Did Messiah Come Only for the Lost Sheep of Israel? (Lost Sheep Series)

  Who did the Torah, the Psalms and the Prophets say the Messiah was coming for? 

  Was He coming only for the Lost Sheep of Israel, as Muslims claim? 

  Or did He come for other sheep as well, as Jesus Himself said in John 10?

16 "But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd." John 10

  Of course, we have much more than just one verse in John 10 to make the case that Jesus did not come only for the lost sheep of Israel. This is the first of a multi-part series that will cover some of the  Scriptural evidence. 

  We begin with a passage from Romans 15. In just 6 verses of that chapter, Paul cites the Old Testament 4 times to teach us that Messiah was sent for all mankind. (The verses from Romans 15 are in bold print while the Old Testament quotes are in italics):

Romans 15

 7 Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. 


 8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, 


 9 and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written:

   Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,
   and I will sing psalms to Your name. 
"Therefore I will praise You, Lord, among the nations; I will sing about Your name." 2 Samuel 22:50
Romans 15

10 Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! 
"Rejoice, you nations, concerning His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants." Deuteronomy 32:43
Romans 15

11 And again:
    Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    all the peoples should praise Him!
"Praise the Lord, all nations! Glorify Him, all peoples!" Psalm 117:1
Romans 15

12 And again, Isaiah says:
    The root of Jesse will appear,
    the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;
    the Gentiles will hope in Him.
"On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him..." Isaiah 11:10
  Beginning with verses that are thousands of years old, Scripture shows us again and again that God's plan was clearly to save all of mankind, not just His Chosen People, the Jews. 

  Today, just as Isaiah prophesied almost 2,800 years ago, Jesus the Messiah stands as a banner for the nations, a beacon of light in an increasingly dark and evil world.

  Have you put your hope in Him? We pray you will do so now, while there is still time.

  Even more proof that Jesus came for us in the next part of this series.


  See also:

  Who is the Good Shepherd? by Chris Terry

  http://apologika.blogspot.com/2014/04/who-is-our-good-shepherd.html




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