Hi, Chester -
Thanks for your reply.
The claim I made about Jesus’ pre-crucifixion ministry was unsubstantiated, because I thought it wasn’t necessary to provide an argument for it. However, in light of the fact that you have called this claim to be “blatantly wrong”, I’d like to share with you the basis for the claim, and then perhaps you can tell me where I have gone astray.
Again, here is the claim:
Scope of Jesus’ Work
The scope of Jesus work is defined in Matt 2:6, which is a quote from Micah 5:2:
But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel
So, we know from Scripture the role of the Christ as being a Ruler who will shepherd Israel.
Beneficiaries of Jesus’ Work
The beneficiaries of Jesus’ work is defined in John 1:29 by John the Baptist:
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
So, we know from Scripture the worldwide benefit of the Ruler who will shepherd Israel.
Work Performed by Jesus Outside of Defined Scope
There are four instances in which we see Jesus work with non-Jews. There may be more, but I am not aware of them. Let’s look at each one.
Do you think the Scriptures I shared with you in this post were sufficient to demonstrate that Jesus’ ministry was limited in scope to Jews? If not, why not? Do you know of Scriptures where Jesus declared explicitly that his ministry was to be directed toward non-Jews? Do you know of Old Testament Scriptures where Jesus ministry was prophesied to be directed toward non-Jews?
Thanks for your time.
Thanks for your reply.
The claim I made about Jesus’ pre-crucifixion ministry was unsubstantiated, because I thought it wasn’t necessary to provide an argument for it. However, in light of the fact that you have called this claim to be “blatantly wrong”, I’d like to share with you the basis for the claim, and then perhaps you can tell me where I have gone astray.
Again, here is the claim:
- Jesus’ pre-crucifixion ministry was to the Jew only, but for the benefit of both Jew and Gentile.
- Identify Scripture declaring the scope of Jesus’ work
- Identify Scripture declaring the beneficiaries of Jesus’ work
- Address Scriptural instances of work performed by Jesus outside of defined scope
Scope of Jesus’ Work
The scope of Jesus work is defined in Matt 2:6, which is a quote from Micah 5:2:
But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel
So, we know from Scripture the role of the Christ as being a Ruler who will shepherd Israel.
Beneficiaries of Jesus’ Work
The beneficiaries of Jesus’ work is defined in John 1:29 by John the Baptist:
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
So, we know from Scripture the worldwide benefit of the Ruler who will shepherd Israel.
Work Performed by Jesus Outside of Defined Scope
There are four instances in which we see Jesus work with non-Jews. There may be more, but I am not aware of them. Let’s look at each one.
- Matthew 15:21-28 (Parallel passage Mark 7:24-30). While the end-result was that Jesus helped the non-Jewish lady from Canaan, we can’t help but notice that Jesus initially resisted helping her and even went so far as to let her know that helping her was outside the scope of His ministry: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.
- In regards to Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman, we have to be careful here and notice what the Scripture says in John 4:3-4: “He left Judea and departed to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria”. So, the intent was to go to Galilee, not Samaria. Samaria was the town that He “needed to go through”. Jesus initiated a conversation with the woman by commanding her to give Him some water, because His disciples “had gone away into the city to buy food”. The implication here is that had the disciples remained with Him, then He would not have spoken with her. So, the intent was for the woman to minister to Jesus, not the other way around.
- The account of Jesus helping the Centurion is fairly straightforward: the centurion submitted a request to Jesus to help him, and Jesus acquiesced. However, this incident in no way expands the scope of Jesus ministry.
- The fourth account of Jesus receiving a request from non-Jews was at a feast in Jerusalem in John 12:20-36. Some Greeks came to Phillip saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Interestingly, Jesus completely ignores them! Instead of addressing their request, Jesus initiated a discussion with His disciples and the Jews, and then He left the area.
Do you think the Scriptures I shared with you in this post were sufficient to demonstrate that Jesus’ ministry was limited in scope to Jews? If not, why not? Do you know of Scriptures where Jesus declared explicitly that his ministry was to be directed toward non-Jews? Do you know of Old Testament Scriptures where Jesus ministry was prophesied to be directed toward non-Jews?
Thanks for your time.
John 4 - Jesus ministered to the Samaritan woman and the whole town - Jesus does not do things by mistake.