Jesus: The Christian and Jewish Connection

February 18, 2022 Jennifer Bosma

When reading the Bible, it's undeniable to see how the prophesy of Jesus and his actual life connects the Jewish and Christian people. This is a major factor in proving that Jesus is who he claimed, and validated through the many eyewitness accounts of the events of his life in both the Old and New Testaments. Let's shed some light on a couple of these biblical moments that point to Jesus.

In the Old Testament days, God spoke through prophets to reveal plans and directions for His people. During this time, most people could not hear directly from God. Moses is one of the most important prophets in the Jewish faith. He is the author of the first five books of the Bible named The Torah. The books included are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Exodus is rich in examples of how God spoke directly to Moses in leading the Israelites to freedom. The stumbling block was the hard-headedness of Pharaoh. He would not listen to Moses. After hearing multiple plague warnings and witnessing them firsthand, Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites into their promised land. Moses told Pharaoh what the final plague would be, “About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die.” (Exodus 11: 4-5) Pharaoh would not change his mind. Moses instructed the Israelites on how to save their firstborn child. They were to sacrifice a perfect lamb and place its blood on their door. By doing this, the Lord would not strike their firstborn and they would be "passed over," hence, the first Passover. This blood of the lamb on their door spared the Israelites and Pharaoh finally released them. Historians believe this was approximately 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus. (Exodus 12)

Now fast forward 700 years to the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet highly regarded in both the Jewish and Christian faiths. In Isaiah 53, He predicted Jesus’ life and death within a prophetic scope of closeness. Isaiah refers to this man (Jesus) growing up as a tender shoot, no beauty, despised, rejected, suffered, bore our suffering, afflicted, pierced, and crushed. It continues by saying that He brings us peace, and by His wounds, we are healed. In addition, this chapter, mentions; “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” (vs. 7) With the possible exception of Psalms, no Old Testament book parallels the future age of Jesus like Isaiah. The scriptures in the book of Isaiah are quoted more than nine times in the New Testament. There are seventeen chapters of this book that offer names to Christ. One of the names mentioned throughout is “Lamb of God.”

With the Easter season approaching, the forgiveness from sins that Jesus offered for us on that cross should make us feel brand new. Let the gravity of this sink in. Jesus died on the cross for you and me, allowing us to be forgiven for our sins. The need for animal sacrifices no longer exists. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice on that hill in Golgotha 2,000 years ago. He paid the price for our forgiveness. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is a prayer away from entering into a relationship with you. This heavenly power is right within your grasp if you only ask for it and welcome Jesus into your heart. Think about this during the Easter season, and know that Jesus is there holding open his nail-scarred hands just for you.

Psalm 22 : 16-18 (NIV) “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”