Israeli/Jewish Attitudes about Jesus
Ha'Aretz, Aug. 5, 2005

Ha'Aretz (Aug. 5) runs an article investigating why certain passages of the Old Testament Scriptures are not read as Haphtarah portions any longer. The article says that the Mishna gives no clues as to how the tradition of reading the Haphtarah started, and notes that the "earliest source of this taking place is, ironically, in the New Testament." The author retells in his own words the passage from the "evangelist" Luke, 4:16-21, and relates how "Yeshua the Christian" read from Isaiah 61. He says that there is no firm evidence of how the order of reading the Haphtarah began, so it cannot therefore be interpreted as a "divine miracle" that "Yeshua the Christian" opened the scroll at that specific place, referred it to himself, and in doing so fulfilled the prophecy. Acts 13:15 is mentioned as another place where they read the Haphtarah, with the passage speaking about a "Jewish congregation in Asia." It is noted that many portions from the Old Testament are no longer read as Haphtarah, "mainly those upon which Christological claims are based and Christianity is established." The author notes Isaiah 7:14, Hosea 11:10, Micah 5:2, Zechariah 9:9 and Malachi 3. He expands on how "Christians have taken these verses" and "built their Christology upon the Jewish Scriptures." He says that the subject of the Haphtarah is to be discussed at the "World Congress of Jewish Studies" in Jerusalem. The author concludes by saying, "even though these verses have been interpreted in a Christological way, no one has ever dreamed of not studying them as an integral and inseparable part of the Jewish Scriptures."

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I have always been puzzled by Christians who seem to think that Jews are somehow obligated to accept Jesus Christ as Messiah now, rather than when the Messianic age is established. According to my understanding of Jewish belief, one becomes the Messiah by doing just that, bringing about the promised Messianic age of world peace, the lion lying down with the lamb, etc. Clearly that has not yet occurred. As a Christian, I believe that that will eventually happen, and when it does, the Jews will be converted, but I am not expecting it within my lifetime, not 'holding my breath', so to speak.