What is a Messianic Jew?

[seraph]

These questions were asked by a chatter who cannot post on the boards but sincerely wants answers; I am posting them for the chatter in hopes that some Messianic Jews can explain:

If a Jew follows Christ, wouldn't he be a Christian and not a Jew... and if still a Jew, how could he hold to all the Jewish tradtions? And why would they continue to call themselves Jewish instead of celebrating their Christian faith?

[WayneB]

I think the answer is found in Acts 15 where the Council at Jerusalem discussed what should be expected of gentile believers AND in Acts 21 where Paul returned to Jerusalem under a cloud of controversy regarding his perceived departure from the Law and customs of the Jew. What did he do? He joined some of them and underwent purification rites.

Paul never said that the Jew should abandon his customs but rather he taught that they were not a requirement for salvation. Furthermore, those customs and traditions were not meant to be a burden but rather they enhance our understanding of God and His ways. We gentiles may not need to particpate but it would be to our enrichment that we understood them enabling us to place God's word in better context.

[Guest LadyC]

being "jewish" isn't just a reference to religion. jewishness is also a nationality... a race... and messianic jews are jewish people who have recognized that their judaism is incomplete without Christ. they are jewish christians. the "jew" in messianic jew denotes their race.

remember.... Jesus himself was a jew.

[Desert Walker]

Us Messianic Jews are also Gentiles who have a Jewish bloodline on their mother's side. I myself am only about 1/4 Jew, and I am a Heinz 57 American for the most part. But if one has even a drop of Jewsih blood in them, and they are saved in Jesus Christ, they are Messianic Jew.

[sierra21]

Interesting stuff!

I've also wondered about this in the past- thanks for clearing it up!

[Guest shiloh357]

If a Jew follows Christ, wouldn't he be a Christian and not a Jew... and if still a Jew, how could he hold to all the Jewish tradtions? And why would they continue to call themselves Jewish instead of celebrating their Christian faith?

You raise an interesting question. I was talking to someone about this, just today. In the first century, the question was, "how can uncircumcised Gentiles be allowed entrance into the Kingdom of God?" Today, that question has been stood on its head: "How can a Jewish person remain Jewish, but still follow Jesus?"

It is important to realize that the first followers of Jesus were mostly Jewish, and they were Torah observant, Sabbath-keeping, kosher-eating Jewsh people. They viewed the coming of the Messiah as the fulfillment, not the abrogation of their Jewish faith.

It is important also to understand that Messianic Jews (Jewish believers in Jesus) are simply expressing the same faith after a hebraic fashion that nonJewish beleivers express. The term "Christian" is synonomous with the term "Messianic." "Christ" is the anglo/Greek term for the Hebrew word "Messiah."

Being Jewish is not adverse to following Jesus. Jesus was Jewish. He was a Torah-observant Jewish Rabbi. His real name was Rabbi Yeshua ben Yoseph al Natzrat. He was a Rabbi/Carpenter from a small town called Nazereth. He was schooled under other Gallilean Rabbis, and even made several talmudic refrences in the gospels.

Jesus was a Jew's Jew. Being Jewish is a natural expression of faith in Messiah for a Jewish person. All of the festivals, point to Jesus and teach us about Him. So, it is natural for a Jewish expression to celebrate Jesus at Passover, Savuot, and Tabernacles, etc.

[hupo]

If a Jew follows Christ, wouldn't he be a Christian and not a Jew... and if still a Jew, how could he hold to all the Jewish tradtions? And why would they continue to call themselves Jewish instead of celebrating their Christian faith?

You raise very interesting and controversial questions.

I'm an Israeli Jew and would call myself "A believer in Yeshua who is son of God and came to earth to give us salvation through His blood to cleanse us of sin that separates us from God" - except that it's way too long so For short I'm "a messianic Jew".

Mainstream Judaism has it that you cannot be Jew and a Christian at the same time.

I'm a Jew having been born to a Jewish mother.

I'm a Jew by nationality.

I'm a Jew because I was circumcised (ouch!) according to Jewish law.

I'm a Jew since birth but never followed Jewish tradition.

I'm a Jew who till 10 years ago never believed in God, let alone Yeshua.

I'm a Jew who today follows Yeshua, who is a Jew too.

Why "messianic"? - To differentiate from the mainstream Jew.

I believe in Yeshua as the Messiah. Yet I'm not a Christian.

I could go on but to cut a long story short.... I'm a "Messianic Jew" because that is how I defined myself. Just a label.

The label means nothing without substance and the substance doesn't need the label.

But for human beings to relate to each other we need labels and definitions.

I know where my faith lies and that is all that really counts here.

God bless

Edited February 25, 2007 by hupo

[RedeemedByHim]

I agree with all of you. My husband and I love the Jewish people. We have been wanting to go visit a Messianic Jewish service sometime. The Jewish people, even the ones that believe, still have to follow their rites because of them being Jewish. The only one I think that they don't have to is the sacrifice because obviosly Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. All the other things are usually a sign of belief. For example, circumcision was a sign of a covenant that God made with Abraham. Passover celebrates the coming of the Messiah and today they celebrate Jesus as the Passover Lamb. i hope I worded that ok. i am not good at putting my thoughts down on paper err words...I really enjoyed reading all of your posts...thanks

[sierra21]

If a Jew follows Christ, wouldn't he be a Christian and not a Jew... and if still a Jew, how could he hold to all the Jewish tradtions? And why would they continue to call themselves Jewish instead of celebrating their Christian faith?

You raise very interesting and controversial questions.

I'm an Israeli Jew and would call myself "A believer in Yeshua who is son of God and came to earth to give us salvation through His blood to cleanse us of sin that separates us from God" - except that it's way too long so For short I'm "a messianic Jew".

Mainstream Judaism has it that you cannot be Jew and a Christian at the same time.

I'm a Jew having been born to a Jewish mother.

I'm a Jew by nationality.

I'm a Jew because I was circumcised (ouch!) according to Jewish law.

I'm a Jew since birth but never followed Jewish tradition.

I'm a Jew who till 10 years ago never believed in God, let alone Yeshua.

I'm a Jew who today follows Yeshua, who is a Jew too.

Why "messianic"? - To differentiate from the mainstream Jew.

I believe in Yeshua as the Messiah. Yet I'm not a Christian.

I could go on but to cut a long story short.... I'm a "Messianic Jew" because that is how I defined myself. Just a label.

The label means nothing without substance and the substance doesn't need the label.

But for human beings to relate to each other we need labels and definitions.

I know where my faith lies and that is all that really counts here.

God bless

Yes you are right on. A lot of people get hung up on labels. For example a lot of people refer to themselves as "Christian" but don't follow the way of life, and sometimes don't even really believe in Jesus! Weird stuff. You got your head on straight.

[RedeemedByHim]

Yes you are right on. A lot of people get hung up on labels. For example a lot of people refer to themselves as "Christian" but don't follow the way of life, and sometimes don't even really believe in Jesus! Weird stuff. You got your head on straight.