By Dr. Mitch Glaser

Introduction

As the leader of a traditional mission to the Jewish people, I believe that all Jewish people need to accept Jesus in order to have a place in the age to come (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). I do not believe that a Jewish person is capable of keeping the Law to the extent that their human efforts would in some way satisfy God’s demands for righteousness, enabling the individual Jewish person to enter heaven on their own merit (Gal. 2:15-16, 3:23-25, Romans 10:2-4 ff.).  This is true of non-Jews as well, who are judged on a different basis than the Jewish people according to the argument of the Apostle Paul in the early chapters of Romans (Romans 2:12-16, 3:9-20), but non-Jews are also made acceptable before God by the same act of conscious faith in the Son of God who died and rose for our sins (Romans 10:9-12).

I also believe it is a biblical mandate for Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to reach Jewish people with the Gospel message.  In fact, according to Paul’s statement in Romans 11:11, the Gentiles are to make the Jewish people jealous.  The Great Commission has application to both Jewish and Gentile believers; however, the Scriptures do not present Jewish evangelism as simply one aspect of the Great Commission among many.  It is a unique venture that is specifically addressed in Scripture and once again, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is the biblical spokesperson who argues for this position.

This mandate for Jewish evangelism (and discipleship) that Paul calls upon the Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to embrace is based upon many different passages from the New Testament, but the following two passages seem to be the most prominent.

Did you know that there are now almost 2 million Israelis who live under the poverty line? Many of them are elderly Russian Jews and quite a few are Holocaust survivors. We want to help them in the name of Jesus with food, clothing, furniture, counseling services and much more. There is also an increasing number of drug- and alcohol-dependent Israelis - many from among the Russian immigrant population - who desperately need our help. The holiday season will also be difficult for single mothers in Israel.

By God's grace, because we have begun outreach through the Tel Aviv Messianic Center (which has a full industrial kitchen), we are in the unique position to help hundreds of these desperate people right now. I don't know if you have ever been to Israel, but I can assure you that even though Tel Aviv generally has a mild climate, it is still cold there during the winter nights.

Interview with Doug P.

Of the sixty universities in North America with the largest Jewish student bodies, eight are in New York City, accounting for roughly 32,000 graduate and undergraduate students.* This large number represents a vibrant mission field, one in which Chosen People Ministries' staff member Doug P. has faithfully served for a number of years, making contacts through book tables and one-on-one conversations. Staff writer Alan Shore caught up with Doug for an interview and the answers to several timely questions.

Alan: What are some of the most important ways to minister to Jewish college students?

Doug: The first and most important way is to present Jesus in His Jewish context, where He belongs. This emphasizes His Jewish identity and gives the students what is often a perspective on Jesus that they have not yet heard - but one with which they can identify.

The next thing is that Jewish students feel at home with the Hebrew Scriptures - even if they don't know much about the Scriptures at all. So you can present your case for Jesus from the Old Testament. Jesus did this, and so did the apostles, as we can see in the Book of Acts.

Tel Aviv, Israel

The Tel Aviv Messianic Center is a centrally located three-story building that is easy to get to from anywhere in the city or country. The facility has a meeting hall for congregations to hold their services, seminars and classes. It also has a fully-equipped industrial kitchen, which will be used for soup kitchen ministries, and a large storage room that will become a distribution center for the needy. Once a week the Center will also host a coffee shop outreach with live music called the Gospel Cafe. The third story will be utilized for children's classrooms, adult classes, and two small offices; in 2010 the children's rooms will be used for the first phase of a Messianic K-12 school. Please pray that this facility will become a major center for ministry in Tel Aviv!

A recent service at the Tel Aviv Messianic Center