Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2023
People from nations all over the world come to visit Israel. It is written in Isaiah 34:1, “Come near, you nations, to hear” and in Isaiah 49:6 that we are to bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. We see many people from Eastern Europe come to our country. Their arrival is a great opportunity to bring salvation to many who have never heard the Good News.
The Lord has blessed me with the ability to speak many languages, which helped me speak to these people. Most of them are Roman Catholic, and not many of them love Israel.
When I started to speak with a group of them about the Lord, one of them said, “We are not Jewish. We believe in the One whom you have killed. He is our God, and His name is Jesus.”
“I also believe in Jesus, but not as you believe,” I answered. “The Jesus in whom I have believed is no longer on the cross but in heaven.”
They looked surprised. “How can it be that a Jew can believe in Christ?” one asked.
I asked, “Do you know what is written in the Bible?”
“Yes!” some replied.
I opened my Bible to Deuteronomy 18:15 to read it to them. But first I asked, “How many gods do you believe in?”
“There is only one God,” one said.
I read for them, “‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren’ [Dt. 18:15]. To which nation do these brethren belong?”
A few of the people were members of a Baptist church in Poland. They were happy to hear such a clear witness about the Lord here in Jerusalem—from a Jewish man, no less!
“It is written in Isaiah 2:3, ‘For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem,’” I said. “So it is our obligation in Jerusalem to teach His salvation.”
The Catholics mentioned that this was the first time they had heard Jews speak about Christ.
“We have to tell this to our priests!” one of them said.
“I have brought the Good News to priests,” I said. “They have trusted in their commentary books, but I showed them that these books are not the Word of the Lord. The priests are like the ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders who believe in their rabbinical traditions.
“Likewise you have believed what your cardinals have said, but you are far from the full truth of faith in Christ.”
I showed them that my belief in Christ is according to the Holy Bible. This caught them by surprise.
“We want to see where this is written with our own eyes,” one of them said.
Their reaction reminded me of the zealous ultra-Orthodox I have met. They often read from their books more than from Scripture, so I engaged with them from our common roots—the Holy Bible. I read Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:2 for them, prophecies about Jesus, and said, “Take a good look. Am I reading from the Bible?”
They saw that I was and started to ask me questions.
“How can a Jew believe in Christ?” one asked.
“Who were most of the apostles? They were Jewish. And what did the Lord tell His Chosen People in Isaiah 49? ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified’ [v. 3]. It is our obligation to bring the truth to people like you so you can know the full truth about Jesus Christ. This is no commentary but the original Word of God.”
They asked me where they could find a Bible like mine that they could show to their priests. I had a few Polish Bibles, so I gave them one. They received it joyfully and told me they would surely read it. They wanted to know how I came to the Lord, and I was happy to tell them.
Our conversation took a long time because of their many questions. But most importantly, I believe they will remember the friendship I developed with them when they return to their home countries; and I pray they will come to know Christ as I do.
From The Friends of Israel archives
