The Christian Apologetics Alliance
Answering seekers, equipping Christians, and demonstrating the truth of the Christian worldview
One of the biggest objections Jews have to Jesus Christ being Israel’s promised Messiah is the fact He has not fulfilled the Hebrew prophecies about defeating Israel’s enemies and establishing the Davidic rule of the world from a rebuilt Tempe in Jerusalem. However, the Apostle Peter spoke to that objection almost 2,000 years ago.
I’ve had the privilege of speaking with many Jewish people through the years about their Messiah. I’ve found a lot of common ground with them about prophecies concerning the Messiah. However, I’ve also come across some major disagreements. For those Jews who believe the Messiah will be a person, one thing we can agree on is that the Messiah begins life as a baby. Question is, was it the baby Jesus?
What do the Rabbis say about the birthplace of the Messiah? Do they acknowledge, along with the Gospel of Matthew, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David?
Arguably, Isaiah 7:14, prophesying a “virgin” giving birth, is the most contested verse in the Old Testament. Although Matthew unequivocally states that this prophecy was fulfilled by the birth of the Messiah, the Hebrew Scriptures seem to indicate that there was a fulfillment during the life of King Ahaz. Although this might seem like a contradiction, these two perspectives can be reconciled when we understand “multiple fulfillment.” In other words, Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled initially for King Ahaz, and then it was fulfilled decisively through the birth of Jesus.
The Book of Matthew (Matthew 1:23) requires us to understand Isaiah 7:14 as a prophecy fulfilled by the birth of the Messiah Jesus to the Virgin Mary. However, the Rabbis raise four potent challenges against this interpretation: [Read more...]
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