Hungering & Thirsting for Righteousness

“My name is Ira*, and I hope you’re good with Jews in crisis” the voice on the other end of the phone stated.  “Depends on the crisis,” I responded, wondering exactly what he was looking for. “I saw you a couple of years ago in a church speaking about Passover and so I was hoping that you could help me: it’s spiritual.” “How about coming over to my house for dinner tomorrow night and we can talk about it? I suggested.

Over dinner, Ira explained he is a member of one of the local synagogues. Though he respects the Rabbi a great deal, he finds it to be less than spiritually meaningful. Ira’s wife is a believer who has shared her faith with him. Though he resisted believing what she had said still he found himself drawn to this Jesus. “But” he added, “I still have a lot of questions. Sam, when I saw you at that church years before, you made ‘too much sense’, but I resisted believing.” Now, Ira found he wanted to know more.  

After dinner we took a look at Isaiah 53 and considered Ira’s many questions:

“Why don’t our people believe when it’s right there in Scripture?” Our people, like most people, are looking for a savior according to their own desires, not the kind that the Scriptures describe. This is because of sin. People don’t want to take responsibility for their sins.

“Why would God require a sin offering?” The seriousness of sin is so great and costly that only the death of a life can pay for the damage sin causes to God’s honor and those lives sin affects.

“How can Messiah’s death long ago help me now?” The value and greatness of the life of Messiah is so precious that His payment covers all your sins and more. Because He is ’Ben Elohim’, the Son of God. His value is beyond comprehension. Therefore, His suffering and atonement pays for all sins.

“Why didn’t God make a universe without sin?” By allowing sin, God is able to reveal His love and gracious character to us, in a way that not even angels can know: we have come to know God’s grace and love for sinners, not just for the righteous. By faith in Messiah, we know God’s forgiveness for our sins and therefore we can forever praise Him beyond anything for which the angels can praise Him.

“How will Messiah’s death change anything about me?” When you believe on Yeshua, God forgives you at that moment and Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) comes to live in you. He pours out His love into your heart and makes you alive to God: you become spiritually ‘born again’, a child of God!

Because the Holy Spirit was at work in each case, the Lord gave me illustrations that were from Ira’s line of work; the answers made sense to him! I went over John 3:16 with him to show him scripturally that faith in Yeshua would bring him eternal life. I then suggested that we pray, and asked Ira if he would like to trust in Yeshua as Messiah, Lord and Savior. “Yes, I would, I really would.”  So, I led this ’40 something’ Jewish man in a simple sinner’s prayer. It seemed the universe came to a halt for just a moment as the angels in heaven prepared to rejoice in the salvation of another child of God.

Afterward, I showed Ira Romans 10:9 and asked him if he would now confess for himself that Yeshua is his Lord (Adonai). He said “Yes, He is!” Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? “Yes, I do!” He said grinning with joy from ear to ear. “Then what does that mean about you?” I said pointing to the verse. He looked and said, “I’m saved!”

As is my custom, I asked Ira to tell Miriam what happened. “I accepted Messiah Yeshua!” he said, and Miriam gave him a big hug and a “Mazel Tov!” Ira is growing in the Lord. Please keep in prayer this Jewish man who went from spiritual crisis to eternal life by simply trusting in his Messiah. Shalom. (Name changed to protect individual’s Privacy)