Answers for aВ Jew

Evgeniy Terekhin

This book offers answers to questions most commonly asked by Jews about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. Why do the Gospels contain two genealogies of Joseph? Is Jesus God? Are there mistakes in the New Testament? Etc.

Answers for aВ Jew

Translator Evgeniy Terekhin

Translator Valeriy Sterkh

Compiler Valeriy Sterkh

© Evgeniy Terekhin, translation, 2021

© Valeriy Sterkh, translation, 2021

ISBNВ 978-5-4490-3638-4

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Introduction

Some time ago IВ watched aВ Youtube video featuring aВ debate between Judaism and Christianity. It was aВ conversation between aВ local rabbi and aВ visiting Christian professor from aВ Bible school inВ New-York (most likely Protestant) that happened inВ Bet Gabriel. Last time IВ checked, this video wasВ at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_ryO65eVQY

You can watch it if you like. Here’s the gist of it. The Rabbi was trying to explain why contemporary Jews reject Jesus Christ, and asked challenging questions about the New Testament and the Christian faith. The Christian opponent tried his best to answer the questions. He succeeded in part. However, some questions were left unanswered or the answers were not specific enough.

The reasons why this happened are not so important. ToВ put it inВ aВ nutshell, the Christian may not have been properly prepared. Getting involved inВ aВ debate without first acquiring sufficient knowledge ofВ the subject was aВ brave but reckless thing toВ do. IВ do not know whether this discussion was continued or whether the rabbi got his answers, but IВ decided toВ answerВ him.

The questions ofВ Yosef Mizrachi during the debate (IВ am giving aВ short version ofВ them with aВ few slight modifications inВ wording which do not inВ the least affect the meaning) as well as my answers are given below.

Is Jesus aВ descendant ofВ David?

Question: How can Jesus be aВ descendant ofВ David if he is not the son ofВ Joseph byВ birth?

Answer: This question has to do with the prophecy about the Messiah coming from the tribe of Judah: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Peacemaker] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen 49:10; compare 1 Kings 2:4; Ps 132:11).

According to the Gospels, Jesus was conceived by Mary through the Holy Spirit, and Joseph (from the tribe of Judah – David’s line) was not his father according to the flesh. Concerning Mary’s genealogy, the Holy Tradition teaches: her parents, Joachim and Anna, were from the tribes of Judah and Levi, respectively. The Gospel of Luke mentions Mary’s relative Elizabeth, who was “from the line of Aaron” (Lk 1:5, 36), that is from the tribe of Levi.

Mary’s relation to the tribe of Judah is further substantiated by the following considerations. When Ceasar Augustus announced a census “all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child” (Lk 2:3—5).

Mary, as the only daughter, was required by the Law to get married: “And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance” (Num 36:8—9). That is why Mary was engaged to Joseph who was also from the tribe of Judah.

At the time of the census, Mary wasn’t Joseph’s wife; they were “pledged to be married” [ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ] (Lk 2:5). That’s why she had to show up for the census as the only heiress to her parents’ pro