesus said he would fulfill, being in the grave for three days and three nights was "the sign" that would be given to validate his claims. Mt. 12:38-40 says: Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The most ancient of Christian traditions tell us that Jesus supposedly died on the afternoon of Good Friday and rose before dawn on Sunday. There is no way one can derive three days and three nights from this account. There are many discussions on this serious problem. I've never read one that adequately resolves this contradiction.
Furthermore, Jesus made the claim about the three day/three night sign to "certain of the scribes and Pharisees". It would make sense by every stretch of reasonability that Jesus would return to this "certain" group following his alleged rising from the dead in order to deliver the sign. However, according to the gospel accounts, he did not. He appeared only to those predisposed to believe in him. So, how is this a sign if only a select few are entitled to see it?
When G-d delivered the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai, the event was witnessed by millions.
In truth, I was unwittingly shooting an arrow, drawing a bulls-eye, and then claiming pinpoint accuracy as an archer!
About a year and a half ago, I wrote an article on this subject which was published on Jewsweek.com. You can read that here.
* No matter how you calculate it, there is no way that Jesus spent three days and three nights in the grave as he said he would. All the gospel accounts are fuzzy on this point. This is disturbing because of all the specific events Jesus said he would fulfill, being in the grave for three days and three nights was "the sign" that would be given to validate his claims. Mt. 12:38-40 says: Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The most ancient of Christian traditions tell us that Jesus supposedly died on the afternoon of Good Friday and rose before dawn on Sunday. There is no way one can derive three days and three nights from this account. There are many discussions on this serious problem. I've never read one that adequately resolves this contradiction.
Furthermore, Jesus made the claim about the three day/three night sign to "certain of the scribes and Pharisees". It would make sense by every stretch of reasonability that Jesus would return to this "certain" group following his alleged rising from the dead in order to deliver the sign. However, according to the gospel accounts, he did not. He appeared only to those predisposed to believe in him. So, how is this a sign if only a select few are entitled to see it?
When G-d delivered the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai, the event was witnessed by millions.
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