To review:
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But now here is where we find ourselves – or at least where I found myself at this point in my Matthew Journey. If Jesus is Messiah for the Jews – what does that make Him for the Gentiles? (i.e. anyone who isn’t from the line of Abraham…which I would venture to guess includes most of the people reading this post)
Who are the Gentiles to God? What do we matter? Do we matter at all? Are we just “sloppy seconds”, a mere afterthought in the mind of God? Are my prayers and petitions simply white noise He has to sift through in order to be able to hear the cries of the people He actually cares about – His chosen people Israel? If Jesus only came to save the Jews, who ended up rejecting Him and plotting to send Him to His death – if it had nothing to do with the Gentiles, why did He even have to die to begin with? What was the point? Was there a point?
If I’m not careful, this line of questions can lead me to a really unhealthy place mentally…also known as the defeated mind-explody spiral...
Allow me to clarify one very important concept before we go any further. God didn’t just create Jews. God created ALL people – He made every single person in His image, and He loves His creation. (Genesis 1-2 tells me that much). The nation of Israel happened hundreds of years later, after the flood, after the tower of Babel. Until Abraham, there were just people. Some were righteous and sought God honestly with all their hearts, and some didn’t. Abraham was one of the righteous – He trusted God and had an intimate relationship with Him. So from him, God decided to set Israel apart as His chosen people. This did not negate or nullify the love He had/has for the rest of His creation.[1]
That being said, God had a special place in His heart for Israel. They were the people He’d decided He wanted to be set apart. And until Jesus arrived on the scene, the only way to have a relationship with God was to become a Jew. For men this involved a *ahem* radical external sign of internal obedience via circumcision.
[pause for obligatory /cringe-wince]
But when Jesus came to earth, He came to earth for ALL people. Matthew shows us this through Jesus’ interaction with the Gentiles throughout the gospel – particularly the conversion of Matthew himself.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – Matthew was a Jew. Yes, I know. But he was a sinner as well – the worst of the worst in the eyes of most Jewish people in those days. A tax-collector was a Jew who was in league with Rome. They worked for “The Man” and collected taxes for Caesar. To add insult to injury, most tax collectors over-charged people in their taxes, and pocketed the surplus. They were thieves, liars, and they were pretty hated in their communities. Throughout the gospels (all of them) tax collector is almost synonymous with “sinner”.
Matthew was one of those sinners. He was a Jew, but He was a Jew in desperate need of God’s grace and mercy. And when Jesus showed up, He called Matthew to follow Him (Matthew 9:9). Matthew did, and invited Jesus into his home along with other sinners – and this royally ticked off the religious elite in Israel.
I love Jesus’ interaction in this episode:
Here we see Jesus breaking down barriers and stereotypes. To Jesus it isn’t about “Jew” or “Gentile”. It’s about redeemed and un-redeemed. The found and the lost. The righteous and the sinner. Background and racial division begin to fade away as Jesus widens the circle of who gets to partake of the Father’s goodness and love.
In Matthew 12 we see another episode which seems to be the segue into Jesus leaving it up to the people to decide where they stand with God. The throw-down goes like this:
And then Jesus leaves. He was aware that not only were the Pharisees not getting the picture, they were now starting to harden their hearts and plot to kill Him. So He took His message where He knew it would be received – among the Gentiles.
“This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
‘BEHOLD MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.’ “[2]
There you have it. God’s words being fulfilled right before Matthews eyes. Jesus was systematically being rejected by His own people, so He went out preaching to the Gentiles. It’s around this time that Jesus begins to teach in parables[3] because He knows who among the crowds will get it and who among them will respond with an “oh, that was a nice story, moving right along – let’s see some miracles” attitude. Jesus explains:
“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
Jesus says plainly – some are going to get it. Some are not. It is no longer a matter of Jew or Gentile. It’s a matter of whose heart is open to God and whose is not.
From this point forward Jesus will continue to teach important lessons about discipleship, about having a relationship with God, and about the kingdom of heaven. But He will also perform miracles and begin His journey to the cross. The cross where Messiah – Savior of the world – will be put to death, innocent of any crime or sin. His body will be broken (as depicted in the Last Supper, Matthew 26:26) and His blood will be “poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27). Note here that Jesus didn’t say His blood would be poured out for the Jews, nor would it be poured out for one specific people group. Poured out for many. For the forgiveness of sin.
Who here has sinned?
Who here has needed forgiveness – maybe even needs it right now as you read this?
Now, here is the reason it's known as "The Gospel". The Gospel means "good news", right? Here's the best news you'll ever receive in your life. You ready for it?
If you will accept the gift that God gave in His Son’s blood – His blood was poured out for you. End of story. Are you a Jew? Wonderful. God gave up His Son for You, and His Son is coming back for you someday. Are you a Gentile? Fantastic. God gave up His Son for you – You are a member of the body of Christ if you will accept the gift of that sacrifice. Are you unsure of what you are? Grand. Jesus’ blood counts for you too, if you’ll only accept it.
The main thing, boys and girls, is this: When Jesus hung on the cross and darkness fell over the land for three hours, Jesus looked EVERY HUMAN BEING in the face, knowing every sin they would EVER commit (yep, even the ones I don't even know I'm going to commit in the future), and He chose to take the punishment – God’s righteous wrath being poured out – upon Himself in our place. Jew, Gentile – it made no difference. Because we were all, ladies and gentlemen, created by a God who loves us. And gave His Son up for us. What was once only available to those who were called Israel, whether by blood or by adoption, is now available to anyone who accepts that gift. That’s what Matthew has been trying to show us through his depiction of the Gospel.
Yes, Jesus is Messiah. That holds specific relevance to the promises God made to Israel. Gentile believers do not take the place of Israel in those promises[4]. God has not, nor will He ever change His mind about those promises.
Yes, Jesus is for all people – all people who place faith alone in Christ alone. And those who do are grafted in – adopted – into the family of God. Did Jesus come to save the Jews or the Gentiles?
The answer is quite simply both.
When Jesus arose from the dead, He gave His apostles a single command – to go and make disciples of all the nations. To baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. To teach them to observe all that He has taught. To be disciples, make disciples, and change the world[5]. Key phrase here: make disciples of ALL THE NATIONS. Jesus doesn’t discriminate, He doesn’t specify. Jesus is for the people in the world, all of them.
And the major take away, ladies and gents, is that we need to be people with a HEART for God’s heart – which means being for the people in the world too. Jew and Gentile alike.
All of them.
[1] For a beautiful example of God’s love for a people who weren’t among Israel, I suggest paying a visit to the book of Jonah.
[2] Matthew 12:17-21. Note the fulfillment of Scripture here, which we discussed in the previous post. It just keeps going and going and going…
[3] short stories that represent the kingdom of heaven – not always so easy to decipher right off the bat. Jesus tells us why that is here pretty soon.
[5] Tim Reed – Christian Ministries professor; famous quote
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