Messiah was always meant to redeem both Jews and Gentiles who trusted in Him
Isaiah 42 is one of the most powerful scriptures on that reality when seeing the reach of the Messiah being even unto the islands/other Gentile territories....and of course, other scriptures where the Lord noted Gentiles who trusted in Him would recieve what the Messiah came to bring them. For those who trust in Christ, it seems He was prophesied to be Messiah for both Jews and Gentiles since only he could redeem all from the curse of sin...
Isaiah 49:5-7 / Isaiah 49
And now the Lord says
he who formed me in the womb(A) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel(B) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(C) in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength(D)
6 he says:
It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(E)
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(F)
I will also make you a light(G) for the Gentiles,(H)
that
my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.(I)
7 This is what the Lord says
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(J)
to him who was despised(K) and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
Kings(L) will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,(M)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(N)
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(O) you.
Isaiah 51:5
My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The
islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.
Isaiah 51:4-6
Luke 2:31-33
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,(W) 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,(X)
you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.(Y)
30
For my eyes have seen your salvation,(Z)
31
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.(AA)
Jewish is a label for the children of Israel and refers to all 12 tribes.
Do Gentiles become Jews when they accept Jesus? Messianic Judaism does not believe that. Scripture is very very specific that Gentiles remain Gentiles. Only if the Gentiles remain Gentiles is the prophesies fulfilled.
Is the church now Israel? Messianic Judaism does not believe that either. God made promises to the children of Israel, which are yet to be fulfilled, and God would not make promises to people and then fail to keep His word.
Gxg (G²);60429897 said:
In my understanding, Yeshua reaching out to Samaritans is not counter to the reality of how he already told His people on a specific occassion to only focus on the Lost Sheep of Israel. There's also the reality that Christ Himself is able to do as He wishes since He is the Lord
Gxg (G²);60429897 said:
.. by citing good actions of some Samaritans and Gentiles and by summoning the Jews to repentance and love, Jesus incurred the wrath of many of His countrymen. Along this same pattern He once reminded His countrymen in His own town of Nazareth of two Old Testament incidents: During a famine in Israel the prophet Elijah aided not the widows of Israel but a widow at Zarephath (a Gentile..1 Kings 17:1); a little later the prophet Elisha helped not the lepers of Israel but the leper Naaman the Syrian (a Gentile)...seen in 2 Kings 5:1 . Hearing these incidents, Jesus' own countrymen became furious with Him when read the Scroll/noted that salvation came to the Gentiles (Luke 4:25-28)...as in the eyes of many Jews, Gentiles did not deserve salvation as they did (similar to how Jonah felt with Assyria when the Lord called Him to preach so that they'd repent). God directed both of these prophets, great prophets of God to the Children of Israel, to help individual Gentiles. Do not these prophets supply an Old Testament precedent for Jesus' action among a few individual Samaritans and Gentiles?
One of these actions concerned the Canaanite woman, to whom, as already noted, Jesus had said: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ( Matthew 15:21-28 ). In addition we see the passage regarding Jesus and the Roman centurion ( Matthew 8:5-10 ).
While reiterating that Jesus said that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, we note also the following:
- 1. Jesus healed both Gentiles in need of healing
- 2. Both the centurion and the woman realized their unworthiness before Jesus. What is explicit in the account of the Canaanite woman is implicit in the account about the centurion: Jesus' ministry is to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Both were fully aware that they did not belong to the house of Israel and that Jesus had the right to reject their requests
- 3. Both demonstrate a faith which was unparalleled among the Children of Israel. It is this kind of faith that Jesus looked for and which He honored. Such a faith always receives what it wants, for it wants God's will (John 15:7, 1 John 5:19). Jesus told neither of them to follow Him.
Should we be surprised that Jesus followed the precedents of Elijah and Elisha in helping Gentiles, especially Gentiles of such faith? By abiding by His practice that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, should He have ignored their pleas? It does seem possible that these exceptions proved His rule of limiting His ministry to the house of Israel.
Further we should note Jesus' additional words to His disciples after He has instructed them to "go nowhere among the Gentiles, and ... the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel":
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles." (Matthew 10:16-18)
Again we are faced with the paradox: Jesus sends His disciples exclusively to the lost sheep of Israel; yet before them (in their synagogues) and the Gentiles they "bear testimony". Is this testimony simply a judicial testimony, words issuing from the disciples before kings and judges in the form of a court defense only?
Even if this were the case, still an abundance of evidence in the Gospel accounts indicates an understanding of a more positive participation of the Gentiles in God's Kingdom and the role of Jesus in this Gentile participation. This understanding is related to a host of references in the Old Testament regarding the future destiny of the Gentiles:
"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all mankind shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 40:5)
"Listen to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go forth from me,
and my justice for a light to the peoples." (Isaiah 51:4)
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you,
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you
and His glory will appear over you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)