What parallels exist between Ezekiel 3:6 and Jesus' mission to the Jews? Setting the Stage: Ezekiel 3:6 “not to many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.” Jesus Sent First to His Own People • Matthew 15:24: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” • Like Ezekiel, Jesus came speaking the same language, sharing the same culture, and bringing a clear, God-given message. Parallel 1 – Common Language, Common Heritage • Ezekiel ministered in Hebrew to Hebrews; Jesus preached in Aramaic/Hebrew to Jews. • No communication barrier existed, yet the message still met resistance (Luke 4:28-29). Parallel 2 – Hard-Hearted Rejection • Ezekiel 3:7: “But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you.” • John 1:11: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” • Both messengers faced disbelief from the very people most prepared to understand. Parallel 3 – Gentiles Would Have Listened • Ezekiel’s foreigners “would have listened.” • Jesus marvels at Gentile faith (Matthew 8:10; 15:28). • Romans 10:19 echoes this pattern: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation.” Parallel 4 – Judicial Hardening and Prophetic Fulfillment • Ezekiel 3:7-9; Isaiah 6:9-10—hearts hardened as judgment. • Jesus cites the same prophecy (Matthew 13:14-15) to explain Israel’s spiritual dullness. Parallel 5 – Mission Expands Beyond Israel • Ezekiel’s words ultimately reach exiles among the nations (Ezekiel 11:16-17). • After Israel’s rejection, Jesus commissions the gospel to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8). Takeaway God consistently offers truth first where it should be most welcomed, yet He sovereignly uses rejection to open the door of grace far wider than expected. |
    |