I have been trying to understand why it is exactly that those who practice Judaism refuse to consider that the Messiah has come already in the person of Jesus, the Son of GOD born to Mary.

I punched in the phrase “what Jews believe” on Google and the first response was from a Web site of that very same name, WhatJewsBelieve.org. The site lists 9 reasons, plus one on the ‘Jewish roots’ of Christianity. The first item listed of what Jews believe is ‘one person cannot die for the sins of another.’ Here is their short explanation:

The Bible is clear, and it is consistent. One person cannot die for the sins of another. This means that the guilt from the sins committed by one person cannot be wiped out by the punishment given to another person. First, in Exodus 32:30-35, Moses asks God to punish him for the sin of the Golden Calf, committed by the people. God tells Moses that the person who committed the sin is the person who must receive the punishment. Then, in Deuteronomy 24:16, God simply states this as a basic principle, “Every man shall be put to death for his own sins.” This concept is repeated in the Prophets, in Ezekiel 18 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die… the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

They are, of course, referring to the Christian belief that Jesus was the ’sacrificial lamb’ who allows atonement or salvation for sinners. The explanation given is heavily focused on Bible verses that explain every single person must bear the weight of their own sin - that is, each person must be punished for their own sin. GOD would not make someone else bear the punishment for another person’s guilt. That makes sense, but it appears that the authors of WhatJewsBelieve.org are skipping over some other Bible passages that address the subject and say something else entirely, so I have some questions.

One Person Can Die For The Sins Of Another Person

In Exodus 34:5-7, we read that the LORD visits Moses after Moses pleads to ‘behold (HIS) presence.’ The LORD grants his request and, if I am not mistaken, makes the following proclamation about HIMSELF.

The LORD came down in a cloud; He stood with him there, and proclaimed the name LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”

My first question is, if Jews believe, as stated on the given Web site, that the one who commits the sin is the one that is punished by GOD, then what of that statement above the LORD makes of HIMSELF? “He…visits the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children…” If I am not mistaken, the term iniquity refers to unrighteous, or sinful, behavior. In this passage of Exodus, is GOD saying HE punishes children for the sins of their parents…even down to the children of the third and fourth generations?

In the following Bible excerpt (Leveticus 26:39-40), it appears the children of Israel are being told to make atonement for their fathers’ sins and hostility against GOD (which were many during the Exodus and even beyond) or the punishment upon them (concerning the land) will be great:

Those of you who survive shall be heartsick over their iniquity in the land of your enemies; more, they shall be heartsick over the iniquities of their fathers; and they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, in that they trespassed against Me, yeah, were hostile to Me.

Why would God ask the children to confess the sins of their fathers if the ALMIGHTY is not holding them accountable for their fathers’ sins as well as their own?

Another interesting example is God’s declaration against the priest Eli and his entire blood line - a curse that came about because Eli’s two sons, who also served in the priesthood, corrupted the laws for selfish gain. In 1 Samuel 2:27-36 (excerpted here):

…Thus said the LORD: Lo, I revealed Myself to your father’s house in Egypt when they were subject to the House of Pharaoh, and I chose them from among all the tribes of Israel to be My priests…and I assigned to your father’s house all offerings by fire of the Israelites. Why, then, do you maliciously trample upon the sacrifices and offerings that I have commanded? You have honored your sons more than Me, feeding on the first portions of every offering of My people Israel. … A time is coming when I will break your power and that of your father’s house, and there shall be no elder in your house. … there shall never be an elder in your house. I shall not cut off all your offspring from My alter; [but]…all the increase in your should shall die as [ordinary] men… And all the survivors of your house shall come and bow low to him (God’s new priest)…

The idea that ‘one cannot die for the sins of another’ appears to be a misconception. If one also looks to the plagues of Egypt, didn’t all of the Egyptians suffer because of the Pharaoh’s hard heart and disobedience? Did Noah not curse (or punish) Ham’s son for something it appears that Ham himself had done (debatable, I know)? While I am saying that, yes, one can bear the punishment for another’s sin, I am in no means saying that the transgressor will not die for his own sins.

Christians believe, as do Jews, I think, that each man will pay the consequence (death) for not repenting and turning to God. Though many may have to bear the punishment because of one person’s sin or guilt, it does not mean that the individual does not suffer personally for his/her actions.

When Christians say Jesus died for our sins, that by no means should be interpreted to mean Christians think they have a free pass of some kind and are not in danger of God’s judgment.

WhatJewsBelieve.org states ‘Jesus cannot die for your sins.’ The above leads me to believe that, if others can suffer because of another person’s sin, then one can make atonement for other’s sins (though the individual transgressors are still held accountable). But why would Jesus ‘need’ to make atonement for man’s sins?

The Sinfulness Stubbornness Of The People

God brought the people out of Egyptian slavery, He fed them with food from heaven and quenched their thirst with water sprung forth from rocks. Yet the people still rebelled, grumbled and behaved disrespectfully towards God. Many times the LORD wanted to destroy them because of this behavior, but Moses interceded and begged that He spare their life for the sake of His own glory. Still, the people sinned as if they did not know GOD. He gave them laws on tablets that they could behold so that they would be reminded as to how to conduct themselves. These tablets were placed in the Ark of the Covenant, which remained before them also as a visual reminder.

The LORD led them through the desert as a cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire during the night — more visual reminders. Still, they sinned as if they did no know God. At one point, God instructed them to wear tassels at the edge of their garments so that they would always have (another) visual reminder before them, so, seeing the tassels, they would be reminded Whom they served and the covenant they made with Him. Still, they sinned (Exodus 32 and Numbers 14).

No matter how many laws the people received, they still transgressed. But they abided by the laws — in name only. They began to put more emphasis on doing the laws than the One who gave them the laws — as if doing the laws alone would save them. One must put one’s faith, hope and belief in God; the laws are not God, for it is not the law that saves you - but the sincerity of your soul in serving your God.

As Isaiah 29:13 states: My LORD said: Because that people has approached [Me] with its mouth and honored Me with its lips, But has kept its heart far from Me, And its worship of Me has been a commandment of men, learned by rote (definition: memorization by repetition) — truly, I shall further baffle that people with bafflement upon bafflement; and the wisdom of its wise shall fail, and the prudence of its prudent shall vanish.

The people needed one more visual reminder. Something that could definitely not be ignored or ever forgotten. This one would go down in the history books, as they say, and the whole world would know of it. It would be a source of contention between father and son, mother and daughter and husbands and wives. It would be so stunning that entire families would be ripped apart and enemies would be made.

As the priest Eli said to his own sinful sons in 1 Samuel 2:25: If a man sins against a man, the LORD may pardon him; but if a man offends against God, who can obtain pardon for him?

If We Sin Against God, Who Can Obtain Pardon For Us?

The answer to that question is revealed in the book of Isaiah, chapter 53. Here is an excerpt (notice the way in which it is written, as if the one reading it need be reminded of something):

Indeed, My servant shall prosper, be exalted and raised to great heights. Just as the many were appalled at him- …just so he shall startle many nations. …He had no form or beauty, that we should look at him; no charm, that we should find him pleasing. He was despised, shunned by men… He was despised, we held him of no account. Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, smitten and afflicted by God; But he was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, and by his bruises we were healed. We all went astray like sheep, each going his own way; and the LORD visited upon him the guilt of us all.

..For he was cut off from the land of the living through the sin of the people, who deserved the punishment. ...But the LORD chose to crush him by disease, that, if he made himself an offering of guilt, he might see offspring and have long life, and that through him the LORD’s purpose might prosper. …My righteous servant makes the many righteous, it is their punishment that he bears; Assuredly, I will give him the many as his portion, he shall receive the multitude as his spoil. For he exposed himself to death and was numbered among the sinners, whereas he bore the guilt of many and made intercession for sinners.

This passage in Isaiah (if not the book as a whole) speaks of a particular person, whom God calls ‘My servant,’ ‘My righteous servant.’ This writing isn’t allegory or poetry. God directed Isaiah to write about a real man whom he would send to redeem His people, who had gone so astray.

Whether or not you believe Jesus is this man, it is quite clear that God says, through Isaiah, someone can bear “the guilt of many and make intercession for sinners,” “make many righteous (by bearing) their punishment” and bare “the chastisement (that makes) us whole.” But it is clear in Isaiah that God Almighty is speaking of one particular person who can redeem not just a few people, but all sinners, by laying down his life for them. But this man doesn’t just die as some sacrificial lamb for the greater good, his sacrifice involves being ostracized, reviled, spit upon, mocked, beaten - although his burden is to offer man salvation, man hates him for what he does and says. He attempts to teach them about the law. The aren’t receptive. After all, who can teach them about the law when they are the law and received it from God’s own mouth and hands?

How can you say, “We are wise, and we possess the Instruction of the LORD”? Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored, for naught the scribes! The wise shall be put to shame, shall be dismayed and caught; See, they reject the word of the LORD, so their wisdom amounts to nothing. (Jeremiah 8:8-9)

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