“L’Chaim” – to life – is a familiar phrase among Jewish people.
The enjoyment of life, living life to the fullest, is what most people seek.

LIFE!  But what’s it all about?
Some people feel that a satisfying, worthwhile life consists of

• a good education
• close friends
• a good marriage and healthy children
• success in a business or profession
• helping those in need
• involvement with Israel and the Jewish community

These are important ….

yet we all know people who have or do these things but who aren’t satisfied.

Why?

Because there is something
even more important than all these.
The Holy Scriptures*
tell us five vital facts we need to know.

*  All quotations from the Tenach, both English and Hebrew, are taken from
the Jewish Bible.

ONE!   God is the source of a satisfying, worthwhile life

“Thou wilt show me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”  Psalm 16:11

This kind of life is the result of a close relationship with God.

“In thy presence … at thy right hand” speaks of a personal relationship
which can be as intimate as the one between Abraham and God:
“Abraham my friend.”  Isaiah 41:8

DEEP DOWN, JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WANTS A LIFE AND
RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS.

AS A JEWISH SCIENTIST PUT IT:

“The Jewish nature and soul needs to know God.  This is its purpose on
earth.  Our souls are looking for God and we are trying to know God.”

Why, then,
aren’t most people experiencing
this life and relationship?

TWO!   Man has separated himself from God.

GOD’S CHARACTER IS THE STANDARD BY WHICH MAN IS TO LIVE.

“Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.”  Leviticus 19:2

Anytime man deviates from God’s holiness, he violates God’s standard,
and this is called sin.  Obviously, then, all of us have sinned.

“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20  (cf. Psalm 53:3-4)

Since God is holy and just, he will not establish a personal relationship
with anyone until his sin is dealt with because he cannot allow sin in his
presence.

“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on
iniquity.  Habakkuk 1:13

Because sin is a violation of his standard and character, God must judge
man’s sin and reject it.  This is why sin causes spiritual death and results
in separation from God.

“But everyone shall die for his own iniquity (sin).”
Jeremiah 31:29 (cf. Ezekiel 18:20)

“Your iniquities have ever made a separation between you and your God, and
your sins have caused him to hide his face from you.”  Isaiah 59:2

As long as sin separates us from God, we can’t enjoy the life and
relationship God wants us to have.
But can’t man solve the problem by living properly, by prayer, repentance
and good deeds?

No, man cannot remove the sin barrier by his own effort.

“And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for no living man can be
regarded righteous before thee.”  Psalm 143:2 (cf. Ezekiel 33:13)

Human effort is not adequate because, in God’s sight,

“We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses (good deeds) are
as a filthy garment.”  Isaiah 64:5

Human effort is not adequate because man cannot do enough to solve the
problem.

“No one can in any wise redeem his brother, nor can he give to God
redemption for himself; for the ransom of their soul is too costly.”
Psalm 49:8-9

But, then, how can this problem of spiritual death and separation from God
be solved?

GOD MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE:  HE MUST PROVIDE THE SOLUTION.

“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.”  Psalm 49:16

THREE!  The sin barrier can be removed by believing God’s Word (faith) and by having the blood of the atonement.

Abraham was an example of how the sin barrier can be removed.

“And he believed in the Lord; and he (God) counted it to him for
righteousness.”  Genesis 15:6

We must follow the same pattern.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because
he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the Lord forever.”  Isaiah 26:3-4

But Moses said that one more thing is essential, the blood of the atonement.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon
the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that
maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Leviticus 17:11 (cf. Leviticus 10:17; 4:35)

But why would God want man to go through the awful procedure of killing an
animal?  When the offerer saw the sacrifice suffering and bleeding for the
sins which he had committed, he was impressed with the awfulness of sin and
the penalty of death (Ezekiel 18:4,20) the sinner deserved.

THE SACRIFICE SHOWED HIM GOD’S:

• HOLINESS because of his hatred of all evil,
• JUSTICE because he does not leave sin unpunished,
• MERCY because of his readiness to pardon the truly repentant and
  believing by providing a substitute for him.

THE ANIMAL SACRIFICE THUS PROVIDED THE BLOOD OF ATONEMENT AND WAS AN ACT OF FAITH ACCEPTABLE TO GOD

But without a priesthood and without a temple, there can be no sacrifices.
How can we have the blood of atonement today?

FOUR!  God has provided the blood of atonement for today.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
way; and the Lord hath caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.”

“For he was cut out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my
people was he stricken.”

“And he took off the sin of many.”  Isaiah 53:6,8,12

IN THE PROLOGUE TO ISAIAH 53 (ISAIAH 52:13-15) THE AUTHOR IDENTIFIED THE
“HE” OF THESE PASSAGES.

He is described as God’s servant who will be exalted.  In other parts of his
work, Isaiah equates this servant of God with Messiah (e.g. Isaiah 42:1).

God’s provision of the blood of atonement through the Messiah follows the
same principles God set up in the sacrifice system.

• SIN OFFERING: atonement for a man by means of a sacrifice.
• PESACH: atonement for a family by means of a sacrifice.
• YOM KIPPUR: atonement for a nation by means of a sacrifice.
• MESSIAH: atonement for all by means of a sacrifice.

As we have seen, under the sacrifice system personal faith was necessary
along with the blood of atonement.  So also faith is necessary with the
sacrifice of Messiah.  He should be the object of our faith today.

But how can we know who Messiah is?

God made sure we could recognize Messiah by certain specific identifying
marks.  These are described by the prophets of Israel.

• His ancestry was from the family of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
• The city of his birth was Bethlehem (Micah 5:1)
• He had a supernatural nature (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:1; Isaiah 9:5-6)
• He rose from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:10)
• The time of his coming was before the destruction of Herod’s Temple in 70 CE (Daniel 9:26).

Do you have any idea if anyone has fulfilled these prophecies, or has even
come close?

HISTORY TELLS US THAT JESUS OF NAZARETH FULFILLED THESE AND MANY OTHER PROPHECIES.

There are at least 48 specific prophecies concerning Messiah which Jesus
fulfilled.  The probability that one person could fulfill all 48 prophecies
is 1 out of 10 with 157 zeroes after it!

During his lifetime many people called him Messiah (“Christ” is the Greek
translation) and believed in him (Matthew 16:16; John 1:45-51; Acts 6:7)

Many people since that time, both Jews and Gentiles, have had their sins
forgiven and have gained a personal relationship with the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob through Messiah Jesus.  Through him one becomes a completed
person; e.g., a Jewish person becomes a completed Jew.

Since the blood of atonement has been provided through Messiah Jesus, there
is only one thing left for your to do.

FIVE!  You must by faith receive Messiah Jesus into your life in order to have a personal relationship with God and a satisfying, worthwhile life.

“To all who received him (the Messiah), to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God.”  John 1:12

Receiving Messiah Jesus involves a moral decision to turn to God’s way and
from your own, to trust Messiah Jesus to forgive you sins and bring you into
a right relationship with God.

When you receive Messiah Jesus by faith (trusting what he has done for you),
he comes into your life and gives you the power to live a satisfying,
worthwhile life.  Jesus says:

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come into him and fellowship with him, and he with
me.”  Revelation 3:20

Some people think that receiving Messiah Jesus by faith means you’re no
longer Jewish.  THAT’S NOT TRUE, AS JESUS PUT IT:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  Matthew 5:17

THE APOSTLE PAUL FELT THE SAME WAY

“It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain” (in
jail).  Acts 28:20

Are you still here in bondage to sin?  Don’t let anything hold you back -
why not invite Messiah Jesus to give you a right relationship with God right
now?

Remember,

1.  God is the source of a worthwhile life.
2.  Your sin has separated you from God.
3.  God’s provision through Messiah Jesus is the solution to the sin
barrier.
4.  The only thing God asks you to do is to trust Messiah Jesus to forgive
your sins and give you a right relationship with God.

You can receive Messiah Jesus by faith right now through prayer.

Prayer is talking to God and is a good way to express your faith.

You may want to use this prayer to express your decision to trust Messiah
Jesus.

“Messiah Jesus, I admit that I have sinned.  I believe that you have
provided the blood of atonement for me.  I receive you as my Messiah.
Thank you for forgiving my sins and coming into my life as you promised.”

Messiah Jesus always keeps his promises.

DID YOU RECEIVE HIM BY FAITH JUST NOW?  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
It means that the following promises are now true in your life:

1.  Messiah Jesus came into your life, and he’s there permanently.
(Revelation 3:20: Hebrews 13:5).
2.  All your sins are forgiven.  (Colossians 2:13).
3.  You have a brand new relationship with God – you’re his child!  (John
1:12)
4.  You’ve become a completely new person inside, and you’ve got a great new
life!  (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:11-13).
5.  You’ve been set free from yourself to help others.  (John 8:31-35;
Galatians 5:13).

So, what now?

CONTINUE TO TRUST MESSIAH JESUS.
The way you began is the way to keep going. (Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 11:6).
If you keep trusting him, you’ll grow in your relationship.

Here are a few suggestions:

1.  Let him communicate to you, read his words (1 Peter 2:2)
2.  Talk to him about everything (Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7)
3.  Get together with others who have received him (Hebrews 10:24-25).
4.  Tell other people about him (Acts 1:8).  Remember to be tactful and
kind.

“From all your filthiness will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give
you, and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes”  Ezekiel 36:25-27

DON’T FORGET, KEEP TRUSTING HIM!

Additional notes

To Life

The Christian Jew Hour
Box 345
San Antonio, TX  78292

Pastor Reed

ISAIAH TRAIL

Psa 16:11
Isa 41:8
Lev 19:2
Psa 53:3,4
Hab 1:13
Jer 31, Eze 18:20, Isa 59:20
Psa 143:2

Man cannot remove the sin barrier

Psa 143:2 None righteous
Mitzvot (good deeds) won’t work Isa 64:5
God must take the initiative and solve the problem
Psa 149:16
The blood of the atonement is necessary
Abraham an example of faith Gen 15:6 made him HiSadic (a saint)
Isa 26:3,4
Lev 17:11 the blood makes atonement
Eze 18:4,20 Sacrifice showed God’s holiness
God is also a God of Mercy.  Provides a Kipporah (a substitute)
Isa 53:6,8,12
Isa 52:13 ff “He” is God’s Servant
Isa 42:1 the Messiah
Lev 1:
Pasach (Passover) family atonement.
Yom Kippur national atonement
Messiah atonement for all people
The Messiah should be the object of the Messiah.  How to
identifiy.
Jer 23:5,6 Tribe of David
Born in Bethleham
Jer 23:5,6, Micah,
Psa 22:14,17
Psa 16:10
Psa 53:10
70 C.E.
Yeshua of Nazarreth fulfilled these prophecies.
48 1/10^15