The Way – Convergence of Jewish and Christian Faiths

Remember, this is a journey, enjoy it, don’t think about the destination, just enjoy where we are at, in this moment. Ask Yah/God to speak to you, then clear your mind of all preconceived understandings and lean on His, not yours.

In Jewish Rabbinical traditions, ‘ The Way’ refers to the entrance to the outer courts. In the outer courts we find the Bronze Altar where sacrifices are offered in atonement of their transgressions and the Bronze Laver or Basin where the Priest washed before entering into the Set-Apart Place, better known to the Christian world as The Holy Place.

In Christian traditions, ‘ The Way ‘ refers to Jesus the only way, he provided a way for atonement and redemption by offering himself as a sacrifice to die for the transgressions. Through the blood of Jesus, the Anointed One/Christ, we are given a way back to God.

In John 14, we see Jesus say he is going to the Father and “You know the way to the place where I am going.” And then Thomas ask Jesus, “How can we know the way?” Jesus replies, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have come to Me, you will know My father also. From now on, you do know Him and have seen him.”

At some point between John’s writing in John 14 and the writing of Acts 9, people started to refer to themselves as followers of the Way, like Paul did at his trial in Acts 24.

Picture this, Jesus is speaking to mostly Jewish people here. What do you think they thought of as soon as Jesus said, ‘The Way?’ Which tradition above do you think would best fit their initial thoughts?

Let’s journey through the initial Jewish perspective of “The Way.”

In Hebrews 10, we see a discussion on the outer courts area. Remember, the outer courts entrance was referred to as “The Way.” When we first enter the outer courts, we encounter the Bronze Altar. On this Bronze Altar are where the sacrifices are offered up. These are the “same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year.” The writer of Hebrews says these sacrifices “never … make perfect those” bringing the sacrifices. They are “reminder of sins year after year,” and that Yah/God “did not desire, nor … delight in them.”

This is what the average Jewish listener to Jesus’s answer to Thomas would have flashed back to. Imagine as a Christian, standing here today, and someone saying to you – this bull is the way, the truth, and the life. WHOA! Stop right there! Is what you would probably say. You’d say, Jesus Christ is the ONLY way … etc. That is how they felt. For thousands of years, “The Way” had been to walk through the outer entrance (The Way), with your required sacrifice and offer it on the Bronze Altar.

But now, “He takes away the first” – what was the first way? Animal sacrifices offered at the Tabernacle or Temple in the outer courts. “To establish the second” – what is the second? Jesus said HE is The Way. “Through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Jesus “offered one sacrifice for sins for ever.” (Hebrews 10)

– Mic drop moment –

Do you see the convergence now? Jesus didn’t do away with the sacrifices, he fulfilled them. So when whosoever believes and confesses Jesus, THE Anointed One, as their Savior comes to the outer courts entrance because they have transgressions, they come with the renewed sacrificial covenant of Jesus’s body and blood offered on the Bronze Altar. Animal sacrifices are no longer accepted, only the sacrifice of THE Anointed one is accepted. Whosoever comes through him comes through “The Way.”

Jesus tells them, “the Helper, the Ruach ha-Kodesh whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything …” John 14. The Ruach ha-Kodesh is the Set-Apart Breath of God – the Holy Spirit – the promise sent on Shavuot/Pentecost.

Are you entering through the renewed Way – Melech Hamoshiach Yeshua/King The Anointed Jesus?

Bible versions used: TLV, OJB, NIV, KJV

Originally published on WordPress https://calltoceasefire.wordpress.com/2024/06/14/the-way-convergence-of-jewish-and-christian-faiths/