Some Pointers on Witnessing to Your Jewish Friends

1. Be a real friend. There are many spiritual scalp hunters who want to win a Jewish soul for Christ, but are completely unaware of the person who is that soul. Have a well-rounded relationship with your  Jewish friend before you attempt to witness on a personal basis.

It is the continuing person-to-person witness through which most people have been won to their Messiah.

2. Don’t be afraid of discussion on life issues. They can give you insight on how your friend perceives and understands things. Listen when he talks about the things which concern him, and discuss what his
Jewishness means to him.

In no way let him come to the misunderstanding that you only care for him “in order to convert him.”

3. In some way give testimony to the gospel. A good place to begin is to tell specifically how God has answered prayer in your life. Avoid testimonies that talk about the peace and joy that you have in the Lord . . . remember, those who follow Eastern religions or any number of the “new” cults give such testimonies, as well as those who are made happy by the Jewish religion.

4. Answer questions or objections from Scripture. But remember, you don’t have to answer every question when it is asked. You can say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll find out;” or “Let me think about it a little more and I’ll give you an answer the next time I see you.”

5. See if your friend will study the Bible with you. Don’t concentrate only on the messianic prophecies; there is valuable truth in all Scripture. A good beginning point is Genesis 12 through Exodus 20–the story of the major covenants. However, if your Jewish friend is willing to study the Scriptures on a person-to-person basis, you may want to consult with your pastor. He will be able to recommend an
appropriate study plan.

6. Offer to pray for your friend’s needs. While our prophetic or teaching ministry is not always acceptable, most people appreciate prayer; and God seems to be particularly pleased to honor prayers as
evidence of his existence.

7. Encourage your friend to communicate with Jewish Christians. Such a meeting might be painful, but it does bring persons to the place where they realize that Jesus is for Jewish people too!

8. Emphasize that Christ is the sin-bearer for Jew and Gentile alike, and that a person doesn’t have to relinquish his Jewishness to accept Jesus.

Remember that your Jewish friend has been taught that he will be committing spiritual treason even to consider the claims of Christ. It’s up to you to show him that isn’t true.

9. Ask for a decision. As a general rule, it is not good to press for a decision, but you will know the timing on the matter. Don’t forget to ask the person for a decision.

SOME MESSIANIC PASSAGES
Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment

1. Gen. 3:15, Isa. 7:14 Messiah to be seed of the woman, to be born of a virgin
Gal. 4:4 Matt. 1:18-25
Luke 1:26-38

2. Gen. 49:10 Messiah to be born of the tribe of Judah
Rev. 5:5 Heb. 7:14

3. Isa. 11:1-2, 10 Messiah to be from the house of Jesse
Acts 13:22-23

4. Isa. 9:6-7 Messiah to be of David’s lineage
Psalm 132:11 Luke 1:32-33, Acts 13:22-23

5. Micah 5:2 Messiah to be born in Bethlehem
Matt. 2:1-6 Luke 2:4-7

Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment

6. Daniel 9:24-26 Time of Messiah’s coming Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:10

7. Deut. 18:15, 18-19 Messiah, a prophet Acts 3:20-26

8. Psalm 118:22 Messiah, the stone that John 1:11-12 was rejected John 12:37-43
Acts 4:1-12

9. Psalm 22 Messiah’s crucifixion Matt. 27:39-43, 46
Mark 15:20, 24-26
Luke 23:11-35
John 19:15-18, 23-24

10. Psalm 110:1-4 Messiah’s priestly ministry Mark 16:19
Luke 24:50-51
Acts 2:33-36
Heb. 10:12-13

11. Isaiah 52:13 – The Gospel of Messiah in Isaiah 53:12
Isa. 52:13 Matt. 21:9-11 Mark 11:7-10 Luke 19:35-3
John 12:12-15
Isa. 52:14 John 19:1-2 Matt. 26:67-68; 27:27-30
Isa. 53:1 John 12:37-38
Isa. 53:2 Luke 2:40
Isa. 53:3-4 John 1:11; 7:47-48
Isa. 53:5-6 John 1:29; 11:49-52 I Cor. 15:3 II Cor. 5:21
I Peter 2:24-25
Isa. 53:7 Mat. 26:59-63; 27:12-14 Mark 15:3-5 Luke 23:8-9
Isa. 53:8 Matt. 27:1-2 Luke 23:1-25

Isa. 53:9 Matt. 27:57–60 Mark 15:42-47– –Luke 23:50-52
Isa. 53:10 Heb. 2:10
Isa. 53:11 Romans 3:22-24 Eph. 2:8-9
Isa. 53:12 Luke 23:32-33 Heb. 9:26,28 I Peter 3:18

12. Jer. 31:31 Messiah’s New Covenant Heb. 8:6-13; 9:12-22
Heb. 10:4-24
Matt. 26:17; 27-29
Luke 22:15-20
Romans 11:26-27

For further information on witnessing to your Jewish friends, you may purchase SHARE THE NEW LIFE WITH A JEW and/or VSHUA, THE JEWISH WAY TO SAY JESUS, by Moishe Rosen. Both are published by Moody Press of Chicago, and can be purchased through your local Christian bookstore or
by writing:

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY MOODY PRESS OF CHICAGO.

THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY OR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.