quarterly FOR CHRISTIANS WHO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT JEWS & EVANGELISM THE BEST GIFT EVER by David Brickner, executive director When I was a child, the thrill of celebrating the December holidays was mostly about the joy of anticipating and then opening my presents. Growing up in a Messianic Jewish home (my parents being Jews who believe in Jesus), I felt like I was getting the best of both worlds. Others celebrated Christmas or Hanukkah but we had both. More presents! It is easy at any age to develop a consumer mindset about the gifts we receive. But those who are acquisition oriented are usually only satisfi ed with more and bigger and better which is to say that they are only briefl y satisfi ed and never really content. My father understood this and, with great wisdom and imagination, he created a unique tradition, which gradually helped to change my childish ways. Each year he would sit at the dining room table after we kids had gone to bed and he d wrap our gifts. Instead of store-bought paper, he took colored markers and decorated white paper with meaningful words and pictures. Dad spent a lot of time working on each package; he was pretty good at calligraphy and combining pictures and words to present messages. Often the messages had double meanings to make me wonder hints about what was inside the packages, along with a much deeper implication. I learned pretty quickly that I couldn t just tear off that carefully created wrapping paper to get to what was inside the box. Dad put a good deal of thought and effort into the packaging how would he feel if I didn t pause to admire his handiwork and try to understand what he had intended? I wanted his approval so I would take my time, look at the drawing, read aloud the words he had written and think about it before opening each package. Just that little bit of time and effort began to shape my experience. My father s thoughtfulness taught me early on how to more fully enjoy those gifts. I learned to become an appreciator of the gift as I received it, before I even knew what it was. But Dad s wrapping did something else. It pointed beyond the present. The words he drew, if I took time to refl ect, focused my thinking to the past and connected me to the Christmas story, because many of those words came right out of the Scripture. Words like Wonderful spoke to me as a little kid who was excited to know that when I opened the box it would be just that, but even more. I had been taught that one of the names of Messiah was to be Wonderful! (Isaiah 9:6). Wonderful wasn t just a superlative expression of the Messiah s (continued on page 2) inside DECEMBER 2017 Consider the best way to give the best gift 1 Prayer prompters, cartoon 3 Bits from our branches in Israel, Switzerland, Moscow and on the Internet 4 Learn about Hanukkah 6 Compare Hanukkah and Christmas 7 What you can give your Jewish friends this month 8
Jesus. This season, after all, is not about what gifts we exchange with one another, but about the wonder of God s gift to us. My father helped me understand that we must not rush past that. We must slow down and contemplate the wrapping, the pictures, the words and what they mean. (continued from page 1) greatness; it was intended to provoke a sense of wonder in those who come to Him. Another word my father liked to spell out in his own unique calligraphy was Eternity. I knew that he was thinking of the promise that while the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, His goings forth were actually from of old, from eternity (Micah 5:2). Yet another word my father used on the packaging was a word that excites the heart of any child: Treasure! Of course I knew there would be some treasure for me inside that box, but I learned more about the Messiah Jesus through that word on the box as well. The Bible tells us that in Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Such a treasure would never fit in any size box, but these treasures are beautifully wrapped up in the Messiah, the babe born in Bethlehem. Dad helped inspire awe and appreciation for that fact. My favorite word that Dad would spell out on the packaging each year was hope! I knew what I was hoping for that Christmas morning, but Dad wanted me to see that hope was not merely temporal and fleeting. It couldn t be fully satisfied by a toy or any other item that could fit in a box. The longing of every human heart is for things to be better, for this world to become (whether we know it or not) what God intended. And God offers hope for all of that. Over time, a mosaic of images and words formed in my mind, connecting the process of opening presents with prompts that reminded me of the best gift ever, the Messiah I appreciate my father s tradition even more now that I am grown with children and grandchildren of my own. The care that went into my father s gift wrap will always remind me of God s prophetic promises to help us anticipate His Messiah. The Incarnation itself speaks to me of God wrapping Himself in humility, if I can use a figure of speech. To think that the God of all creation humbled Himself to come to us as a helpless babe in a manger! As you picture the shepherds and angels and wise men and animals and Mary and Joseph imagine the star and yes, imagine the baby Jesus, because each image can help you contemplate, appreciate and celebrate the enormity of God s gift with reverence and awe. What thoughts do you have as you give and receive presents this month? Why not try your own version of what my father did for me? Use the occasion to make a little time to provoke appreciation and awe for God s gift, the best gift ever. Struggles and hurts, fears and disappointments are inevitable in this life, and may grow more frequent with age and illness. But the hope of the One who came and is yet to come again still carries with it all the very best of what God has promised to do. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight. May every gift we give and receive this month remind us of that hope and provoke us to awe and appreciation. God has given us the best gift ever because there s not a day or an hour or a moment when we can t experience that gift in ways that are deeper and more meaningful than when we first beheld it. I hope you will find many opportunities to share that gift with others. And I hope you will pray for our missionaries around the world, as the holidays present special opportunities to meet and greet people with the gospel. David Brickner is also an author, public speaker and avid hiker. Find out more about David, his writings, speaking schedule and possible availability to speak at your church at jewsforjesus.org/david-brickner established 32 a.d., give or take a year We exist to make the messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide. Jews for Jesus international headquarters: 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5895; phone: (415) 864-2600; email: jfj@jewsforjesus.org; web: jewsforjesus.org; also working in: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom; editor: Ruth Rosen; art director: Paige Saunders; design and illustration: David Yapp; ISSN 0740-5901 Volume 3:5778, December 2017; 2017
PRAYER PROMPTERS Help make a difference by praying for: our missionaries around the world to have many divine appointments during the stepped-up evangelism this holiday season salvation for Rosa in Moscow grace and continued faith for new Jewish believers Ira, Yuri and Raya in Israel, Marty and Liza in Vermont and Calgary, as well as new believer Ahmed, a former Muslim in Geneva God s blessings on our preparation for next year s Behold Your God Israel campaign God s grace in guiding the hearts and hopes of the next generation of Jews for Jesus WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE BROADSIDE TRACT WE VE ENCLOSED. Feel free to make copies to pass along, adding your own contact info. Just be sure you don t make any changes to the text and keep the author and copyright info clearly visible. FOR ONLINE NEWS OF JEWS FOR JESUS AROUND THE WORLD GO TO: jewsforjesus.org/publications/realtime You ll also find a subscribe button there, so you can receive great content directly. FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE The enclosed envelope is not a request, but a convenience for those who want to give. For those who want to give online, this URL makes it easy and secure: j4j.co/nl1712 3
Your missionaries in Israel, Switzerland, Moscow and on the Internet have news for you! Photo Jews for Jesus From Israel s Russian-speaking team, Valery Bolotov reports, We invited a young woman, Ira, to our Bible class several times, but she replied that she did not have any time or desire to come. However, we prayed and God did a miracle she came! And she returned the following week! After the second class, Ira said that she wanted to learn God s will for her life. I explained that it was necessary to read God s Word, but told her what was most important to receive Yeshua into her life. Ira believed and prayed the sinner s prayer. All glory to the Lord! Please pray for her to take the next faith steps. Valery (center) bits from the BRANCHES Also from Valery, Yuri simply wanted to enjoy life. Then a terrible diagnosis came: cancer. The woman he was living with left, his friends left, and the question arose: how to go on? In the summer, Yuri visited his former city, Odessa, where he met some Jews for Jesus and, for the first time in his life, heard about salvation and healing through faith in Yeshua. When I connected with him back in Israel, we talked about the meaning of life and eternity, and I read to him New Testament Scriptures where Yeshua speaks about repentance. Yuri was ready to pray for God s forgiveness and salvation! Later that same day, he visited a home group nearby. Please pray that Yuri would grow in his newfound faith. Tatyana Bolotov reports, Raya visits our Hebrew classes twice a month and has heard the gospel many times. Her Tatyana heart was open towards the good news, and she often asked us why we care for people. We explained that faith in Yeshua gives us a desire to love and help others. I invited her to meet separately from the class to discuss spiritual matters, and she agreed. After a lengthy conversation, Raya asked us how she could reconcile with God and have the same joy as we have. With the understanding of what she was doing, she confessed all her sins and invited Yeshua into her life. God is great one more Jewish heart has come to salvation! Hallelujah! From Moscow, Maxim Ammosov reports, In my twenty years as a missionary, I ve learned many methods of witnessing from handing out literature on the streets to hosting evangelistic Jewish holiday celebrations, witnessing online, cold calling, taking surveys and more. I ve learned that whether or not we get to see the fruit, God always blesses our efforts in spreading the good news. But the best way of witnessing is one that we cannot plan: divine appointments. A classic example is found in the book of Acts: Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert (Acts 8:26). From a missionary s point of view, we do not go to desert roads we go to places full of people. But God knew there was a man on that road who was reading the book of Isaiah. He brought Philip to just the right place to lead that man to Christ. God is still orchestrating these divine appointments today, though in seemingly ordinary ways. Recently, I was on a bus wearing a bright T-shirt with the words Jews for Jesus on it. I had just come from a prayer meeting with our volunteers and was fully immersed in my own thoughts and feelings. As soon as I took my seat, a lady across from me said, What a wonderful T-shirt you are wearing! Where can I buy one? I paused, concentrated on the lady and tried to discern what it was that she really Photo Jews for Jesus 4
Photo Jews for Jesus Photo Jews for Jesus wanted. I saw nothing other than a keen interest in her eyes. She was being genuine. Maxim What exactly is of such interest to you is it the word Jews or the word Jesus? She looked a little confused and then said, Both. After a short pause, she began telling me about herself. I realized I was standing on a desert road. Well, the road was not empty because we were talking on a bus, but it was well past the rush hour so we had a chance to talk easily. Rosa has one Jewish parent. She says she believes in Jesus, but she does not attend any congregation, and seemingly has not yet repented or been baptized. She eagerly gave me her contact information and wants to come to our Shabbat meetings. She also asked permission to bring a friend. Pray that it won t be long before Rosa (and perhaps her friend) finds saving faith in Jesus. I can assure you that such an open and sincere conversation between two strangers is a miracle in Moscow, where people are constantly hurrying, suspicious and cynical. We Moscow missionaries praise God for these divine appointments! Stephen Pacht reports from Switzerland, During a street outreach in Geneva, our team members wore shirts that declared, Hear O Israel, Jesus is the Messiah. The words in French and Hebrew caught the eye of Ahmed, who Stephen stopped to speak to one of our volunteers. Ahmed, born to a Muslim family in Tunisia, came to Geneva as a young man. For many years he had been searching for God and was eager to hear more about Jesus. A few days later, I met with him at a Christian bookshop in downtown Geneva, and on the following Sunday he attended a local church. After the service, he wrote, I experienced the most beautiful morning of my life. I wish I had done what I did today many years ago. I am now a child of God, as I have accepted Jesus Christ. I was blessed, I sang, I prayed, I cried.... Please pray for Ahmed s growth in the Lord. Co-Laborer in Messiah Jeanne Hansen reports, May I ask you, who do you think Jesus is? That was my question to Marty in our online chat box. My eyes lit up when he replied, I m torn. Traditional teaching doesn t talk about Him, but more and more I believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I told him how important it is to read the New Testament and gave him a link to one of our apologetic articles. He said he had already seen it and it made good Jeanne points, so I launched right into our Proposal Statement, which goes through who Jesus is and what He did, asking questions along the way so the other person can agree or disagree. He agreed with each statement, so I showed him the sinner s prayer, which he prayed! He left the chat before I could ask for his email but he is in Vermont. I pray that God will send other Christians across his path who will help him grow in his new faith. Liza, a Jewish chat guest from Calgary, Alberta, also prayed to receive the Lord online. This time I was able to get her info and Andrew Barron, who heads up our work in Canada, has connected with her. God is so gracious to send people like this into the chat box! I know you will all rejoice with me. Many heartfelt thanks to Jews for Jesus for allowing me to chat! (And our thanks to Jeanne, for being such a faithful volunteer. If you go to our website, don t be surprised if she pops up to ask if she can help you!) Names of many people we meet are changed to protect privacy. Photo courtesy of Jeanne 5
CHRIST IN THE FEAST OF HANUKKAH by David Brickner by David Brickner Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon s porch, (John 10:22 23). That is the only biblical reference to a holiday many Jewish people will celebrate this month. It is the Feast of Dedication, commonly known as Hanukkah. Why is the only Bible verse mentioning Hanukkah found in the New Testament? Simply because the event the holiday commemorates occurred during the intertestamental period, approximately 165 B.C. A Syrian king named Antiochus invaded the Jewish nation and forced Hellenization (Greek customs, including idolatry) on the people. Antiochus placed idols in the house of the Lord and sacrifi ced a sow upon the holy altar. He not only defi led God s temple, but he also took the title Epiphanes, which means God manifested, and demanded to be worshiped. It was a terribly dark period in Israel s history, but God raised up a small band of heroes led by a family known as the Maccabees (Maccabee means hammer ). They waged a successful rebellion against Antiochus and drove the Syrians out of Israel. The Feast of Hanukkah commemorates the victory God gave the Jewish people over Antiochus and his mighty army. We call the holiday Hanukkah (dedication), because the high point of our victory was rededicating the temple in Jerusalem. Many legends surround this historic event, but the most famous is the miracle of the oil. It is said that when the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem they immediately set out to rededicate the temple. But they faced a pressing problem; they needed consecrated oil to rekindle the sacred candelabra. They found only enough for one day and it would take a full eight days to procure enough oil for temple use. The thought of lighting this great candelabra only to see it go out again, was heart-wrenching. Yet the zeal to rededicate the temple was so strong that, despite the dilemma, they decided to light the candelabra. The great miracle was that the oil, enough for only one day, continued to burn for eight whole days, enough time to make and sanctify new oil. It s a good story, but it isn t mentioned in the earlier accounts of the Maccabean revolt, such as 2 Maccabees. Maybe a day s worth of oil supernaturally burned for eight days and maybe it did not. But the legend is deeply embedded in Jewish culture, which is why a central part of the celebration includes a nine-branched candelabra, or hanukkiah. The fi rst night we light but one candle, the second, two, until at the end of eight days, the entire hanukkiah is lit. And the ninth candle? It is known as the shamash or servant, which is used to light all the other candles. The Jews of Jesus day were well aware of the events that had led to the Feast of Dedication when they approached Him in the holy temple on Hanukkah. It was in the context of that recent history that they said to Jesus, If You are the Christ, tell us plainly (John 10:24). If Jesus really was the Messiah, they reasoned, He had the power to preserve the Jewish people from the tyranny of the Romans, just as God had preserved them from evil Antiochus. Jesus replied, I told you, and you do not believe (v. 25). The rededication of the temple was a reminder of God s power to keep His promises and preserve His people Israel. But One greater than the temple stood on Solomon s porch that day. This month, those of us who have accepted His claims can celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah, as well as the miracle of Christ s birth. Because God keeps His promises, He will save and sustain Israel. Because God keeps His promises, He will save and keep all those who call upon His name through faith in Immanuel, our Messiah Jesus. And because God keeps His promises, we can dedicate ourselves anew to live for Him by the power of the Ruach hakodesh, the Holy Spirit, who burns within us. 6
PARALLELS AND CONTRASTS OF HANUKKAH AND CHRISTMAS HANUKKAH CHRISTMAS MACCABEES A small band of guerilla fighters supernaturally defeats the King of Syria and all his resources EPIPHANES Antiochus falsely claimed to be Epiphanes, God incarnate TEMPLE CLEANSED The temple had to be cleansed before it could be used for worship The temple had been defiled by an unholy sacrifice Even after the cleansing of the temple, the Hanukkah story tells us we did not have enough oil to properly dedicate God s house; He had to provide it supernaturally The desire to worship God became the basis for this joyous holiday MESSIAH Baby Yeshua (Jesus) supernaturally survives despite Herod s death warrant on all boys his age: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him (Matthew 2:13). IMMANUEL Yeshua truly is God incarnate: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). TEMPLE COMPLETED Jesus came into the world so that we could be cleansed and each become a temple wherein God is worshiped: For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (2 Corinthians 6:16) Jesus came in order to cleanse what was defiled, through His holy sacrifice: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14) Even when we are cleansed by Jesus sacrifice, we do not have enough spiritual power to live a life dedicated to God; He provides it supernaturally through His Spirit: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) The desire to worship God is the basis for this joyous holiday LIGHT OF MENORAH The shamash or servant candle brings light to the rest of the candles on the hanukkiah FRIED FOOD In Israel it is traditional to eat special donuts because fried foods remind us of the oil needed to dedicate the temple. In the United States, many of us grew up with latkes (fried potato pancakes). As if these delicacies weren t already crammed with enough calories and cholesterol, it is traditional to top them with a heap of sour cream, or, if you prefer the healthier version, applesauce. LIGHT OF MESSIAH Jesus, the Light of the World, gives His light to all who will receive it: I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. (John 8:12) FILL IN THE BLANK You can probably answer this one better than we can. If you have some really interesting sounding traditional foods drop us a line and maybe we ll mention them in next December s newsletter! 7
WHAT CAN YOU GIVE YOUR JEWISH FRIENDS THIS MONTH? The best gifts are appropriate to give all year round, but they can t be bought or sold. People want to be understood, respected and given the freedom to make their own choices when it comes to what they believe. God understands us. He treats us with dignity and has granted us freedom when it comes to what we believe about Him. To the best of our ability, that s what we should give to those who are not yet believers in Jesus, including Jewish people. Please don t misunderstand; we are not saying that it doesn t matter what people believe about God. He wants people to receive His gift of love salvation which comes only by grace through faith in Jesus. But it is a gift, and not something to force on people. December can be a diffi cult time for Jewish people. On the one hand, it is seen as someone else s holiday, and therefore to celebrate is, to many Jewish people, a sign of betrayal to Jewish family, traditions, and yes, for those who are religious, even a betrayal of God. Some who are secular may enjoy the non-spiritual trappings of Christmas because the music and decorations are appealing, as is the idea of peace on earth that doesn t have any religious strings attached. But still there is a lingering discomfort for Jewish people to tread carefully through a season when the majority of people seems to be celebrating something very un-jewish. Deep within every Jewish heart is a strong instinct to survive as a separate people. We Jews for Jesus believe that instinct is given by God, who staked His reputation on the promise that the Jewish people would survive as a unique people with a unique destiny. Without a knowledge of the Bible and God s promises to the Jewish people, this instinct can be a source of angst and even confusion. Many Jewish people are uncertain about what it means to be a Jew, and why it is so important to remain Jewish. We believe that many of the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then later to David, have been fulfi lled in and through Jesus. We also believe that God is not fi nished with the Jewish people, who still stand as a testimony to God s promise-keeping love. So what does this have to do with what you can give your Jewish friends this month? Well, every year some Christians ask what to do when Jewish friends send them Christmas cards, possibly even Christmas gifts. Should they reciprocate, or would their friends be offended to receive a Christmas card/gift? If your Jewish friend sends you something for Christmas, he or she is affirming your Christian identity. If you want to reciprocate, it would be appropriate to affirm their Jewish identity. For most Jewish people in December, that means acknowledging Hanukkah with a card, or if appropriate, a gift. You might ask if they have plans for Hanukkah, or what the season means to them. Your interest in what they believe and celebrate can provide a more comfortable atmosphere for them to ask about your beliefs and celebrations. You can also acknowledge that survival has been and still is an issue for Jewish people. Let them know you are thankful that there are still Jewish people in the world, despite attempts by so many to destroy us. Ordinarily, this might be an awkward topic to initiate, but if you are wishing someone a Happy Hanukkah, the holiday itself provides a very appropriate and natural context to make such a statement. (See page 6.) Depending on how well you know the person, when discussing the issue of Jewish survival and Hanukkah, you might also recommend or pass on an article titled, Tough Jews: Hanukkah, Heroism and the Identity of the Messiah. This very cogent and thought provoking article was written by Dr. Richard Robinson, our senior researcher, who is also a Jewish believer in Jesus. You can fi nd the article on our website here: j4j.co/toughj Note: the above mentioned article was published in ISSUES, our bi monthly publication for Jewish people who are willing to hear perspectives of Jewish people who embrace Jesus as Messiah. Our live chat staff and volunteers are likely to pop up in case your friend has any questions. Front cover photo: Getty Images/shironosov 8