1 Corinthians 1:23 says that Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews. That indeed was the stumbling block put forth in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. For example, Peter says in Acts 2:36, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” In response to the message of the Messiah crucified for their sins, Jews either repented and believed or rejected it. Thus Peter writes elsewhere, “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and, ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall’” (1 Pet 2:7-8, NIV). Moreover, this was intentional by God: “And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isa 8:14). It was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) to make the cross a stumbling block to unbelieving Israel.
Unfortunately, throughout church history Christians have put before the Jews other kinds of stumbling blocks. An obvious one is persecution. Anyone unfamiliar with the deplorable history of Christian persecution against Jews ought to acquaint themselves. Another stumbling block is theology that makes such persecution conceivable to Christians to begin with. Supersessionism, also known as replacement theology, which views the Christian church as replacing Israel in the plans and purposes of God, is the classic culprit. Such a delegitimization of Israel’s place in the Scriptures cannot and should not be accepted by Jews whose identity and history as a people have been so deeply shaped by God’s special calling upon them. Another kind of theological obstacle is the revision of Jewish promises. Throughout history Christians have had the habit of spiritualizing, de-ethnicizing, and relocating promises regarding the nation of Israel, the land, the throne of David, the kingdom of God, and related concepts such that they find fulfillment in someplace other than the Israel to whom those promises were given, whether it be heaven, the state, the church, the person of Jesus, the activity of the Spirit, or people’s hearts.
These are the wrong stumbling blocks to put before Jews. They bring disrepute to the Christian witness and obscure the real issue that God wishes to highlight. The sharp edge of our message to the Jews is not the changing of Israel’s election and promises; rather, we uphold and honor their place in redemptive history and the heart of God while boldly proclaiming Messiah crucified for our sins.