Many Jews understandably equate Christianity with Roman Catholicism. When they watch the news at Christmas or Easter, they see people kneeling and kissing the hand of a man in a white robe with a big white hat and a golden scepter—the pope. Then they see people bowing down to graven images of saints and praying to and worshiping Mary. To the Jews, Christianity is therefore a false religion because it directly violates the First and Second Commandments.

No wonder they are reluctant to talk with us. That is why it is important to learn to go through Moses to get to Jesus. Take Jewish people (as you should anyone who is self-righteous) through the Law before you tell them about grace.

Many Jews even equate Christianity with Adolf Hitler—despite the fact that biblical Christianity is soaked in love of humanity, while Hitler’s philosophy was saturated in the blood of pure hatred. Hitler infiltrated the church by installing his own leaders and Nazi “pastors,” then used the church structure to mock the Bible and teach that Jews were “children of the devil.” The Nazi army even had belt buckles engraved with “Gott mit uns” (“God with us”). So in the eyes of many Jews, the evil of Nazism came directly through the Christian church. That is why, when we approach a Jewish person with a New Testament in our hand or a cross around our neck, and sweetly say, “I would like to talk with you about Jesus,” to them we might as well be saying, “Hi, I represent an institution that is filled with pedophiles, bows down to idols, worships false gods, and was responsible for the murder of six million of your Jewish brothers and sisters.”

No wonder they are reluctant to talk with us. That is why it is important to learn to go through Moses to get to Jesus. Take Jewish people (as you should anyone who is self-righteous) through the Law before you tell them about grace.

Leviticus 19:4 Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.