Jewish Mission Moment is a monthly service to Lutheran congregations by Lutherans in Jewish Evangelism.
March
St. Paul did a very odd thing! He was called and commissioned by Jesus to be a missionary to the Gentiles. But when you read the Book of Acts you find that in all the places he went he first shared the Gospel with the Jews. Paul gives his testimony: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (Romans 1:16).
Is this a historical reference, or is it a God-given strategy? Paul saw it as a strategy. And we at Lutherans in Jewish Evangelism have seen it work in that way. What about you and your church? Call us at 314-645-4456, see us at www.lije.org, or email us at revkevye@aol.com for help in sharing the Gospel with Jewish people.
February
The Jewish festival of Purim comes this year after sunset on March 3. It celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from government-sponsored genocide in ancient Iran due to the courage of a beautiful Jewish woman named Esther. All this took place about 2,500 years ago, but the more things change the more they stay the same. Today the President of Iran wants to obliterate the country of Israel. Even as God protected the Jews in Esther’s time, we believe He will continue to protect His original chosen people - perhaps by a move of the Holy Spirit to bring the Gospel to Muslims.
Want to know more about Purim and how Lutherans could celebrate it? Call us at 314-645-4456, see us at www.lije.org, or e-mail us at revkevye@lije.org.
January
The historical Gospel Lesson for January 1 is Luke 2:21, the account of the circumcision of Jesus. Circumcision was and still is practiced by religious Jews because it is a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant - which establishes the Jewish people and which promises a Savior who will bless all peoples on earth.
Jewish circumcision is done on the eighth day of an infant boy's life. We celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25, and note that January 1 is the eighth day. In 2006 January 1 falls on a Sunday - which gives our churches the opportunity to affirm that Jesus is a Jew. We don't say "was a Jew" but that Jesus "is a Jew" because He is alive and "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb 13:8).
December
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah comes this year on the evening of December 15. It is conspicuous in Jewish neighborhoods by the successive lighting of eight candles on the eight days of Hanukkah. Gifts are given, potato pancakes (latkes) eaten, and a game is played with a spinning top called a dreidel. But the real significance of Hanukkah ("dedication") is that it symbolizes religious freedom. In 165 B.C. the Jews threw off the brutal, oppressive rule of the Syrians and rededicated the temple - which had been defiled with pagan idols and the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. We have religious freedom today in America. But we must use it, or lose it. Send Christmas cards, not Holiday cards. Send your Jewish friends Hanukkah cards. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22-24). Call us at 314-645-4456, see us at www.lije.org, or e-mail us at revkevye@aol.com for help in sharing the Gospel with Jewish people.