Judaism in Jesus’ day was in bad shape because of many of its leaders. To anyone God can say, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” like in Matthew 23:33, chances are that things are not only bad, but as bad as they can be in that person’s faith! The Jewish leaders circa A.D. 30 displayed the most evil and wicked hatred of God that, perhaps, the world has ever seen.
Judaism itself, however, in its time, produced reflections on God such as in Psalm 119. Warm and delightful expressions like, “Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it,” vv. 34-35. It was a passionate, vibrant, and expectant faith. It produced a man like Simeon who, on the eighth day of Jesus’ life, was able to recognize Him as the Messiah to come, and to praise his God joyfully at His arrival. See Luke 2:25-32 for the amazing testimony of this godly man.
God never built a dead religion! Men do that daily, but God cannot. He is alive and only the God of the living, Luke 20:38. The New Testament is a greater revelation built on better things than the Old, Hebrews 8:6. It is far superior to the Old Testament, but no less a promise of grace.
God is alive! and those alive in Him will never die. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,” John 5:24.
If your faith is “dead” today, then it is not from God. Seek Christ and you will find life. That’s what Jesus does- He gives life to dead people.
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