If The Jews Had Accepted Jesus

by David Padfield

Modern premillennial theory insists God had not anticipated the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. They teach that one day Christ will return to this earth and the Jews will then accept Him as their Messiah. The Father in heaven knew all along how the Jews would react to Jesus. God's plan was perfect, and "when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4).

In John 6:15 we read that "when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to a mountain by Himself alone." I have often considered this verse to be the death-knell of premillennialism. The Jews wanted to force Christ to be a king like Saul, David or Solomon. However, Christ had no intention of setting us a physical, earthly kingdom, for as He told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36).

Have you ever considered what would have happened if the Jews had accepted Jesus as their Savior and King? Let's look at the consequences:

First, there would have been no crucifixion, and hence no shedding of blood. "And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Animal sacrifices could never remove the guilt and consequences of sin. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). The Hebrew writer tells us that "Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:11-12).

Second, the church of Christ would have never been established, since it was purchased with the blood of Christ. When Paul admonished the Ephesian elders "to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

Third, there would be no gospel, since the foundation of it is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

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