Originally posted by Icemoon:
Theoretically you can append something to the bible and still claim the whole book is harmonised.
Suddenly the OT verses take on a "new life". Christian theologians try to find verses in OT to support their viewpoint - the Trinity said 'let us make man ..', immaculate conception found in Isaiah (maid to virgin), even some parts of psalms were changed to show the lion was nailed (or something like that)
If the OT is supposed to prophesize the coming of The One, then show me how strong is this prophecy from the OT alone.
As I have said earlier in the other posts, we dun read from the OT alone, but from the entire bible. Not just the Christians, but also the Jews read about the coming of the messiah in their scriptures. The difference is just whether he had come or not.
For Christians, we believed Jesus was the Messiah. He not only fulfilled the prophecies said by the OT prophets, but he himself confirm his divinity by saying "I AM". I think the strongest point to show that he is the messiah is his resurrection. No other messiah-wannabe had risen from the dead after being persecuted. Jesus is the only one who have proved his identity with both his words and deeds.
I have discussed with my frens with why the Jews refused to acknowledge Christ. One of the reasons we can come out with is: firstly for the Jews, the law had become the most important thing in their life. It governed what their relationship with GOD should be. They were already so entrenched in their way of life. It was not easy to change their mindset. But what my opinion is: they may have missed the point. The law in itself is only a creation, GOD/Christ was the creator. Self righteous is not GOD's righteousness.
Secondly, the concept of an earthly messiah coming towage wars on Israel's enemy was already deeply entrenched. Many jews were hoping for their messiah to come to end their oppression by the Romans. They weren't ready to accept an messiah who claimed :"my kingdom is not of this world" "give what is due to caeser, and what is due to GOD" etc. Their concept of a messiah is more of a warrior king than an atoning one who chose humiliation on the cross.
I believed what Jesus did was revoltionary. He turned the social institution upside down. He chose humanity over rigidness in dispensation of the law.
When people sinned, the immediate reaction was to stone them to death. But Jesus receive them with a forgiving heart "let he who has not sinned cast the first stone". No jew will ever touch anyone who is unclean nor let them touch, but Jesus healed them by allowing them to do so. Jesus did not say "blessed are the self righteous who keeped GOD's laws". He said:"Blessed are the poor...the desperate...the oppressed....for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". These pple in those time would never be accepted in society. But the Lord Jesus gave them hope and light in a world filled with darkness. What Jesus had was GOD's righteousness, not self-righteousness in observing the law.
No 'self-respecting' jew will say "I AM" claiming that he is GOD himself. To the Jews this was the ultimate blasphemy when Jesus claimed that he is GOD. He had to go. He even talked about bringing down the temple in three days. No one has also prayed to GOD like what Jesus did, calling GOD 'father'. I do not think any respected rabbi will wash the feet of their followers, humbling himself infront of his servants. But Jesus did all these. He must be either GOD, or just a mad man. For me, what he did for the people reaffirm my faith that he is GOD.
I believe these ideas were too much for the Jews, who have developed a myopic view of their own. They could not accept this kind of messiah and thus rejected him. His death on the cross confirmed their doubts that he was an imposter/blasphemer.
Probably this was GOD's plans also, I dunno. While rejected by the jews, Jesus asked his apostles to spread the good news. Salvation was given to the Gentiles, thus making the world a house of prayers of all nations. This showed that GOD's love is universal. He wanted to share his love with anyone who believed in him.