More NT Readng Questions. Did Jesus minister to the Gentiles?

Most of us are Gentiles. A Gentile is simply a person who is not a Jew. Those that are familiar with the book of Genesis know that God founded the nation of Israel from Abraham so that they would be led to understand his ways and in the course of that be a witness to all the peoples of the earth. There were times in the Old Testament that the Jews were told to separate from the other nations that did not serve God and that practiced evil. We are all blessed that we as Gentiles were graphed into the family of God through Jesus. So what did Jesus mean when he said,

Matthew 10:5-8

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^a]">[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. NIV

That sure sounds like Jesus is encouraging the wall to remain up between Jew and Gentile. As Gentiles it can make us feel like...Wow doesn't He care about us? "Go to the lost sheep of Israel" As we put things together by continuing to read the New Testament (and even the book of Matthew) a picture emerges. That is that the gospel, the good news, was given first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Jesus primary ministry was to the Jews to whom the Messiah had been promised to come through. God had made them guardians of His Word (the old Testament) His life was to be a revelation of God's Promise and an opportunity for the Jews to understand and accept God's redemption. He was rejected by His own. (Though keep in mind the first Christians were primarily Jews who had accepted Him as Lord and Savior) The encouraging thing is that as we continue to read Matthew and the rest of the New Testament we see the plan for the Gentiles emerge. We see Jesus healing the Centurion's servant, the Gentile woman's daughter who was bound by an evil spirit, we see the Jesus ministering to the Samaritan at the well. All of these people had faith to see God move in their life and Jesus honored that faith. The book of Acts goes even further as Peter has a vision which opened the floodgate to introducing the gospel to Gentiles. Jesus spoke first to His people the Jews...but as evidenced by His inclusion of those Gentiles with faith to believe upon him in the gospels we are welcomed into the fold.

Here is a verse that clarifies the fact that Jesus went first to the House of Israel...but that the gospel is for all men.

John 11:49-52

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” ⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.