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What is Messianic Judaism?
What is Messianic Judaism?
A Publication of Etz Hayim Jewish messianic Ministry 2011
www.etzhayimministry.webs.com
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What is Messianic Judaism?
by Rabbi Loren Jacobs
My name is Rabbi Loren Jacobs. I'm typical of a growing number of Jewish people today. I grew up in a
Jewish home, went to synagogue, and had my bar mitzvah, but I felt that something spiritual was
missing from my life. As a teenager I started investigating Eastern philosophy. When I went to
Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois I studied western philosophy. It was during college that I
started reading the Bible for the first time on my own. Within a very short time my life was completely
revolutionized and hasn't been the same since.
What was it that transformed me? I had a supernatural encounter with the Jewish Messiah. He opened
up a whole new dimension of spirituality to my life that I never dreamed possible. He enabled me to
develop a personal relationship with the God of Israel that is still going strong twenty years later. I
discovered the Messiah, who came to earth 2000 years ago, died in the city of Jerusalem on Passover,
but miraculously came back to life. I encountered Yeshua - Jesus of Nazareth.
Many Jewish people are looking for a deeper sense of spirituality. They are looking for it in all kinds of
places - the occult, psychics, and the new age movement. Maybe that's you - maybe you are searching
for something more. It might come as a surprise to learn that you don't have to leave the realm of
Judaism in order to meet that need.
The following is adapted from Messianic Judaism: Questions and Answers, by David Chernoff. It
answers some of the questions frequently asked about Messianic Judaism. We trust that as you read
this you will better understand Messianic Judaism, the Jewish roots of the Christian Faith, and how
Jewish people who follow Messiah Yeshua remain Jewish.
DEFINITIONS
What is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish people who believe that Yeshua (Jesus' original
name in Hebrew) is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. Yeshua is the most
Jewish of Jews. Yeshua was a descendant of both Abraham and King David, was raised in a
Jewish home and went to synagogue. He perfectly kept the entire Torah (see Galatians 4:4).
He taught that He came to fulfill, not set aside, the Torah (see Matthew 5:17-19). He was a
rabbi who performed unparalleled miracles, bringing great blessing to the nation of Israel. All
His early disciples also lived very Jewish lives. The Messianic movement was entirely Jewish at
its inception, and continued to exist as an authentic Jewish movement for seven hundred
years.
Messianic Jews have not stopped being Jewish. On the contrary, we remain strongly Jewish in
our identity and lifestyle! The Tenach (the Old Testament Scriptures) provides the foundation
of our Jewish Faith, and the New Covenant Scriptures (which were also written by Jews) the
completion of our Jewish Faith. In fact, the Hebrew Scriptures themselves affirm that they are
not complete, and that God was going to make a New Covenant with the Jewish people. The
book of Jeremiah contains this amazing prediction of a New Covenant: "Behold days are
coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke,
although I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "But this is the covenant which I will
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make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord. "I will put My teaching
within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My
people" (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
We believe that the covenant upon which traditional (Rabbinic) Judaism is based is a broken
covenant. There is no Temple and there are no sacrifices by which we can be brought near to
God and experience genuine atonement. Non-Messianic Judaism is based on this broken
covenant which cannot save us. In contrast, we also believe that God already established this
New Covenant by means of Yeshua's death and resurrection. He died and rose again to atone
for our sins, so that we can enter into this new covenant relationship with God. We believe
that Yeshua ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and is coming back to Earth to
reign from Jerusalem over Israel and all the nations of the world. At that time the fullness of
the New Covenant will be realized.
What is the difference between Messianic and Non-Messianic Judaism?
Non-Messianic or Rabbinic Judaism is a religion centered around the teachings and writings of
the non-Messianic rabbis. Its formation began over 1,900 years ago when the Second Temple
was destroyed in 70 AD. Prior to that, "Judaism," or the Faith of the Jewish people, was
centered around the Temple and the sacrificial system, and brought genuine atonement. After
the destruction of the Temple, the non-Messianic rabbis decided to radically restructure
Judaism, substituting synagogues, rabbis, prayers, study and commandments for the Temple,
priests and sacrifices. They also added many of their own laws, rules and traditions. Sadly,
they left us with a man-made religion that is powerless to save us. Today their writings and
commentaries (the Talmud, etc.) form the foundation of traditional (non-Messianic) Judaism.
Rabbinic Judaism consists of several branches: Orthodox (traditional), Chassidic (ultraOrthodox with eastern mystical influences: for example, they believe in reincarnation, which is
a non-Biblical concept), Conservative, Reform (liberal), Reconstructionist (emphasizing Jewish
culture over theology) and Secular Humanistic (denying the existence of God). Very few within
these "Judaisms" are awaiting the Messiah, and those that do are the exceptions. Messianic
Judaism differs from Rabbinic Judaism in that we rely completely on the Scriptures. Our Faith
is the Judaism of the Bible (Biblical Judaism) and is centered on Messiah and the salvation He
brings. We are brought near to God because of the atoning work of Israel's Supreme Rabbi Yeshua, who has fulfilled us as Jewish Believers and fulfilled Judaism itself.
What is the difference between Messianic Judaism and Christianity?
Christianity is faith in Yeshua as primarily expressed by His Gentile followers, and is made up
of many denominations and various doctrines. People who identify themselves as Christians
number over one billion people in the world. For most of the First Century AD, faith in Yeshua
was predominantly Jewish. As more and more Gentiles came into the Messianic Faith however,
some had little understanding or regard for its Jewish roots and God's eternal covenant with
Israel. A "de-Judaizing" process set in, that is, a separation from the Jewish roots of the Faith
and from the Jewish people. This separation eventually led to the formation of a second
branch of Faith in Yeshua that is primarily composed of Gentile Believers, which is known as
"Christianity." While there is only one Faith, and we are definitely one in the Spirit with true
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Gentile Christians, Messianic Jews have our own expression of the Faith. Messianic Judaism
holds that belief in Yeshua is a return to the Jewish roots of the Faith. We observe a Jewish
lifestyle while at the same time maintaining that the only way to be saved and inherit eternal
life is by placing our faith in the atoning work of the Messiah (Romans 11:24-25).
THE ORIGINS OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM
When did Messianic Judaism Begin?
Messianic Judaism is actually 2,000 years old, dating to the time of Yeshua Himself. Yeshua
was Jewish. He was raised in a Jewish home and ministered to Jewish people in the Land of
Israel. His disciples were Jewish. The apostles were Jewish. The writers of the Brit Chadashah
(New Covenant or Testament) were Jewish (with the possible exception of Luke), and for a
time, the Faith was strictly Jewish. By the middle of the First Century AD, there were tens of
thousands of Jewish people who believed that Yeshua was the Messiah (see Acts 2:37-42, 4:4,
21:20).
If Messianic Judaism was strictly Jewish at first, how did Gentiles come into the
Faith?
It was always God's will for the Gentile nations to also receive His Salvation (Isaiah 42:6,
49:6). God told Abraham that through him all the nations of the Earth would be blessed
(Genesis 12:1-3). The Lord set apart the Jewish people to bring the knowledge of God, the
Word of God, and the Savior to the rest of the world. At first the early Messianic Jews did not
understand that this was God's will, and proclaimed the Good News of the Messiah only to
other Jewish people. Ironically, the big controversy in the First Century was not whether Jews
could believe in Yeshua (naturally they could), but whether Gentiles could come into the Faith
without having to "become Jewish!" When Messianic Jews finally understood that salvation
was also intended for the Gentiles, they began to share the Good News with non-Jews as well
as with Jews. As a result, many Gentiles began to come into the Messianic Faith (Acts 15:131).
How did a Jewish movement come to be regarded as so unJewish?
When the early Messianic Jews took the Good News of the Messiah to the Gentiles, a great
number were brought into the Faith. By the end of the First Century AD, the number of Gentile
Believers outnumbered the Jewish Believers. This occurred primarily because there were (and
will always be) far more Gentiles in the world than Jewish people. Through the years, as the
number of Gentile Believers increased, they began to dominate the Faith. As described above,
this "de-Judaizing process" continued until the Gentile branch of Christianity emerged as the
dominant expression of the Faith. Then, in one of the greatest paradoxes in history, it became
alien for a Jew to believe in Yeshua, the King of the Jews!
When did the early Messianic Jews disappear and why?
Messianic Judaism actually continued into the Seventh Century AD, in spite of the many
pressures put upon Jewish Believers to give up their Messianic Faith. First, the rabbis
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pressured Messianic Jews to relinquish their faith in Yeshua as the Messiah. In addition, the
dominant Gentile branch of Christianity pressured Messianic Jews to abandon their Jewishness.
Finally, in the Seventh Century AD, the rise of Islam caused great distress for Messianic Jews.
Despite all this, the real reason for the disappearance of early Messianic Judaism was that
Messianic Jews lost their will to continue against the tide. They lost their "vision" - no longer
regarding it as important to remain Jewish after accepting Yeshua. Consequently, they
assimilated into the predominantly Gentile branch of the Church.
MODERN MESSIANIC JUDAISM
When did the modern Messianic Jewish movement begin?
Though Messianic Judaism as a distinct movement faded from the ancient scene in the
Seventh Century AD, there have always been individual Jewish Believers in Yeshua. Beginning
in the early 1800's increasing numbers of Jewish people began believing in Yeshua. The
modern Messianic Jewish movement came to fruition in the 1960s and 1970s. We believe that
this could mark the beginning of the salvation of the Jewish people in the Last Days (see
Hosea 3:4-5, Joel 2:28-29, Deuteronomy 30:1-5, Romans 11:25-27).
How many Messianic Jews are there?
While there are no concrete figures, it has been estimated by those involved in the movement
(and even by those outside the movement) that there are approximately 40,000 to 50,000
Jewish Believers in the Messiah in the United States and 7,000 Messianic Jews in Israel. There
are approximately 200 congregations in the U.S. and 80 in Israel. The congregations range in
size from ten to several hundred members. The Messianic Jewish movement is also active in
other countries throughout the world.
MESSIANIC TERMINOLOGY
Why do we use the name "Yeshua" more often than "Jesus"? Yeshua never heard the name
"Jesus" in His lifetime! Yeshua is His given Hebrew name! It means "salvation" or "the Lord is
Salvation" (see Matthew 1:21). He was always called "Yeshua," a common Hebrew name at
that time. When Latin speaking missionaries, who called the Messiah "Yesu," brought the Good
News to the British people, "Yesu" became "Jesus" in English.
What does "Christ" mean?
Some people mistakenly believe that "Christ" is Yeshua's last name! Rather, "Christ" is His title
in much the same way as we might refer to a "President" or "King." This title is taken from the
Hebrew word "Mashiach" or "Anointed One," which was translated into the Greek "Christos"
and later anglicized to "Christ." The actual English translation of Mashiach is "Messiah" and
means an anointed, God-appointed leader. Examples of this title in the Tenach are found in
Daniel 9:25 and Psalm 2:2. In the New Covenant, Yeshua claimed the title of Messiah (see
Mark 14:61-62 and John 4:25-26).
Why don't Messianic Jews prefer to call themselves "Christians"?
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What is Messianic Judaism?
The term "Christian" originally meant "follower of the Christ" or "follower of the Messiah." By
itself "Christian" is a good term, and Messianic Jews are Christians. Unfortunately, over time
the term "Christian" came to mean more than simply a "follower of the Messiah." Many people
today have a false dichotomy in their minds, that on the one hand, there are Jews and
Judaism, and on the other hand there are Christians and Christianity, and supposedly you must
choose between the two. Accordingly, when a Jew accepts Yeshua he is thought to have
"switched over" from the Jew-Judaism side to the Christian-Christianity side, and is therefore
no longer regarded as a Jew, but a Christian. For all intents and purposes the term "Christian"
has become synonymous with "non-Jew" or "Gentile." We believe the opposite to be true.
Nothing could be more Jewish than to follow Israel's Messiah! Consequently we choose to call
ourselves "Messianic Jews" which identifies us as Jewish people who follow Messiah Yeshua.
Why do Messianic Jews say they are "completed Jews?"
We believe that Yeshua is the fulfillment, or completion of Biblical Judaism. As Jews, we have
been made "complete" in what the God of Israel intended for us, that is, we have come to
trust in Yeshua as our atonement for sin and have been brought into a personal relationship
with God Himself. Yeshua never intended to start a new religion; He came to fulfill the Law
and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, how could we, as Jewish people who
acknowledge the Jewish Messiah, become non-Jews? On the contrary, we believe that Yeshua
has fulfilled our Jewish heritage. We have not "converted" to another faith, but we have been
completed, because we have found true Biblical Judaism through the Messiah. Since Jesus is
the Messiah, then believing in Him is the most Jewish thing a Jewish person can do! The
Jewish identity of many Messianic Jews has been strengthened, not lessened, by their faith in
Messiah. Many can claim that Jesus made them kosher!
If I'm Jewish and believe in Yeshua, will I stop being Jewish?
No, you won't! If you are Jewish, it is because God made you a Jew and no one can ever
change that. Since Yeshua is the Messiah, then believing in Him is the most Jewish thing that
you could do! Faith in Yeshua is kosher, no matter what men (even a majority of men) may
say, because truth is determined by God - not by a majority vote! In fact, in every generation
it has always been the minority of Jewish people who had true faith in God. The majority
almost always went astray (as examples, see Numbers 14:1-10, Exodus 32:25-26, Romans
11:2-10).
MESSIANIC JEWISH LIFESTYLE
What is the importance of Messianic Congregations?
Messianic congregations or synagogues are the heart of the movement, and the center of
Messianic community life. A Messianic synagogue is where we can gather to express our faith
in Yeshua, live and raise our children in a Jewish lifestyle, and worship the God of Israel in a
Jewish manner with others of like faith. Just as Messianic Judaism is not new, neither are
Messianic synagogues new. From Biblical and historical records we know that there were
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Messianic synagogues throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, as early as 50 AD (James
1:1, 2:2, Hebrews 10:27).
Do Messianic Jews celebrate the Jewish holidays and, if so, why?
Most Messianic Jews celebrate the Biblical holidays such as Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost),
Rosh HaShana (the traditional Jewish New Year, but actually the Feast of Trumpets), Yom
Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), Chanukkah (the Feast of
Dedication) and Purim. We celebrate the holidays because it is written in the Torah for Israel
to observe these festivals forever (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14). Yeshua observed
these festivals, as did the early Messianic Jews and apostles such as Rabbi Paul (Acts 20:16,
27:9, 1 Cor. 16:8). We also believe that when Messiah Yeshua returns to Earth, some of these
holidays will be re-established worldwide (Zechariah 14:11-21). When Messianic Jews
celebrate the holidays, we do so with the understanding that Yeshua is the fulfillment of each
of them. For example, He is our Passover Lamb who died on Passover. He is the Firstfruits of
the resurrection, who came back to life on the holiday of Firstfruits. He is our Atonement on
Yom Kippur, etc.
Do Messianic Jews believe they should keep the Law of Moses?
Yes and no! The Torah (or Law of Moses) is composed of 613 commandments. They include
the holidays, sacrifices, kosher laws, the Ten Commandments, etc. As Messianic Jews, we
recognize that one cannot be saved through the Law because the covenant upon which much
of the Torah is based is a broken covenant. There is no Temple and therefore no sacrifices by
which we may draw near to God and obtain eternal life. While the Law cannot save us, it
nevertheless is extremely valuable. It guides the life of the Jewish people. It teaches us the
right way to live. The early Messianic Jews had a favorable view of the Law, and were zealous
to live accordingly (see Acts 21:20-26).
Can Gentiles be members of a Messianic Synagogue?
Most Messianic congregations do have non-Jewish members. To be a member of a Messianic
synagogue, a Gentile Believer should have a burden and love for the Jewish people, an
understanding of what God is doing with the Jewish people, and have a "Ruth-like" calling to
the Chosen People. That does not mean that they need to live exactly like Jewish people. The
book of Acts records that Messiah's Emissaries (the Apostles) and the Elders of the Messianic
Community met to decide Gentile Believers' relationship to the commands of the Torah. This
meeting, recorded in Acts 15, is often referred to as "the First Jerusalem Council." The binding
decision of the Emissaries and Elders, guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, was that, apart
from saving faith in Messiah Yeshua, only four things are obligatory for Gentile Christians to
observe (see Acts 15, especially verses 19-20, 28-29).
I would also include obedience to the Moral Law - laws such as not murdering, lying, stealing,
or committing adultery. These are moral laws which God has written on everyone's heart (see
Romans 2:14-15). If a Christian wants to observe a Biblical holiday or custom, there is the
freedom to do so, but there is no obligation to do so. The operative principle is that of
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freedom. If a Christian says, "Messiah is my Passover and I don't need to celebrate a Passover
Seder" - that's OK. If someone else says, "I want to celebrate the Passover and better
remember Messiah my Passover Lamb" - that's fine too. There are, in fact, many principles for
godly living that may be applied from the Torah to the life of the Christian. Torah means
"teaching" or "instruction," and it still serves as a teaching guide for Messiah's Holy Community
of Jews and Gentiles (the Church). If I can summarize the Gentiles' relationship to the Torah, I
would say that all that is necessary for Gentiles is to have faith in Messiah Yeshua, which alone
saves us. Then there are the four basic requirements in Acts 15, along with the moral
requirements of the Law already written on everyone's heart. Anything beyond these
requirements is optional.
Are Messianic Jews Zionists?
Most Messianic Jews support Israel. We support Israel not only because we believe Jewish
people need a national homeland, but also because we believe the re-establishment of Israel
is a direct fulfillment of ancient Biblical prophecies (Ezekiel 36:24, 37:1-14). We know that
Israel is not a perfect nation, but believe that God's hand is behind Israel. We think that all
Believers should support Israel, because God promised Abraham: "I will bless them that bless
you, and curse them that curse you" (Genesis 12:3).
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YESHUA IS THE MESSIAH?
The prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures assure us that Yeshua is the Messiah. God wanted us
to be able to recognize the Messiah when He came:
• The Messiah had to be born in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:1-2). See Matthew 2:1-6,
Luke 2:1-20.
• The Messiah would be more than a man. He was to be God in human form (Isaiah 9:67, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Psalm 110:1, Proverbs 30:4). See John 1:1, 20:28, Hebrews 1:8.
• The Messiah had to come before Jerusalem was destroyed the second time, which took
place in 70 AD (Dan. 9:24-27). See Luke 1:5, 2:1-7.
• The Messiah had to be a direct descendant of King David, a member of the royal family
of Israel (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 9:6-7). See Matthew 1.
• The Messiah was to be tried and unfairly condemned, even though He was perfectly
innocent (Isaiah 53:8). See Matthew 27:1-2, Luke 23:1-25.
• The Messiah would die to make atonement for the sin of Israel and the world (Is. 53:56, 8, 10-12, Dan. 9:24-27, Zech. 9:9, 12:10, Psalm 16:10, 22). See John 1:29, 11:4952, 1 Cor. 15:53.
• The Messiah was to be a light to the nations so that God's salvation could reach the end
of the Earth (Isaiah 49:6). Yeshua is the most popular, the most studied and the most
influential figure in the history of mankind. He is the most famous Jew who ever lived:
more famous than Abraham, more famous than Moses, more famous than king David or
any of the prophets, more famous than Freud or Einstein! If people throughout the
world know about Israel, or pray to the God of Israel, or read the Holy Scriptures of
Israel, it is because of Yeshua. No Jewish person should be indifferent to the fact that
this Jewish man should have had such a tremendous part in the history of mankind.
The love He has inspired, the comfort He has given, the good He has engendered, the
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•
hope and joy He has kindled are unequaled in human history. He truly has become the
light of the world!
The Messiah would rise from the dead (Isaiah 53:8-12, Psalm 16:10, 118:21-24,
Zechariah 12:10). The New Testament records that, after His death and resurrection,
Yeshua appeared to a wide variety of Jewish people, in varying numbers, and under
varying circumstances. He appeared to Miriam (John 20:11-18), to some other women
(Matthew 28:8-10), to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34), to two on the road to Emmaus (Luke
24:13-35), to ten of the apostles (Luke 24:36-43), to all eleven apostles eight days later
(John 20:24-29), then to seven by the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee - see John 21:1-23).
Yeshua appeared to five hundred people at once, most of whom were alive and could
verify the event when the New Testament was written (1 Cor. 15:6)! Yeshua appeared
to His brother James, who became the leader of the Jerusalem Congregation (1 Cor.
15:7), and to Rabbi Paul of Tarsus, who became better known as the apostle Paul (Acts
9:1-16). Since the First Century there have been millions of people, both Jews and
Gentiles (including some of the greatest thinkers, philosophers and scientists), who
have claimed to have encountered the resurrected Yeshua. What transformed all of
these people? Only one explanation makes sense - He is alive today!
Yeshua's resurrection makes Him absolutely unique in the history of the world and puts him on
a level far higher than any of the prophets of Israel or any other religion or any philosopher.
Buddha is still in his tomb. Mohammed is still in his grave. Confucius is still dead. Marx, Lenin
and Freud are still in their graves. Only Yeshua has been raised from death! Since God would
never allow a liar, a deceiver, or a false Messiah to be resurrected, Yeshua's resurrection
validates His person, His ministry and His message. His resurrection is God's seal of approval
on everything that Yeshua did and taught, and God's declaration to the world that Yeshua is
Messiah and Savior of mankind. Therefore, we ought to pay attention to every word He
uttered, since He spoke the truth without any error.
History tells us that only one man - Yeshua of Nazareth - fulfilled these prophecies and many
others. No other man in history even comes close. The probability that one person could fulfill
all these prophecies by chance is infinitesimally small. There is only one rational conclusion:
Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel whom the prophets told us to expect.
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