Yes—the Jews struggled because they wanted the promised King and Kingdom, but refused to deal with their sin problem through a suffering Redeemer.
Les Feldick teaches that Israel's expectations were centered on the Abrahamic covenant promises—national deliverance from enemies like the Romans and a glorious earthly kingdom. They wanted the King and the Kingdom, but they refused to deal with the sin problem that required a suffering Savior. The humble arrival of Jesus on a donkey's colt rather than a prancing warhorse confused them. Rather than searching the Old Testament, Israel remained in unbelief and rejected their own King.
John 1:11 — States plainly that Jesus came to His own people, the Jews, and they did not receive Him.
Luke 1:72-74 — Shows Israel's Old Testament expectation of deliverance from enemies according to the Abrahamic covenant.
Micah 5:2 — God's Word pinpointed where the promised ruler of Israel would be born.
John's Gospel records the central tragedy of Christ's first coming: 'He came unto his own, and his own received him not' (John 1:11). His own people were the Jews, the covenant nation descended from Abraham. The covenant promise recorded in Luke 1 shows what Israel expected: God would 'perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear' (Luke 1:72-74). The Old Testament also identified where the coming ruler would be born: 'But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting' (Micah 5:2).
Les Feldick explains that everything Jesus did in His earthly ministry was based on the covenant promises God made with Abraham, and those promises were 'Jew only' (Clip 0). Israel expected the mercy promised to their fathers—deliverance from mortal, physical enemies like the Romans—so they could serve God without fear. That was why they longed for a conquering King who would set up the Kingdom. At the same time, Les points to two parallel lines of prophecy running through the Old Testament: the coming of a King and Kingdom, and the coming of a suffering Savior who would solve the sin problem. The Jews of Jesus's day wanted the King and the Kingdom; they did not want to deal with the sin problem because it 'got too close to home' (Clips 1, 2, 6). They expected a royal conqueror on a prancing white steed, but Jesus entered Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey, which 'blew their mind' (Clips 1, 5). Les adds that Israel should have known from the Old Testament that Jesus was the promised King, but they were unbelieving and refused to search the Scriptures. When Herod asked the priests where the King was to be born, they had to look it up in Micah (Clip 7). A few Jews recognized Him and became the elect, but the majority rejected Him and were blinded—the Book says so (Clip 4). Thousands of Jews did embrace Christ early on, but the nation as a whole let the ball drop, and God turned to the Gentiles (Clip 3). Even in all this, Les emphasizes, God is sovereign, yet He never takes away the free will of men and nations; Jesus said, 'You would not' (Clip 5).
Israel longed for deliverance from their physical, mortal enemies under the Abrahamic covenant; they wanted the Romans thrown out and a King to rule over them. They expected a royal, conquering hero on a prancing white steed. Instead, Jesus arrived humbly on the colt of a donkey, and this disappointed and confused them.
Les says the Jews could accept a ruling King, but not a redeeming Savior, because the Savior would force them to confront their sins. It got too close to home. They wanted the King and Kingdom, not a suffering Savior who would deal with sin. That unwillingness was their central problem.
Les says it was in the Old Testament plain as day that a ruler would be born in Bethlehem. When the wise men asked Herod where the King of the Jews was born, the priests had to search the Scriptures to find the answer in Micah. Israel refused to search the Scriptures because they were unbelieving.
Les explains that a few Jews became the elect and recognized Jesus as the Christ, and thousands of Jews followed Him early on. But the vast majority rejected Him, and as the Book says, the rest were blinded. God then turned to the Gentiles, yet Les is careful to say that God's sovereignty never canceled human free will; Israel 'would not' come.
Abrahamic Covenant and Israel's Expectation
Les shows that everything Jesus did in His earthly ministry was under the Abrahamic covenant promises, which were Jew only and included deliverance from their enemies.
The King and the Sin Problem
Israel wanted a King and Kingdom, but refused to deal with the sin problem; they needed a redeeming Savior, and Jesus' arrival on a donkey rather than a warhorse shocked them.
Parallel Prophecies: King and Suffering Savior
The Old Testament carries two lines of prophecy—a King and Kingdom, and a suffering Savior—and the Jews chose the King while rejecting the sin-solving Savior.
Only Jesus Is the Christ
Jews had to recognize Jesus as the only Christ, and although thousands did believe early on, the majority rejected Him and God turned to the Gentiles.
The Blinded Majority
Every Jew longed for the King-Messiah, but only a few recognized Him; the rest who could not believe were blinded, as the Book says.
Humility vs. Expected Conqueror
Jesus came on the lowly colt of a donkey instead of a prancing white steed, yet even so the Kingdom was offered; Israel 'would not,' and God's sovereignty does not override free will.
Why They Did Not Want the Savior
Israel chose the glorious King and Kingdom promise over the suffering Savior because the Savior would make them deal with their sin.
Israel Should Have Known
The Old Testament plainly predicted the King's coming, but Israel refused to search the Scriptures; even the priests had to look up Micah when Herod asked where the King would be born.
John 1:11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
This verse directly states that when the promised King came to the Jewish nation, His own people did not receive Him.
Luke 1:72-74: To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
This is the covenant expectation Israel carried—physical deliverance from their enemies according to God's oath to Abraham.
Micah 5:2: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
God's Word pinpointed the birthplace of Israel's promised ruler, which the priests had to look up when Herod asked.
Israel's covenant promises guaranteed a King and a kingdom of peace and prosperity, with their enemies defeated. Accepting a Savior meant admitting the need for forgiveness through suffering, and that was too close to home for them.
Israel expected a conquering hero on a prancing white steed. Jesus entered Jerusalem on the lowly colt of a donkey, which threw them a curve and made it hard for them to see Him as their conquering King.
Yes. Les notes that thousands of Jews followed Christ early on and archaeology confirms it. But the majority rejected Him, and Scripture says the rest were blinded.
Les describes Israel as letting the ball drop, so God went to the Gentile without them. Yet God's sovereignty never removed Israel's free will—they simply would not come.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Failed to Evangelize the World — Isaiah to Acts