What is a Messianic Jew?

[GeneV]

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

[hupo]

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

Well, I understand what you are saying so for me you worded it pretty well Don't bother with perfect wording, just get your message across in your own words.

There are many Jews who don't follow the rites. Some from lack of knowledge, some from a rebellious spirit. There are even Jews who consider themselves Atheists and Jews at the same time .

Many Jews who were effected by the holocaust (and who wasn't?) turn away from God altogether as a God who "allowed it to happen".

But even so called atheist-Jews still have there male babies circumcised

"Who is a Jew?" has been, and still is, a very controversial issue.

[Guest]

"Who is a Jew?" has been, and still is, a very controversial issue.

God Knows!

"And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD." (Isaiah 66:20)

"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:" (Ezekiel 37:21)

Maranatha!

Love, Joe

[hupo]

"Who is a Jew?" has been, and still is, a very controversial issue.

God Knows!

"And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD." (Isaiah 66:20)

"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:" (Ezekiel 37:21)

Maranatha!

Love, Joe

People have all kinds of theories as to who is a Jew. People are human and can err, but even scripture doesn't make things easy.

Rom 9:6 ".....For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel". Are Jews those descendants of Israel (Yaacov)?

Those who are circumcised? - Muslims circumcise their young too.

They who believe in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob? - So do most Christians.

Those born to a Jewish mother? - King David had Ruth the Moabite in his ancestry line.

Those that belong to the Jewish nation? - What is the Jewish nation?

There are those that say we are Jewish thanks to Anti-semitizm that "makes us special"

So unfortunately, it isn't clear cut and obvious, and if God knows (which I'm sure He does) I will pray He will clear it for me.