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Who are the real chosen people?
In the Gospels, Jesus often addressed the religious leaders of his time, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, concerning their beliefs and attitudes toward him. His teachings and statements reveal both a critique of their understanding of God and an invitation to deeper faith. Here are some key points on what Jesus said to the religious people regarding their belief in him: in
Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.
The New Testament provides several passages that highlight the consequences of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, with particular reference to the Jewish people of that time who did not believe in him. These verses emphasize that salvation and eternal life are found in accepting Jesus, while those who reject him are at risk of condemnation. Below is a report based on key Bible passages that address this topic.
1. Jesus as the Only Way to Salvation
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the only way to eternal life, and those who reject him cannot enter the kingdom of God. In John 14:6, Jesus explicitly states:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This verse indicates that without faith in Jesus, no one, including Jews or Gentiles, can have a relationship with God or receive salvation. This forms the foundation of the belief that rejecting Jesus leads to condemnation.
2. Rejection of Jesus Brings Judgment
Jesus warned the Jewish people and their leaders that rejecting him would result in judgment. In John 3:18, he explained that belief in him is the dividing line between salvation and condemnation:
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
This passage emphasizes that those who refuse to accept Jesus are already condemned because they have rejected the source of eternal life. This applies to everyone who does not believe in him, including the Jews.
3. Warnings of Dying in Sin
Jesus directly warned the Jewish leaders of the consequences of rejecting him. In John 8:24, he said:
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
In this verse, Jesus clearly states that without faith in him, the Jews who did not receive him would face eternal consequences, dying in their sins. This underscores the seriousness of their rejection of his message. Today the Jews are a secular nation still rejecting the Messiah Jesus as their true God? The Christians who are spreading the gospel are still spit on as they were 2000 years ago. Case in point.
4. Parable of the Wicked Tenants
In Matthew 21:33-44, Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants, a story that reflects the rejection of God’s prophets and, ultimately, his Son by the Jewish leaders. In the parable, the owner of a vineyard sends servants (representing the prophets) to collect fruit from the tenants (representing Israel), but the tenants kill the servants. Finally, the owner sends his son (representing Jesus), but they kill him too. Jesus concludes the parable with a warning:
“Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43).
Here, Jesus predicts that because of their rejection of him, the Jewish leaders would lose their place of privilege in God’s plan, and the kingdom would be given to others who accepted him.
I want take a short break here before I move on to point number 5. In case there are those reading my report and do not understand the concept of producing fruit. Let me explain.
When Jesus speaks about “producing fruit,” he is using the metaphor of fruit-bearing to describe the outward evidence of a person’s inner spiritual life and relationship with God. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often refers to “fruit” as the visible outcomes of faith, such as good works, obedience to God’s commands, repentance, and the transformation of character. Producing fruit is a sign of a true disciple and a life aligned with God’s will. Below are some key aspects of what Jesus means by producing fruit:
1. Good Works and Obedience to God
One of the clearest meanings of producing fruit is doing good works that reflect a life committed to God. In Matthew 7:17-20, Jesus teaches that a person’s actions reveal their true nature:
“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
Here, Jesus is explaining that those who follow God will naturally produce good fruit—good deeds and righteous living—while those who reject God will bear “bad fruit,” or sinful behaviors. This passage highlights that a person’s fruit reveals the condition of their heart.
2. Repentance
Producing fruit also refers to a life of repentance. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist, echoing Jesus’ later teaching, calls people to:
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
This emphasizes that repentance—turning away from sin and turning toward God—is a vital part of bearing fruit. It’s not just about outward actions but about an inner change of heart that leads to godly behavior.
3. Spiritual Growth and Character Transformation
Jesus also refers to producing fruit in terms of spiritual growth and the development of Christ-like character. In John 15:4-5, Jesus uses the image of a vine and branches to describe the relationship between himself and his followers:
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Here, Jesus teaches that producing fruit is not something we can do on our own. It comes from remaining (or abiding) in him, meaning living in close, continuous relationship with Jesus. This fruit refers to the spiritual qualities and behaviors that flow from a life in Christ, such as love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness—qualities listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as the “fruit of the Spirit.”
4. Making Disciples and Advancing God’s Kingdom
Producing fruit can also refer to helping others come to faith and growing the kingdom of God. In John 15:8, Jesus says:
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Bearing fruit includes not only personal spiritual growth but also leading others to Christ through evangelism, acts of service, and spreading the Gospel. True disciples are known by their fruit, which includes multiplying God’s work through the lives they touch and the impact they make on others for the kingdom.
5. Judgment for Failing to Produce Fruit
Jesus also warns of judgment for those who do not produce good fruit. In Luke 13:6-9, he tells the parable of a barren fig tree:
“A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’”
In this parable, the barren tree represents a life that does not produce the fruit of repentance, righteousness, or good works. The owner’s frustration and decision to cut it down illustrate that God expects fruitfulness from his people. It also shows God’s patience, but it warns of the eventual judgment for those who remain spiritually barren. Now that you know what Jesus is referring to by producing fruit, let me move on to point number 5.
5. Rejection of the Cornerstone
Jesus quotes from Psalm 118 in reference to himself as the cornerstone, explaining that those who reject him are rejecting the foundation of God’s work. In Matthew 21:42-44, Jesus says:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
In this statement, Jesus makes it clear that rejecting him—the cornerstone—leads to destruction, a warning to those who would not recognize him as the Messiah, including the Jewish leaders.
6. Paul’s Teaching on Jewish Unbelief
The Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, also addressed the issue of Jewish unbelief in his letters. In Romans 9:31-32, Paul explains why many Jews stumbled over Jesus:
“But the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.”
Paul laments that many of his fellow Jews missed the way of salvation because they tried to achieve righteousness through the law, not through faith in Christ. He further explains the consequences of rejecting Jesus in Romans 10:1-4, where he prays for their salvation but acknowledges that Christ is the fulfillment of the law, and without him, they remain cut off from righteousness.
7. Consequences for Unbelief
In John 12:48, Jesus again warns of the judgment that awaits those who reject his words:
“There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”
This verse speaks of a future judgment where those who have rejected Jesus, including Jews who do not believe in him, will be judged and condemned by the very message of salvation they refused.
1. Criticism of Hypocrisy and Legalism
Jesus frequently criticized the religious leaders for their outward displays of piety that masked inner corruption. For instance, in Matthew 23:27-28, he says:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Jesus emphasized that true faith and obedience to God stem from the heart, not mere external compliance with religious laws. He accused them of being more concerned with maintaining their traditions than with genuine righteousness and justice.
2. Misunderstanding of the Scriptures
In John 5:39-40, Jesus reproached the religious leaders for their failure to recognize him as the fulfillment of the Scriptures they studied:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
Jesus implied that their scholarly knowledge of the Torah was incomplete because they missed the central figure—the Messiah—that the Scriptures pointed to.
3. Accusation of Spiritual Blindness
Jesus repeatedly confronted the religious authorities with their spiritual blindness and inability to understand the things of God. In John 9:39-41, after healing a blind man, Jesus said:
“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Here, Jesus highlighted their arrogance and refusal to recognize their need for spiritual insight, which prevented them from understanding his message and identity.
4. Invitation to Faith
Despite his criticisms, Jesus extended an invitation to the religious people to believe in him and enter into a relationship with God. In John 8:24, he warned of the consequences of unbelief:
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
In this passage, Jesus clearly linked salvation and eternal life to belief in him as the Messiah and Son of God.
5. Rejection of Their Authority
Jesus did not shy away from challenging the religious leaders’ perceived authority. In Matthew 21:42-44, he referenced Psalm 118:22-23 to reveal that their rejection of him would lead to their loss of spiritual authority:
“Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
This was a bold statement implying that the religious authorities were rejecting the very foundation of God’s plan of salvation and that the kingdom of God would be given to others who accepted him.
Conclusion
Jesus’ interactions with the religious leaders of his time focused on exposing their hypocrisy, challenging their understanding of the Scriptures, and urging them to believe in him as the Messiah. His message was clear: without true faith in him, their religiosity was empty, and they would miss the kingdom of God. Despite his critiques, Jesus also extended an open invitation for all to believe in him and experience eternal life.
In conclusion
So to answer the most important question, who are the real chosen people? They are anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, anyone who rejects Jesus Christ as the Messiah is not considered the chosen and still on the road to condemnation. It is my prayer that the Jews will read their own prophet’s writing who declared Jesus as the Messiah and come to Christ in these last days.