How do you answer someone who says Jesus came to the whole world, not just Israel?
Scripture answers by pointing to Matthew 10:5-6, where Jesus commanded the twelve not to go to Gentiles or Samaritans but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Since Abraham's covenant, God dealt only with His covenant people, Israel, promising them nationhood, land, and the Messiah-King.
Les explains that when people objected during Bible studies in Israel hotels, saying Jesus came to the whole world, he took them to Matthew 10:5-6. There Jesus sent forth the twelve and commanded them, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Les says this is plain and many do not know it is in their Bible. The reason is that from Abraham’s covenant onward, God was dealing only with His covenant people, Israel, in the promise of making them a nation, putting them in their geographical promised land, and one day coming to be their King and Messiah. He then turns them to Ephesians 2 as further proof.
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
More Questions
What do people say when they hear that Jesus only came to the nation of Israel?
People objected to Les's teaching that Jesus came only to Israel, insisting that Jesus came to the whole world, and he answers the objection by pointing to how plainly Matthew 10:5-6 says otherwise.
Why did Jesus send the twelve only to the nation of Israel instead of the whole world?
Jesus restricted the twelve to Israel because ever since Abraham's covenant God has been dealing only with His covenant people, Israel.