CHRISTIANITY VS. JUDAISM

0:08 I'll never forget what happened years ago. I was a young guy in my early 20s, and I found myself walking through the lobby of a massive Southern Baptist church in another city. I'm just walking along and looking at all the people exiting and entering this massive facility. I see this lady out of my peripheral vision emerge from the ladies room. She's in her mid-fifties, dressed to the nines, and she's walking, and to my shock and horror, her dress was tucked into her, well, unmentionable. and I watched her just parading through the lobby.

1:09 I had two options. The first was just to laugh and to roll my eyes, which I'm in church. I did. I did. But the second option was the best option. I should have tracked down another woman because it would have been inappropriate for me to do so, but I should have tracked down another woman and just said to her, hey, would you mind walking up to that lady and telling her she has a major wardrobe malfunction going on? I should have done that. But I didn't. I watched the woman walk into this massive worship center and who knows what happened.

2:04 why don't I tell you that story I tell you that story because I'm afraid many many many are parading through the lobby of life when it comes to world religions with a wardrobe malfunction I'm afraid as I as I think about Judaism and Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism and Mormonism I'm afraid a lot of those adherents are standing in the lobbies of life with their clothes tucked into their unmentionables. So when I thought about that situation, I mean, I said to myself, somebody has got to say something, you know? I mean, someone should have said something to this lady.

3:03 And somebody, when it comes to the world religions, somebody has to say something. It's interesting to me. It's shocking that people don't talk about the world religions a lot. I think it's great to talk about them. I welcome it. I love doing it because Christianity stands up to any scrutiny, anything you can throw at it. It does. And when I talk over the next several weeks about these world religions, please, please, please don't get chippy. Sometimes, you know, Tom Brady uses that phrase all the time. They're getting chippy out there. Anyway, that means like, you know, what do you mean by that? You know? I'm not jamming Jews.

3:57 Muslims Buddhists Hindus or Mormons I'm not those people matter to God they should matter to us what I am doing is I am dissecting from an objective standpoint the religions compared to Christianity so I decided to call this series I'm not religious that sounds even sacrilegious to say that doesn't it but I'm not religious. And as a Christ follower, you can own this phrase. You're not religious either. Jesus had one thing to say about religion. He was against it. What is religion? Religion is a man-made system of do's and don'ts in order to appease a holy God. Yet the issue is we never really jump through enough hoops to appease God. And at the end of the hunt, when our ticket is punched, we kind of cross our fingers and go, well, hopefully I'll get to the other side. You know, I'll be detached or maybe I'll enter nirvana. And I'm not talking about the band.

5:07 Christianity, though, is different. Christianity is not works-based. It's not. It's grace-based. That's why, well, I'll tell you what happened. I was flying back. Lisa and I were flying back. It was Friday. And it just, you know, I enjoy talking. And sometimes I feel like I'm a conversation's best friend. so I I'm just sitting there and and I was studying for this series and I saw this this this guy and he had this book and I thought the book was like a Jewish book so I'm thinking oh this is awesome this guy is studying Judaism and then we can have this you know really good conversation because that's what I'm talking about today Christianity versus Judaism that'll be interesting So I said, excuse me, is this like a Jewish book?

6:09 He goes, no. Oh, well. He goes, why do you ask? I said, well, I ask because I'm talking about world religions. He goes, really? So we started talking about it. And then his friend kind of chimes in. And I have a really loud voice. And I sometimes wonder when I'm talking on airplanes, people are going, who in the world is this crazy guy? you know? And I'm talking about, you know, we're talking about religion, this and that. And so, so this, this one guy goes, yeah, you know, I put into chat GPT, uh, uh, what is the right in the correct world religion? And he was talking about this and the other guy goes, well, you know, I, I am a Christian now. And he said, Christianity is a gift. I said, you're exactly right. This is while we're at, you know, whatever, 38,000 feet. And, and, um, his, his friend goes, wow. And I said, Hey, you know, uh, he asked me about Islam. And I said, you know, I interviewed somebody on my podcast, David Nasser. He goes, you have a podcast. I go, well, yeah, I do. And, and I told him how to check the podcast out. So, so basically I just said this, I go, guys, here's what I would tell you.

7:24 Here's the net effect of everything we're talking about. Religion is spelled D-O. Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. The work has been done. I said, basically, religion is this building project where man tries to build a bridge to God, but the bridge never gets to God. Christianity, on the other hand, is God building a bridge from his side, from the divine side to mankind.

7:56 It's critical though, friends, that we understand world religions and understand, I don't mean the subtle nuances and everything, but it's critical that we understand just the basic differences between Christianity and the world religions. People tell me all the time, and in fact, one of my friends on the plane even said this, he goes, you know, I really kind of feel like all religions are the same. And I said, you know, I understand where you're coming from. I do. But I said, that's not really accurate. Because when you study the world religions, you're going to see they are distinctive. They're different. And especially Christianity, especially Christianity. It's the only grace-based faith system out there. And it stands on history and it stands on reliability. So again, you can throw anything and everything you want to throw at it.

8:53 It will stand and it has stood and will stand forever and ever. So when you talk about all of the world religions, there's no doubt about it. Christianity and Judaism are the most alike. And I'm sure you're like, oh yeah, okay. If you think about just some of our similarities, for example, think about the Old Testament. We both believe in the Old Testament. Think about the transcendence and holiness of God. We would, okay, yeah, yeah.

9:33 Our moral code, okay, yeah. eternity, afterlife, heaven and hell. Jews and Christians would, yeah, we would not in agreement with that. Our roots are Jewish. We have a Jewish savior. The disciples were Jewish. This book was written by Jews most. And, and, and, and so we, we, we have this, this whole Jewish thing going on. So that's one of the many reasons why we should love Jewish people, which we do and honor and support the nation of Israel. They're God's chosen people. And, and out of that, out of the, the, the Jews, we see, of course, our savior, Jesus Christ. Romans chapter one, verse 16, you'll see it there. It says for I am Paul's talking about this, not ashamed of the gospel. What's the gospel? The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, because it's the power of God that brings salvation to, say it with me, everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. So people are saved because of the new covenant.

10:51 People are saved, Jews and Gentile alike, by grace through faith. We're saved because of what Jesus did for us. In John chapter four, verse 22, salvation, the Bible says, is from the Jews. So you can see this Jewish thing we have going on. But we part ways with Judaism when it comes to the person of Jesus Christ. That's the defining line in the sand. We believe that Jesus was and is the Messiah. The Jews don't believe that. What I would challenge you to do is to engage in conversation with Jewish people. Pray for them.

11:47 resource them strategically. Well, what do you mean by resourcing them? Well, I'm talking about, I don't know. You don't know every single answer that someone might have. Give them a book. If they're a sincere seeker, give them, I tell you the great book that's been written recently by Lee Strobel called The Case for Christ. Give them that and it will literally rock their world. So we, we, we can't separate ourselves from the Jews. We're Judeo Christians. In fact, if you want to get historical for a second, not hysterical in the first century, there was an argument whether you could be a Christian and, and, and, uh, not even be a Jew. I mean, I was like, you have to be right.

12:46 You have to be a Jew to be a Christian. That was like a big debate back in the first century. So that just shows you our Jewish roots. But sadly, the Jews have missed the rose of Sharon, which grows from the root to the branch, which the rose of Sharon being Jesus. so I would just define Judaism basically as being incomplete like this outfit I have on how do you like these pants you like those yeah they're okay and I have the shirt on but this is part of a suit it's part of the suit here's the rest of the suit right here Thank you. It's coming together now, isn't it? Okay.

13:46 Okay. Now this tie. Got it tight under pressure. I got a great story. I've got stories about, you know, I love fashion. I've got great stories about all my clothes. This tie right here, a friend of mine bought that for me and I wore it the first day we opened this building in 1998. Yeah, a little bit of trivia. Can he tie the knot under pressure? You got to put a dimple in it. Now, it's more difficult to button this now, as I've gotten older, I have a little bit of that.

15:07 So if we have a cosmetic surgeon here, I'm going to get that taken care of. So if you come see me after the service, I'd appreciate it. So. People sometimes ask me, hey, is it biblical to have cosmetic surgery? Does your wife wear makeup? do you brush your teeth did you wear braces i mean come on where are we gonna you don't believe some of the questions i've gotten i got that question though when i was first a pastor seriously it's crazy crazy crazy now this outfit is complete hopefully it looks okay i can't see myself i just described to you the difference i just showed you the difference between Judaism and Christianity.

16:05 Judaism is part of the suit. Christianity is the coat and Jesus ties every single thing together. That's the difference. That's the difference. So we come to Palm Sunday. Today is Palm Sunday. Did you know that? And Palm Sunday is the day when you have this contrast between Christianity and Judaism. When you look at the text, it doesn't seem obvious, but it's subtle, and the more you study it, you're like, oh, maybe it is obvious. On Palm Sunday, Jesus is making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 2.5 million people were there. It was during Passover. It was on Nisan 10, the Hebrew calendar, And if you go back 1,500 years from this instance, that is when God's people picked the unblemished lamb for sacrifice.

17:12 So all of these things were happening. Jesus fulfilled over 350 prophecies. Yet the Jewish people missed it. They missed it. It's interesting. when you talk to Jews and I have a lot of Jewish friends. In fact, some of the best Christians I know are Jews who've given their life to Christ. They're completed Jews. But it's interesting of all the different world religions and things, my Jewish friends, if you just meet someone Jewish, they'll go, I'm Jewish. and most Jews don't even know what it means to be a Jew clueless oh yeah my mother and father are Jewish and they know just enough to be dangerous just enough to tip their hat at the high and holy days and that's it but once you get them to think objectively and engage. Once you throw down a book like the case for Christ, and as they see the difference that Jesus makes in your life and mine, I'm telling you, amazing things will take place. So in this text, Luke chapter 19, Jesus is playing chess and everybody else is playing, well not checkers they're playing candy land here's some of the contrasts between christianity and judaism from this palm sunday account remember jesus is on the back of a cult on the back of a donkey which is a paradox the king of kings and lord of lords the righteous one, the holy one, the clean one on the back of a dirty, unclean animal. I mean, conquerors would roll into J-Town on the back of war horses and chariots. Not a donkey yet. Yet he's riding a donkey and the disciples are throwing coats on the back of the donkey and in front of him. And

19:24 They're waving the palm branches, Palm Sunday. And here's the first difference we see between Christianity and Judaism. Are you ready for it? Judaism is waiting on the Messiah. Christianity announces the Messiah. I've flown a lot through Atlanta airport. Back when I lived in the South, the joke used to be, you can't get to heaven until you first of all go through Atlanta airport. I was on one of the trams back in the day. And it was one of the first trams I remember taking you from terminal to terminal. And I used to love what the announcer would say on the tram. This train is now leaving the station. please hold on you'd watch people you know kind of roll up you could tell they missed the train how would I describe Judaism the train has left the station how do I describe Christianity we've boarded the train but we're not holding on Jesus is holding on to us. But here's the good news. The tram is still running. The Jews still have time to come to Christ. Most Jews, though, are secular at best. They are not religious.

20:59 They're not. Some are, but some aren't. And when you began to ask them about Jesus, all they'll do is parrot a couple of things they've heard maybe a random rabbi say, and that's pretty much it. They've never really done the work. They've never taken the deep dive. So I want to challenge you to be that conduit, or maybe you're a Jew and you're here. I'm telling you, you have such a great capacity for God. Give your life to Christ. It's going to be a completion. It'll be a fulfillment. He'll tie everything together. But here's what else about this text that I've found interesting, paradoxical. Again, Palm Sunday. It was a parade on one hand, but a funeral procession on the other. So it was a parade on one hand, a funeral procession on the other because Jesus knew what was before him. He was going into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. People were celebrating him at this moment.

22:08 He knew though he was going to the cross. Powerful stuff. And that brings us to the second contrast between Judaism and Christianity. Judaism focuses on the law. Christianity focuses on the one who fulfilled the law. The Pharisees, we're gonna hear about them in a second. They had like 618 laws that they enforced. I mean, these guys were tough. They were the religious intelligentsia. They were kind of like religious lawyers. They were like lawyers on peptides, you know? They were tough. You didn't wanna mess with the Pharisees. And the Pharisees were always after Jesus, always, always, always, always. They didn't get it. They saw rules. They saw regulations. They saw do this and you can't do that. They didn't get the fact of grace and mercy. So Jesus did, ladies and gentlemen, fulfill the law perfectly. We just came off of a series, the 10 commandments. Well, Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly. You'll hear me say all the time, Jesus lived righteously as part of the gospel perfectly. He batted a thousand at the moral plate.

23:29 He died sacrificially for the sins of the world, but it doesn't stop there. He rose, number three, bodily. I say that because it's theology and it's Bible, and it's very important for us to understand that. So you have the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. And the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. I'm talking about Jesus. So every page of the Bible, you find Jesus. Ladies, just picture yourself for a second as a single woman. Can you do that? picture this guy you're dating handsome debonair very successful picture yourself at a romantic restaurant and now picture him taking out a ring box from tiffany's and placing it on the table he's gone out and bought you a 10-carat diamond ring.

24:46 I Googled it, and I think it's like between $500,000 at least and a million dollars. So he slides that box across the table to you. You know, you're a mess. But something strange happens. You don't open the box. You take the box, put it in your purse, you go home and just place it there on your vanity. Oh, you make sure the box is clean and shiny and it looks great. but you never open it. You never wear the 10 carat diamond ring. the Old Testament is the box.

25:45 Judaism is the box. Jesus is the 10-carat diamond ring. Open the box and put the ring on. Put the ring on. Judaism and Christianity. Yeah, we have some similarities, but you see already some of the differences. Judaism is waiting on the Messiah. Christianity announces the Messiah. Judaism focuses on the law. Christianity focuses on the one who fulfilled the law. Judaism sees, this is the third one I want you to notice, very quickly, the city geographically, Christianity sees the heart compassionately. Again, as I'm flying over this text, you have Jesus coming into town on the back of a donkey. You have his disciples cheering for him, celebrating him.

26:44 Then you have some of the people, the Pharisees, as I talked about, they tried to tamp, they tried to mitigate, they tried to silence the worship of God's people. The spirit of the Pharisees will always try to squelch worship and the celebration of the things of God. Yesterday, we had a men's gathering here and one of our pastors, Brad Hughes, did a wonderful job talking about worship and how we're made for worship and how men can lead out in worship. And it's so interesting, the juxtaposition between you've got celebration and you've got worship from the followers At the same time, you've got these Pharisees totally throwing shade and hate on what God was doing. And sadly, a lot of that is going on today in our culture, isn't it?

27:48 The spirit of the Pharisees trying to squelch the thing of God. here's another one number four judaism waited for peace christianity receives peace in the person of jesus christ isn't that interesting because if you think back to this mentality they were thinking okay the messiah i mean the jews were saying this the messiah is going to be a conqueror. He's going to be like a militaristic leader and all of that in a bag of chips, you know, as we say. Yeah, that's what he's going to be. Yet they missed the fact that the peace was not peace with Rome. It was peace internally, peace within our hearts. And there's no way we can experience peace with God until we have the peace of God. And that again is what Jesus was driving at. He's playing chess. They're playing Candyland. Peace is reconciliation with God. And that is what Jesus did on the cross. So see, yeah. So see.

29:10 On one hand, this was a coronation, but watch this. But in reality, it was a confrontation. Jesus knew what was in play, and the others didn't know it. In Luke chapter 19, 42, if you'd known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace, but now they've been hidden from your eyes. Jesus was saying, you just don't, you don't understand. And that brings us to the fifth contrast between Christianity and Judaism. Judaism missed the visitation. Christianity lives by recognition. And you'll see here in the last verse, verse 44, Jesus talks about his visitation. It's like, I'm here, you know, and you didn't even recognize me. Luke 19, 44, you did not recognize the time of your visitation. So what we can do is we can be close to Jesus in proximity, yet miss him. And we don't want to miss the Lord Jesus, do we?

30:27 Years ago, Lisa and I were speaking out on the West Coast. And we were staying at this really nice hotel and the people put us up there and we were going to meet some of the leaders for a dinner. So I got ready faster than Lisa and so I said I'm going to go down to the lobby and she goes okay I'll be just right behind you. So I walk into the lobby of this hotel kind of looking around see a group of bros they were standing there and I gave him the bro nod they're like smile nice it's just bros straight up bros most of them on TRT you can tell you know it was natural man okay Lisa walks in the lobby.

31:35 About two minutes later, she walks up to me. She goes, honey, do you know who you're standing with? No? I'm just a bunch of bros. That's Prince William.

31:56 Oh my gosh. Because he walked out with his bros, his bodyguards. It was Prince William. I didn't recognize him. I'm an idiot. that was kind of what was going on there i mean here you have jesus coming to town people praising him the pharisees trying to squelch him then jesus says you know if if if you squelch my boys the rocks will cry out the creation will cry out and you're and you're and you're giving me this. So, so Jesus is here. Every time the gospel is preached, there is a visitation. Every time the Holy Spirit convicts and moves, there is a visitation. Every time we're worshiping, there is a visitation, visitation, visitation.

33:00 so Judaism missed the visitation Christianity lives by recognition the last one you thought I'd never get there but here I am Judaism is centered on what men must do and Christianity on what has been done Judaism is centered about what men must do Christianity is centered on what Christ has done So it's the do and the done situation. And you'll see us coming back to that time and time and time again when we talk about the world religions. Do, done, do, done, do, done. But you're gonna see the complexities of the do's of these world religions compared to the just simple and significant and deep, boom, done in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

34:00 I was sitting in a box at the Rangers game and some people from the church invited Lisa and I to attend. And I knew some of the people there, but some of the people I didn't know. And I like baseball okay. I admire it. It's one of the most difficult things to do to hit a baseball. and I was even, this is kind of funny, the chaplain of the Houston Astros for years and didn't even go to the games, but I would go to the clubhouse and preach to them and the team they were playing against. But that's another story. I'm in this box, in this suite, and I love bratwurst hot dogs. I mean, I love those things.

34:51 I eat healthy, but man, you throw a bratwurst my way and I'm, grr, grr, grr, grr. Like a great white shark. Eyes rolled back in my head. So all these people were talking here and there. I'm just like, just slamming those bratwursts. I love those things with mustard, sauerkraut. this lady approaches me and she goes, Ed, um, my husband and I go to fellowship church and we really enjoy it. I said, I appreciate that. she said my my husband's jewish and i think he's on the verge of becoming a christian i put my bratwurst down and i was like you're kidding me she goes yes and he's here but he's afraid if he becomes a christian he'll have to renounce his judaism I said no no no no no you won't she goes why don't you walk up and talk just talk to him and I said no I'm not going to do that I mean when people tell me you need to talk to him or talk to her what I'm not going to do that hey call him I'm not going to do that if the Holy Spirit arranges it to where they come to me or they come to you great but just walk up to someone and say hey here you're a Jew and you like bratwurst too I mean what what I bet you can't eat those can you you know No. But in the sovereignty of God, the Holy Spirit arranges for this guy to walk up to me and we get into this conversation. He just like is sharing about his life. And he talked about the whole Judaism thing.

36:47 And I began to just share the gospel, do, done, and what Jesus accomplished on the cross and is death, burial, and resurrection. And right after I finished saying death, burial, and resurrection, they had all these monitors in the box. The announcer said this, bottom of the ninth, two alps. I looked at him and I said, that's what God is saying to you right now. It's the bottom of the ninth. Two outs.

37:28 What are you going to do? He goes, I want to make this decision to ask Jesus Christ to come into my life. I said, you know what? We can do it right here. He goes, right here? I go, yeah. So we walked over to the back area and we knelt down. And I had the opportunity to lead him, this Jewish guy, into a personal relationship, a personal connection with Jesus Christ. and during the prayer right after he prayed those words the crowd erupted because the rangers won and i said bruce that's his name i said oh there's a much bigger ovation going on now in heaven because you have your name written in the Lamb's book of life.

38:36 Do done. It's the bottom of the ninth. Two outs in many lives here. Isn't it time that you hit your knees? and said, God, have your way in my life.

39:01 Would you pray? Father, thank you for this message. And I want to pray a prayer. And this is kind of the prayer I prayed with my friend Bruce in that box as I led him to Jesus. And if you just say these words with me, only as God leads, just say, God, I admit to you that I'm a sinner, that I've fallen short.

39:29 I admit to you that I've committed all these moral turnovers, and I turn from that, which is repentance, and I turn to you. I believe, God, you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins, to rise again, and right now, I know it's the bottom of the ninth, and two outs. Right now, I ask you to come into my life. Just say, Jesus, come into my life. Jesus, forgive me. Jesus, cleanse me. And the moment, the moment you said that, there is a standing ovation in heaven that will never sit down. Others here during this time of prayer, you're believers, and God has placed someone on your heart and mind who does not know the Lord. and specifically I want to pray for those of us who know so many in the Jewish faith system. I pray that you would give us grace and love. I pray that you would give us the opportunity to resource them, to engage, to get into dialogue and just to see what the Holy Spirit of God will do as they bow their knee and become Christ's followers.

40:45 We give this time to you, and we ask all these things in Jesus' name.