I Was Called a Christ Killer

Christ on Cross

I’ve written a few articles about my search for the truth – who was this man named Jesus, and why was I blamed for His death?

There were many names hurled at me during my school years. Dirty Jew – kike, and others, but the one name that got to me the most was ‘Christ killer.’ I would lie awake at night and ponder this. Did my people really kill Him, and if so, why?

I never read the New Testament until 1983, when I was born again. But up to that point, I was so confused as to why my people were accused of Jesus’ death.

My dad used to tell us that Jesus was a good man – a prophet of sorts. He said that if the world lived by his teachings, it would be a wonderful thing. BUT……. (I knew that ‘but’ was coming) He wasn’t who He said He was.

Many years later, as a believer, I heard a sermon on this very subject. It was called “Christ – “Liar, Lunatic or Lord.”  I thought back to what my dad had told me.  I thought “Good men don’t lie!”  And He certainly wasn’t a lunatic. That only left one thing: LORD.

A little background on my dad

Dad grew up in an orthodox family. They kept kosher. They didn’t dare speak the name of Jesus.  He went to Hebrew high school. He loved God very much, but he was taught that God had no son. One God. He just didn’t know that our One God had three separate persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but that He was truly ONE GOD.

“Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echod.”

Here O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One.” I still love to sing this.

But where had my dad learned the teachings of Jesus? I never really thought about this until after I was saved. Someone, perhaps during WWII, told him about Jesus.  During his last years on this earth, he never missed a Billy Graham Crusade. It drove my mom nuts!

In another article, I recalled that precious night when the Lord allowed me to lead my dad in prayer to Jesus. He died two hours later. I can’t wait to be reunited with him.

The goodness of God

Jesus Christ came to this earth for one reason. He came to die for the sins of the world; that whosoever would believe in Him would be saved.  God not only allowed His crucifixion, but it was His Perfect will that His Son would die on that Cross and then rise from the dead. God loves us that much, that He would send his only Son to die. I can hardly take that in, but I am eternally grateful!

Satan has deceived so many regarding the Jews

My husband and I do not have a church presently. I need a thicker skin. We invariably run into people within the church who still have that “Christ killer” mentality. Their anti Semitism is so engrained within their hearts, that it comes out while in conversation with me.

I wonder to myself, have these people ever read Romans 11?  Do they realize that Jesus Himself walked the earth as a Jew? Do they know that the whole Bible was written by Jewish men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps this is wrong of me, but I do wonder if those who come to church, yet hate the Jewish people and Israel, were ever truly saved.  I have had people say to me “But it doesn’t say that people have to love the Jews to be saved.” But it does say that a person must first “repent” and then believe.  Have these people repented of their hatred for the Jews?

I feel strongly to place the whole of Romans 11 in this piece. PLEASE read every word carefully. There is so much truth in Paul’s words. Much anti Semitism could be eradicated if only people understood what Paul was teaching about the Jews and their relationship to God in Romans 11!

Romans 11:  ( I am bolding very important words of Paul)

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,

Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.   

**Praise God – I am part of that remnant!

 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

**(Are Gentiles provoking the Jews to jealousy? Not those who have a hatred for them and for Israel.)

 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

** It is God Himself who keeps us saved. If it were up to us, we would all be damned to hell!

 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

** I thank my God for this!  For I was grafted again into my own olive tree! We must come to the Father through Jesus Christ – He is the ONLY way.

 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

** For those Gentiles who despise my people – read this passage again. Can you see that in this mystery, blindness came to my people in part so that the Gentiles might gain access to heaven?

 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

** The Deliverer – our Yeshua, the Lord of Glory!

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

** The Jewish people will always belong to God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ caused a time where those who did not believe became an “enemy” of the Cross, but God keeps them (the Jews) because of his Own sake. They are HIS people! He cannot go against His own promises!

 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

** This was God’s plan from the beginning – that through His people, the Jews, the whole world would be blessed!

  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”(Genesis 22:17-18)

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

If the world could only understand that Jesus had to go to the Cross – that it was the plan of the Father all along. But those who are blinded cannot see. They will continue to call the Jews “Christ Killers.” They will continue to listen to the voice of satan.

The irony is amazing – without the death and resurrection of Jesus; and the partial hardening of the Jewish people to the Cross, the Gentiles would have never been able to be saved!

Shalom b’Yeshua

MARANATHA