Matthew 10:5
5 Yeshua
instructed these twelve as he sent them out: "Do not go into the territory of
the gentiles; and do not go into any city of the Samaritans.
6 Go, rather, to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
7 As you go, proclaim: The kingdom of Heaven is near.
In the first century
there was no doubt about who he was referring to. The northern kingdom is often
referred to as the "Lost" Ten Tribes. Also, in prophecy the
"House of Israel" and the "House of Judah" are the northern
and southern kingdoms. He is not ambiguous. By saying that he only came for the
"the lost sheep of the House of Israel" means that he did not come for
the Jews and he did not come for the Gentiles.
A great rabbi known
as Malbim from the 1800’s writes:
A transformation
will take place. The Ten Tribes and the stick of Joseph will draw themselves
closer unto the stick of Judah, and this too, will be through the agency of a
Prophet and by miracles.
In the first
century, as people in the
society around them began to speculate on the
miracles that he performed, many people believed that Yeshua was the Messiah.
John 7:31-35
31 And many of
the people believed on him, and said, “When Messiah comes, will he do more
miracles than these which this [man] has done?”