Messianic Jewish

I don't know if this is where this belongs but I have to have answers.  Can someone talk to me about Messianic Jewish religion?  I am so worried about a family member who is joining this church.   I just don't know anything about it and wonder if anyone here can shed some light for me.

I have had a couple of friends who were Messianic Jews.  Both were born and raised as Orthodox Jews and came to accept Jesus as their Savior.   IMO Messianic Jews have a deeper insight into Christianity than most Christians, because they know the history and how it all falls into place.  One of my dearest friends who was a Messianic Jew and passed away a couple of years ago, taught me so much.  It makes the New Testament come to life when you have a better understanding of the Jewish faith.  The way I look at it is that the Jews were God's chosen people, we were grafted into the vine, so I believe it's important to have a better understanding of the Jewish faith and there's no better way to get that than listen to a Jewish person who has accepted Christ.

Thank you!  I have been reading a lot about it but was confused by some of it.

May I ask what confused you?

hmm, this is odd...my first reply has gone missing

Here's some links that may help you.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Messianic-Judaism.html

http://shema.com/messianic-judaism/what-is-it/

http://www.messianicjews.info/general/faq.html

http://www.menorah.org/mjews.html

Hope those links help answer some of your questions.  Knowing Messianic Jews and celebrating some of the High Holidays such as Passover with them gives me a better grasp of Christian holidays, like Easter.  Since the first Christians were primarily Jews, the New Testament is easier to understand when you understand the history and traditions of the Jewish people.  At the urging of my dear friend Janice, who was a Messianic Jew and passed away a couple of years ago, I purchased The Complete Jewish Bible.  http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jewish-Bible-OE-David-Stern/dp/1880226480/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371835442&sr=1-2&keywords=messianic+jewish+bible

It has really helped me understand the Bible better.

12acre, please repost. 

I have read many different things while researching and I will read your links as soon as I finish with my post.  They could answer my questions.  I understand that they have accepted Jesus Christ but do they or not follow many of the old testaments laws?  There is where my confusion comes from I guess.

Are you talking about the Levitical laws?  The ones I have known didn't follow Levitical laws, however, they did celebrate the Jewish Holidays.

Yes and that is what I was curious about.  Your links were very informative.

Here's some other links regarding Messianic Jews and Levitical law, or the law of Moses:

http://www.chaim.org/confusion.htm

http://roshpinaproject.com/2010/04/15/are-messianic-jews-commanded-to-keep-kosher/

http://www.menorah.org/mesianic.html

Basically, I believe it's just like Christians in general.  Some believe in pre trib rapture, some in mid trib, some post trib and others in something entirely different.  Some belleve you have to be baptised in water to be saved, some believe you have to recieve the baptism of the holy spirit to be saved and some believe all you need is to confess your sins, repent and accept the gift of salvation.  This is why there are so many Christian denominations these days.  Seems like nothing can be agreed upon.  Some Messiaic Jews believe in keeping some of the laws, such as keeping kosher, others, not so much.  I look at it this way, I believe it's in Corinthians that it tells us that for now we see dimly, as in a mirror.  I don't believe any of us has it 100% right, we're still a work in progress.  As God shows us things we either accept or reject them, but just like a young child is not mature enough to drive a vehicle, as Christians, we aren't mature enough to handle all that God wants to reveal to us.  So, as we grow and learn, we make adjustments to our lives.  Hope that makes sense.

Here's another link I found interesting and informative:


http://www.chosenpeople.com/main/messianic-congregations/messianic-congregations-faq

Sonshine wrote:Here's some other links regarding Messianic Jews and Levitical law, or the law of Moses:

http://www.chaim.org/confusion.htm

http://roshpinaproject.com/2010/04/15/are-messianic-jews-commanded-to-keep-kosher/

http://www.menorah.org/mesianic.html

Basically, I believe it's just like Christians in general.  Some believe in pre trib rapture, some in mid trib, some post trib and others in something entirely different.  Some belleve you have to be baptised in water to be saved, some believe you have to recieve the baptism of the holy spirit to be saved and some believe all you need is to confess your sins, repent and accept the gift of salvation.  This is why there are so many Christian denominations these days.  Seems like nothing can be agreed upon.  Some Messiaic Jews believe in keeping some of the laws, such as keeping kosher, others, not so much.  I look at it this way, I believe it's in Corinthians that it tells us that for now we see dimly, as in a mirror.  I don't believe any of us has it 100% right, we're still a work in progress.  As God shows us things we either accept or reject them, but just like a young child is not mature enough to drive a vehicle, as Christians, we aren't mature enough to handle all that God wants to reveal to us.  So, as we grow and learn, we make adjustments to our lives.  Hope that makes sense.

That is some very good insight right there! This is true with non-Messiaic Jews as well. There are many sects in the Jewish faith today, just like in Bible times, only more so.

One of my best friends is a Jew. He is very un-orthodox, and only follows certin things in the Law and triditions of the Jewish people. He has family in Isreal that live, and worship today just like they did in Bible times. So the field is wide.

Messianic Jews are Jews who except Jesus as the Messiah. I hope and pray that My friend (Daaivd) will except Jesus. I can tell that he has been under conviction for some time now, and I thing he is starting to wonder if it is true. He has started listening to and Audio Bible of the new Testament.

I our friendship I have had the honor of observing some of the Holidays with him, and like Sonshine find that it does bring more meaning to our own Holidays, and Faith. I fact this has been a big part of the way that I have witnessed to him. Disscusing the relationship between his beliefs, and practices with the Christian Beliefs, and practices.

I hope this helps.

God bless,
Chad

P.S. Please remember David in your prayors. He is very close to seeing the light, and we all Know that, that is the time the Devil works on us the hardest.

Chad, I also have a Jewish friend that I have been praying for.  She doesn't really follow the Jewish traditions, with the exception of going to temple on the high holidays.  Have you considered asking him is he would be interested in hearing from Jews for Jesus group?  They are all Messianic Jews.  My friend Diane agreed to hear what they had to say, but never made a decision to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah.

He is iffy about Messianic Jews, I think because he is under conviction, But he does come to Church with me every time he is in town.

I know that my friend, Janice, when she accepted Jesus, her family pretty much disowned her up until she was diagnosed with cancer.  Unlike most of us, it's a real sacrifice for most Jews to accept salvation for this reason.

Ok, after being rudely interrupted by work I see the conversation has moved passed where my comments about messianic Jewish people being very christian like has any relevance.

I have had the pleasure of meeting a few of the Jewish faith, and to a person they were all very devout in what they believed.  The rub is of the five, none agreed with the others.  Except four agreed that the one who had accepted Christ as the messiah was wrong. 

Very varied and intriguing religion...

Keith, if you stop and think about how the Christians have treated the Jews throughout history it shouldn't come as a surprise that most Jews want nothing to do with Christianity.  As for them not agreeing with the others, seems to be true in every religion, including Christianity.  I just praise God that He's coming back for a people, not a particular church.

So long as you do not enter a religious debate with a person of the Jewish faith, nor a Jew, you may find that they are great to be around.  Those I have been around, in a work setting, ask nothing, and are very respectful and respectable.

I have never had problems getting into discussions about our faith, as long as each is respectful of the others beliefs.  I've had some very close friends who were Jewish.  One who is not a Messianic Jew, who I've known for over 20 years now.  We had a couple of Messianic Jews that attended our church in Florida.  Our Pastor allowed him to give the Sedar meal at the Church one Passover.  It fascinated me.  Then there was Janice, who I never met in person, but grew very close to her online.  She's the one who worked at K Love radio station.  She passed away from cancer a few years ago, but because we were so close, she made sure one of her friends kept me up to date on how she was doing when she was no longer able to talk to me on the phone.  This same lady called me when Janice had passed away and sent me the video of her funeral services.  I have a deep love for the Jewish people I have known.

You all have been very insightful.

Joe & I spent over a year in a Messianic Synagogue that was full of non-Jewish people. Even the Rabbi was non-Jewish. And come to find out they were part of the Sacred Names movement, which has nothing to do with true Messianic Judaism. Our new pastor & his wife spent 6 years in a Messianic Synagogue with a Rabbi who was born and raised Jewish and they learned a great deal under his teaching that was good. You must be careful because that movement that only uses the names Yeshua, Yahveh and so on are legalistic and torah observant.