Are Jewish People Already Saved?

Jews are God's chosen people right?

Chosen for what?

Are they excluded from Christ's claim that HE is the ONLY WAY to the Father?  So are the Jews that reject Jesus their entire lives destined for hell?

Good questions.

The Jews were chosen by God to show the rest of the world what blessings and curses look like for a nation that chooses to obey the Creator of the universe or disobey.  They were also chosen to deliver the Word of God to planet earth.  And finally they were chosen to deliver the Messiah, Jesus Christ to the earth.

So are all Jews automatically saved just because they are Jews?  Do we need to evangelize Jews?  If we believe they are missing salvation by rejecting Christ, does that make us antisemitic?

For example, Monday’s Daily Article included an appeal to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) and for Jews facing the horrors of anti-Semitism around the world. Toward the end, I included this question: “Would you pray for the Jewish people during these High Holidays to turn to Jesus as their Messiah?”

A Jewish reader responded on our website, stating that my prayer for Jews to trust in Christ is “exactly what fuels anti-Semitism—religious superiority, intolerance and arrogance.” She believes that Jesus “would have only respect, acceptance and love for his people, and ALL people.” In her view, “there are many paths to God which God created so that we could all be in touch with the God of our understanding.” She considers my prayer for Jews to know Christ as their Savior “the highest form of spiritual arrogance clothed in concern.”

I am personally grateful to the reader for taking the time to share her response. Her view that Jews do not need Jesus is by no means unique.

Are Jewish people “already saved”? 

Writing for Religion News Service, Rabbi A. James Rudin reports that in July, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada voted to remove a prayer from its liturgy calling for the conversion of the Jewish people to Christianity. An Anglican bishop linked anti-Semitism with “singling out Jews as a target for our evangelistic efforts.”

Rabbi Rudin then quotes Billy Graham: “In my evangelistic efforts, I have never felt called to single out Jews as Jews . . . Just as Judaism frowns on proselytizing that is coercive, or that seeks to commit men against their will, so do I.”

The rabbi also quotes theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who said of Christianity and Judaism: “The two faiths despite differences are sufficiently alike for the Jew to find God more easily in terms of his own religious heritage than by subjecting him . . . to a faith . . . which must appear as a symbol of an oppressive majority culture.”

Rabbi Rudin adds a statement from a Catholic professor: “Jews do not need to convert to Christianity in order to be saved. They are already saved.”

What Jesus, Peter, and Paul thought 

Let’s begin with Dr. Graham’s statement. I completely agree that we should not “single out Jews as Jews” or employ coercive evangelistic strategies with them or anyone else. But I am confident that “praying for the Jewish people . . . to turn to Jesus as their Messiah” is neither coercive nor singling out “Jews as Jews.”

Rather, such intercession is an expression of Paul’s statement about his fellow Jews: “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1). The former Pharisee added: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (v. 9). As a result, “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him” (v. 12).

Peter made the same assertion before the Jewish Supreme Court: “Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12).

Peter and Paul took their cues from Jesus, who told his Jewish disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

If Jews are “already saved,” as the Catholic professor claimed, then Paul was wrong in Romans 10. If they can “find God more easily in terms of [their] own religious heritage,” as Prof. Niebuhr stated, then Peter was wrong in Acts 4. If “there are many paths to God,” as my reader stated in her website comment, then Jesus was wrong in John 14.

Here;  https://mailchi.mp/denisonforum/drew-brees-attacked-for-supporting-bring-your-bible-to-school-day-do-non-christians-need-jesus?e=30ce4dd16f

Sadly, this particular Jew who asked the question above has fallen into the same trap as so many folks in the world.  Most humans simply refuse to believe what Jesus said.  Their small human minds believe there HAS TO BE MORE THAN ONE WAY!  Oprah says so!  Catholics say so!  Some Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians say so! 

Of course their failed thinking makes Jesus and/or the Bible out to be wrong.  If Jesus was wrong, then he can't be God.  If the Bible wrote His words down wrong then the Bible isn't trustworthy and probably shouldn't be quoted or used by anyone.

Praying for Muslims to come to Christ doesn't make me Islamophobic.  Praying for Jews to come to Christ doesn't make me Antisemitic.  Praying for adulterers to repent and come to Christ doesn't make me polyphobic.  Praying for gays to repent and come to Christ doesn't make me homophobic.

One simple question that should solve it all....if there were many ways to salvation, then why did Jesus have to die a heinous, torturous death?  Why didn't he just tell us all to keep doing what we are doing because it all leads to eternal life?

Silly.