“When the days were approaching for His ascension, He STRENGTHENED HIS FACE to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51; my own translation).

Luke borrows the phrase “he strengthened his face” nearly word for word from the Greek translation of Isaiah 50:7. And Isaiah 50:7 appears in one of the most graphically detailed prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering. “I gave my back to scourges, and my cheeks to blows; and I turned not away my face from the shame of spitting: but the Lord God became my helper; therefore I was not ashamed, but I set my face as a solid rock; and I know that I shall never be ashamed” (Septuagint, Brenton Translation, Isa 50:6-7).

Isaiah’s prophecy is so explicit and so incredibly detailed, there can literally only be one person who fits this description: “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. ‘For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again'” (Luke 18:31-33).

Although there are truly some very good reasons why Jewish people do not believe Yeshua is the Promised Messiah (e.g., persecution of the Jewish people in the name of Jesus, non-biblical Christian customs and traditions, etc.), there is ONE REASON which makes all other seemingly justifiable reasons completely unreasonable: the Jewish Scriptures themselves. And this is the only reason to which the God of Abraham will hold us accountable.

“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead'” (Luke 16:29-31).