In 2005, Orthodox Rabbi Michael J. Cook wrote about how Jesus influenced rabbinic Judaism. His research created quite a stir. But not as much of a stir as Jesus did in this scene from The Chosen which portrays Jesus reading Isaiah 61 from the Haftarah in the temple he grew up in Nazareth.
Watch this scene from the series The Chosen about the life of Jesus in order to appreciate why Rabbi Cook's article is so important.
Modern Jews are very accustomed to the tradition of reading the Haftarah in the temple, especially on Shabbat.
The prophets form a significant part of the Hebrew Bible, offering a range of prophecies, teachings, and historical accounts that have influenced Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.
After the destruction of the Temple, when priestly sacrifices came to a halt and rabbinic Judaism began, the rabbis divided The Torah into 54 portions (parashot). During a Jewish temple service a Haftarah reading is linked to a Torah portion reading based on thematic or contextual connections. Each week, during Shabbat services, Jews will read a designated section of the Torah coupled with a designated Haftarah reading. The Rabbis created this coupling centuries ago.
I will digress to give a short explanation of the Haftarah and it's place in Jewish ritual. If you are familiar with the Torah and Haftarah just skip down to pick back up with the significance of Rabbi Cook's findings and article.
The Torah, which is the Five Books of Moses also known the Pentateuch, are the foundational texts of the Jewish faith and are also significant in Christianity and Islam. They are:
1. Genesis (Bereishit)
2. Exodus (Shemot)
3. Leviticus (Vayikra)
4. Numbers (Bamidbar)
5. Deuteronomy (Devarim)
The Haftarah consists of the Books of the Prophets (Nevi'im). The books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) in the Hebrew Bible are traditionally divided into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets. Here is a list of the books and the prophets associated with them:
Former Prophets:
Latter Prophets:1. Joshua (Yehoshua) – Chronicles the leadership of Joshua and the conquest of Canaan.
2. Judges (Shoftim) – Describes the period of the Judges who led Israel before the establishment of the monarchy.
3. Samuel (Shmuel) – Divided into two books, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, covering the life of Samuel, the reign of Saul, and the rise of David.
4. Kings (Melakhim) – Divided into two books, 1 Kings and 2 Kings, recounting the history of Israel and Judah's monarchies up to the Babylonian exile.
1. Isaiah (Yeshayahu) – Contains the prophecies of Isaiah, focusing on themes of judgment and redemption.
2. Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) – Features the prophecies of Jeremiah, emphasizing the impending destruction of Jerusalem and calls for repentance.
3. Ezekiel (Yehezkel) – Includes the visions and prophecies of Ezekiel, focusing on the fall and future restoration of Israel.
The Twelve Minor Prophets (Trei Asar) – A collection of shorter prophetic books:
1. Hosea (Hoshea) – Deals with Israel's unfaithfulness and God's enduring love.
2. Joel (Yoel) – Describes a locust plague and calls for national repentance.
3. Amos – Focuses on social justice and the impending judgment on Israel.
4. Obadiah (Ovadiah) – A short book pronouncing judgment on Edom.
5. Jonah (Yonah) – Tells the story of Jonah's mission to Nineveh and themes of repentance and mercy.
6. Micah (Mikhah) – Contains prophecies of judgment and hope, including the prediction of a ruler from Bethlehem.
7. Nahum – Proclaims the fall of Nineveh.
8. Habakkuk (Havakuk) – Discusses the problem of evil and the justice of God.
9. Zephaniah (Tsefanyah) – Warns of the coming "Day of the Lord" and calls for repentance.
10. Haggai (Chaggai) – Encourages the rebuilding of the Second Temple.
11. Zechariah (Zekharyah) – Contains visions and prophecies about the restoration of Jerusalem.
12. Malachi (Malakhi) – Addresses issues of religious and social corruption and foretells the coming of Elijah.
Now back to Rabbi Cook's finding and article. Rabbi Cook's research highlights the interplay between early Christianity and rabbinic traditions. According to Rabbi Cook, the first documented example of the rabbinic practice of coupling the Torah with the Haftarah is in the New Testament in the Gospel of Luke in relation to Isaiah.
The chapter in the Gospel of Luke that documents the tradition of reading the Haftarah is specifically, Luke 4:16-21 which describes Jesus reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth where he grew up. The scene from The Chosen above depicts this scene in Luke.
Here's the passage:
Luke 4:16-21 (NIV):
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This passage illustrates the practice of reading from the Prophets (Haftarah) in the synagogue and highlights Jesus' use of this tradition to make a significant declaration.
Rabbi Cook's findings didn't stop there! In addition to this reading in the Gospel of Luke being the first documented case of reading the Haftarah in temple, Rabbi Cook found something that I think is astonishing. He found that the Rabbis did NOT INCLUDE this particular Haftarah reading from the designated temple portions that are read during Shabbat services.
Rabbi Cook researched further and found that MANY of the significant Haftarah readings which point to Jesus were also not included in the designated portions for Shabbat services. This includes:
- Isaiah 7:14 – The prophecy of a virgin bearing a son, which Christians interpret as a reference to the birth of Jesus.
- Isaiah 9:6-7 – The verses describing a child born to us who will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
- Isaiah 53 – The "Suffering Servant" passage, which Christians see as a prophecy of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion.
- Daniel 9:24-27 – The prophecy of the "Seventy Weeks," which some interpret as foretelling the coming of the Messiah.
- Micah 5:2 – The prophecy of a ruler coming from Bethlehem, which Christians associate with the birth of Jesus.
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 – The prophecy about a righteous Branch from David's line who will reign as king and execute justice and righteousness.
- Zechariah 9:9 – The prophecy about the king coming to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, which Christians interpret as Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
- Zechariah 12:10 – The prophecy about the inhabitants of Jerusalem looking on the one they have pierced and mourning for him.
- Psalm 22 – Although not from the Prophets, this Psalm is often cited by Christians for its vivid depiction of suffering, which they relate to the crucifixion of Jesus.
- Malachi 3:1 – The prophecy about the messenger who will prepare the way before the Lord, which Christians relate to John the Baptist and Jesus.
Christians wonder how Jews who went to religious school and go to temple don't reach the conclusion on their own that Jesus was the Messiah. Unless you read and study the Hebrew Scriptures on your own, a Jew would NEVER learn about Jesus. Even his name, let alone his title is not spoken in temple. Jesus is the "elephant that is not in the room!"
Plus, since the rabbis are quite emphatic about Jesus not being the Messiah! So is it that surprising that Jews are "behind the veil?"
The Apostle Paul is considered to be the biblical desciple of Jesus who Jews can't stand. I can remember that when ever I happened to end up in a church for a wedding or funeral, that I couldn't stand when the Priest would do a "reading from Romans." It was Paul who wrote in Romans 11:11-14 of the concept of making Jews jealous of the Jews who found Jesus. Here is what Paul said:
Romans 11:11-14 (NIV):
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry
14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
Paul is explaining his mission to the Gentiles and expressing the hope that the success of his mission will provoke some Jews to reconsider their stance on Jesus and accept him as the Messiah. You can understand why the Rabbis might dislike Paul to put it mildly. Perhaps that partially explains why the Rabbis don't teach the Haftarah portions listed above. Or maybe the fear was that those verses would cause too many questions and confusion.
All of which leads me to the following mathmatical observation. There are estimated to be approximately 200,000 jews in the world who openly identify as Jews who believe in Jesus. There are approximately 8.15 billion people in the entire world.
Therefore, 200,000 ÷ 8.15 billion = 0.0000245399 of the world are Jews that believe in Jesus. Given how the rabbis handle the subject of Jesus, is it any wonder that Jews are blind? Frankly, the greater miracle is for a Jew to come to Jesus! Perhaps even this was prophesied by Moses when he said near the very end of his five books:
Now Moses called all Israel and said to them:
Deuteronomy 29:1-4
“You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land—
3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders.
4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.
Source: I learned about this on a podcast episode. Here is a link to that.
One For Israel Podcast Episode
