Why does Jesus say only to speak to the Jews?

Answer 1

Because Jesus' message was only for the Jews. Jesus, in Matthew 15:22-26, speaks to a woman who is apparently a Gentile. She has a demon and wants relief. Jesus basically tells her in verse 26, it is not meet to take the children's (Jewish people) bread and to cast it to the dogs. The woman persists in 27 that even the dogs eat of the crumbs. Jesus relents and heals her. Matthew 15:24 makes it clear Jesus came to save the lost sheep of Israel. Also in Matthew 10:5-10, Jesus makes it clear to his disciples to go not into the way of Gentiles or Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. In the last chapters of the four Gospels, someone contradicted Jesus and added in to preach the Gospel to the world. This was likely the Catholic priest Jerome, whom translated text from Greek to Latin when he produced the Vulgate, circa 400 CE.

Answer 2

According to The Bible and from a Christian point of view: God had a purpose for establishing a nation with written rules and guidelines that were to be a people devoted to him. The nation was to come from Abraham's offspring as a reward for his faith. Abraham was willing to give up his son because God had asked him and that foreshadowed the ransom that God would provide for all humans. God promised Abraham that the savior of mankind (Jesus Christ) would come from this nation. Once Jesus died living completely faithful to his heavenly father, he redeemed mankind and the lesser animal sacrifices were no longer needed. God also fulfilled his vow to Abraham by raising Jesus and making him the king indefinitely.

It was at this point that a person from any nation putting faith in Jesus could benefit from that ransom. A few things that the nation of Israel taught us were: 1. Humans are imperfect and constantly need to repent and seek forgiveness. Hence all the animal sacrifices that led up to the ultimate sacrifice provided by God when he gave his own son. 2. It showed the blessings of listening and following God's commandments. 3. It showed that rebelling against God is not in your best interests. 4. It showed that God has the ability and power to accomplish what he intends to do. 5. It showed his patience in dealing with people. There are many other lessons that can be learned from study of the Israelites and their relationship with their God.

Answer 3

Either God communicated with the Israelites alone because he for some reason favoured them above all other peoples, or God was actually the special creation of the Israelites. If a culture develops a religion, it would naturally believe that its special God favours the people of that culture above all others.

Answer 4

The premise of the Question is incorrect. Jewish tradition states that the non-Jews also had prophets; these include Balaam, Beor, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu (Talmud, Bava Bathra 15b). However, the relatively large number of Israelite prophets was because of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Israelites' receiving and fulfilling God's Torah. Shortly after the First Destruction (when their spiritual level had declined somewhat), prophecy ceased.

See also the Related Links.

Link: Purpose of the Prophets
Link: Fulfilled prophecies

Answer 5

When Jesus was preaching, he viewed himself as a Reformist Rabbi within Judaism and did not see himself as being relevant to the whole world. It was only after his death that the Early Church argued that he came to save everyone, both the Jew and the Gentile.