I’m Jewish. I grew up in a Jewish home on Long Island, 60 miles east of New York City.  We were nominally Jewish, kosher in the home, keeping the holidays, going to temple on Saturdays.  I was bar-mitzvahed when I turned thirteen – a “man” in the eyes of the temple, but spiritually making it up as I went along.

I found more spiritual meaning in Star Wars “the Force” and Star Trek “live long and prosper.”  Organized religion to me, was the “opiate of the masses,” as Karl Marx said.  There was no realness to being Jewish, just “tradition,” as Tevye sang.

We were Jewish and definitely NOT following Jesus.  I had no sense of right or wrong, as God defines it.  There was no “sin” in my life.  We read from Torah every week, but it had no meaning or application to my life.  I went off to college, living large and loose.

In college, I met my future wife.  She was different from everyone else I knew. Her faith in Jesus was real.  We talked a lot about religion, ended up marrying, and moved to Virginia for teaching jobs.

For the first five years of marriage, we had a lot of heart-felt, late-night angst.  We attended both temple and church, and I started to see the difference between religion and relationship with Jesus.

At church and through her and her family, I met people who were living-out their faith and applying the Bible, depending on God in a real way.  These words meant something; this God they followed was real.

I thought the New Testament was made-up meshugana (crazy), but I came to learn that Paul argued from the [Old Testament] Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 17:2-3).  “Where in the Old Testament does it talk about Jesus?” I wondered.

So John, at church, shared Psalm 110:1:

A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110:1

Don shared Genesis 1:26:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26

Mary shared Isaiah 53…

…He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  (4)  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  (5)  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.  (6)  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  (7)  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth… Isaiah 53:3-7

And, we all read through Hosea together.  They asked me what these verses meant and who they were talking about.  I saw Jesus in them more and more.  I then found out Isaiah 53 wasn’t even in the ‘Bible’ that we used on Saturdays at temple, and that made me angry – “What is being kept from me?”

Mary shared Isaiah 53 with me and was full of joy that this was talking about Jesus before He was even born.  I read it, but I can’t say there was a specific something that touched my heart. I remember reading it and saying, “This looks like Jesus,” as I did when I read Psalm 110:1.

By this time in my life, although close to the time in 1996 when I was born again, I was still reading my Jewish Bible and defending Judaism against Christianity.  I even bought a book by a Jewish rabbi, “The Real Messiah,” that refuted Isaiah 53 being about Jesus.  But I remember his explanation of Isaiah 53 didn’t seem to fit when I was reading Isaiah 53.  I remember thinking,

“Maybe I should accept God’s Word as God’s Word and not what the Rabbis say.”

Accepting the Word of God as true and real was part of the larger, ongoing process in my life. Isaiah 53 seemed to be a ‘real’ person who experienced real stuff – One who experienced the weight described in every verse, and my eyes were opening.  Jesus was in Isaiah 53 – what I knew of Him at the time.

It was Isaiah 53, Psalm 110:1, and other Old Testament verses, in addition to experiencing church and relationships with these people, that led me to see my sin for what it was – sin against God.

I was 29 years old and a sinner in need of saving, who couldn’t save himself.  My Judaism or “I’m good enough – not as bad as the other guy” wouldn’t cut it with God.  In the Spring of 1996, I prayed and asked God if Jesus really was the Messiah.  God said to my heart: “I’m God. I sent my Son Jesus. He’s my Son – follow Him.”

I was very concerned about what my mother would say (my father had passed away in 1992), but God reassured me to follow Jesus.  I said, “OK.”

It was funny because no one at church believed me at first, but a Pastor discipled me, and over time, everyone rejoiced.  I was baptized in October that year.

I remember reading a newspaper article from the local Rabbi, “Four reasons Jews don’t follow Jesus,” and I refuted him on all his points, from the Scriptures.  I eventually went on to seminary, and now I pastor a church in South Dakota.

What does Christ mean to me since I trusted Him? After 24 years of knowing Him, in the “3rd quarter” of my life (assuming I’ll get a full four quarters), what has Christ brought to my life? There is meaning, purpose, and direction.  I have new life.  Knowing Christ brings justification, sanctification, and future glory.  I am not lost. I once was blind, but now I see. I am comforted in hard times. I am in the kingdom. I will overcome. I have peace that passes understanding.  It is well with my soul.  All of this and more are available to anyone who will believe.  Believe on Him today, and you will be saved.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

By God’s Grace

Leigh Warmbrand