We Learn From Jesus
We learn from Jesus what the Father has told him.
To redeem the lost sheep of the house of Israel who lived under the Law, God sent his Son, who was born of a woman under the Law. Those who reject the Messiah will experience great suffering, more unbearable for them than for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment. Many Jews rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah. God chose the Israelites as his own, and He was their God. Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. When we were drawn to God, followed by the circumcision of the skin (some countries by individual faith treat the circumcision of the skin as baptism or a profession of faith as Christian- though not a mandate in the Catholic Church, this process involved blood and pain or suffering for a few days) as circumcised believers our spiritual life is renewed. Our new status before God is being grafted from the root of Israel. However, we remain Gentile as our natural identity (physical) and (spiritual); we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—our LORD, Yahweh.
One of the 613 commandments of God to the Jewish people is recorded in Genesis 17:11-14 (World English Bible) as follows: 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.” Jesus Christ followed the Law, for he was born under the Law and was obedient to the Law.
God is our all in all.
On the other hand, Paul says this in Galatians 5:2-3(WEB). 2 “Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole Law.”
Jesus bought freedom not only for the Israelites but also for the Gentiles. According to Paul, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3); “Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all of our sins have been forgiven.” Colossians 1:14.
Whosoever was worthy of accepting the apostles of Jesus Christ were the ones who received them, listened to their words, and most likely will believe. If they will not listen and will not receive the apostles, it only means they are not welcome and are not worthy for the apostles to waste time and effort. Jesus advises the apostles if that happens not to force themselves, shake the dust off their feet, leave, and move to another house or town.
Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep to show that the Kingdom of God is accessible to all, as recorded in Matthew 15:24. The lost sheep represents the lost souls of the house of Israel- Jesus reference from the Old Testament (Ezekiel 34:11–16).
Jesus came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel so they might be saved through him. He preaches, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus did and said was to prepare the Jews for their coming inheritance, the Millennial Kingdom. He instructed the apostles not to go to the Gentiles but only to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus and the Jews were born under the Law and were obedient to follow the Law. In addition, he let it be known that he was not sent by the Father to destroy the Law or the prophets but to implement or carry it out. The Jews have a hard heart accepting that he is the Messiah that should have ended their long-suffering of waiting for the Messiah, the Chosen One. The Christians, through the teachings of Paul, believed that Jesus is the Son and savior that the Father sent. The only difference is that Christians under the new covenant are not under the code of Law but under Grace with the same God as Jews and Muslims believe.
After Jesus’ ascension, the Jews and Gentiles were more confused when religion became a competition; the new religion founded by Paul was introduced, Judaizers recruited the recruits of Paul’s followers, and the teachings of the apostles of Jesus Christ were trying to catch up. Paul has the edge because of His knowledge of the Old Testament; under Paul’s religion, it is more lenient; no circumcisions of the foreskin, no inherited sin washed out by the blood of the Son, become a new creation, and reconciliation with the Father takes place. Sin will not have dominion over the believers. The apostles continued their teaching; they learned from the Son Jesus more as instruments of righteousness.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14).
There is an assurance that whoever believes and trusts the word Jesus said about the kingdom of God and the Father who sent him will possess eternal life. The Kingdom of God is among us (Luke 17:21). For Christians, it should be clear, as clear as the water of salvation, that the kingdom is the way to eternal life. Judgment and condemnation has passed from death into life.
Therefore, I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49