What Is A messanic Jew?

[jalini]

I have the wkii definition but am seeking the practices and differences of Judiasm and the Messanic Jews as you would be familiar with the Faith..

Thank you, jalini

[Yamah]

A messianic Jew is someone who believes that Yeshu came to be messiah to the Jewish people, and thus in order to follow him properly one needs to be Jewish. Thus they believe in all of the commandments of the Original Testament and practice them to varying degrees with varying interpretations based on the community they belong to. I have met a few Messianic Jews here in Israel who for all intents and purposes are Jewish and practice a halachically Jewish lifestyle - only they believe that Yeshu was Messiah and all that other nonsense. I also have a good friend in the states who was a chrstian and then declared himself a Messianic Jew and joined a community without going through the proper conversion cycle and his community is more like Messianic Reform Jews.

[merrie]

I always heard the term, "Jews for Jesus". Going back to early Christian history, were not some of the first Christians baptised, Jews?

Merrie

[michael55]

A jew by blood and recent heritage who is christian.. that is my understanding.

[jalini]

Thank you Michael and Merrie :)

Very informative.

Would the Messanic Jew be viewed as as a fundamentalist?

If they believe Jesus was the Messiah and follow Judaism, would that be blending two religions and creating a third?

And if I understand, I, as a Christian can`t follow Jesus as my Messiah unless I have a Jewish bloodline?

Pardon my ignorance but I am trying to understand the faith.
Blessings, jalini

[Morpheus]

Thank you Michael and Merrie :)

Very informative.

Would the Messanic Jew be viewed as as a fundamentalist?

If they believe Jesus was the Messiah and follow Judaism, would that be blending two religions and creating a third?

And if I understand, I, as a Christian can`t follow Jesus as my Messiah unless I have a Jewish bloodline?

Pardon my ignorance but I am trying to understand the faith.
Blessings, jalini

Messianic Jews do not consider themselves a third religion. They consider themselves a, "completed", Jew since they believe they have recieved the Messiah, prophesied throughout the scriptures.

[jalini]

Ah, I think I see now. Jesus is their predicted Messiah but still practice Judaism and not Christianity as Christians practice it..

Thank you, blessings. jalini

[Scattered Sheep]

I am one who believes in Yahshua and follow His way, I do not know my Genealogy that well but know I am not Jewish. I do not practice Christianity because they do not properly imitate Yahshua. As most of you seem to know He was Torah observant. I study Torah every day and mean to practice as such. I know He taught Torah in His teachings, constantly. I hope you do not mind me commenting, anyway if you have any questions I know about Messianics and a little about Messianic Jews. Shalom to you all whom I highly respect.

[Yamah]

Scattered Sheep: just curious, have you studied the 7 Noahide Laws at all?

[Morpheus]

Apparently, Yeshua is connected with the sect and community known as the Essenes, spoken of by the archaeologists. Which sect separated themselves from the Pharisees and Sadducees mentioned in the NewTestament, involving what they saw as hypocracy.


It is from them that the Baptismal rituals originated, apparently?
They are connected with the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran, which confirms much of the old testament writings we read today.

They are cited and discussed at Wikipedia. And, elsewhere.

[Amilius777]

Awesome topic Morpheus! I love this stuff!

The Essenes were heavily influenced by Buddhist and Hindu rites.

Baptism is in fact a pagan tradition going back to Hinduism and I believe Egyptian worship.

Jesus was very knowledgeable of such practices, but Jesus took baptism a step further that was "baptism by fire"- Jesus was permanently transforming the disciples' consciousnesses with the (Holy Breath) that he acquired. The Holy Breath-HolySpirit-HolyGhost is nothing more but the uplifting divine energy of the spiritual teacher.

I truly believe that Christianity has down more with the messianic aspect than Judaism expected. The Jews were expecting a messianic king who would deliver Israel from its foes and establish a righteous nation and the Gentiles would enter the covenant through peace after hostility and war.

Christianity needs to be redefined not as a religion of Jesus but a Mystery Religion. It is a revamped religion of Hindu/Buddhist and Egyptian Spirituality. Christianity covers it ALL.

I remember in Catechism they made us read a line in Genesis- "And the offspring of Eve will crush the serpent but the serpent will wound his heel". After telling us the "offspring of Eve is Jesus" they then said Genesis is completely poetic and symbolic. So I started to wonder- "Well then why does it symbolize just the Jewish messiah? besides Jesus didn't fulfill all the prophecies in his life as Jesus".

I believe the new offspring of Eve is the birthed Christ Consciousness that crushes the temptations of the false self (serpent) and in the process of transformation the person is wounded by the false self (serpent). Jesus of Nazareth demonstrated this ancient "Christ Pattern" by giving up his body for complete Universal Christ Consciousness, but in that process he was wounded by his generation of hostile pious elite and Imperial powers. The point is that nobody is born "from above" or can give birth to the "new self' without suffering and breaking through the carnal self.

Even though I believe Jesus was the Jewish messiah who opened a door for the gentiles (Western world) to God and overcame imperialism (Rome) on the cross, I don't think all the Old testament prophecies of the "MESSIAH" are all about Jesus.

The "MESSIAH" is more accurately the Universal Christ which saves the world and saves yourself through the ages.

[Simon_Templar]

On another level I had a vision as a child when reading the bible. a children's bible. Now when I got to the end of the stories about Jesus I saw, as though a part of the print, a picture of New Jerusalem (tho that is more often acquainted with Rev.) with the Messiah there and all the Hebrew people. The Messiah was Jesus but he wasn't god like my catholic grammar, instead the actual Yahweh god was there, permanently, in a cloud. This was before I had read Rev. or had knowledge (indeed contrary to the jesusisgodmsg). I came to have further reason to believe in this Messianic Jewish msg, tho that reality of belief was unknown to me until now. My own personal belief is that Jesus is the Messiah for all humanity because as the Holy Ghost incarnation he accepts everyone and as the Angel of Death brings Allah to all. And how can we not be Hebrew Witnesses since the Holocaust. On a side note, the vision and "words" were placed carefully at the end of the stories, in the style of the real thing. Soooooo .... A Templar, well we defend and protect the Holy Sepulchre, Brothers and Sisters in Christ all of us.

[Scattered Sheep]

Scattered Sheep: just curious, have you studied the 7 Noahide Laws at all?
Yes, I sure have.....

[Scattered Sheep]

Scattered Sheep: just curious, have you studied the 7 Noahide Laws at all?
Yes, I have...

[Yamah]

I just wanted to point out that in Judaism we don't say that EVERYONE should follow the Torah. It's supposed to be something for Jews to do. Non-Jews have their own set of rules which, for the most part, they follow.

[Simon_Templar]

I was just wondering, does the Holy Ghost as a divine person mean anything to the messianic jews?

[Scattered Sheep]

I am one who believes in Yahshua and follow His way, I do not know my Genealogy that well but know I am not Jewish. I do not practice Christianity because they do not properly imitate Yahshua. As most of you seem to know He was Torah observant. I study Torah every day and mean to practice as such. I know He taught Torah in His teachings, constantly. I hope you do not mind me commenting, anyway if you have any questions I know about Messianics and a little about Messianic Jews. Shalom to you all whom I highly respect.
Yes, I have studied these Noahide laws, if you want my opinion or thought you may pm me. Sincerely.

[Starr]

Re: the OP - a Messianic Jew is a Christian. And IME, often an evangelical Christian.

JFJ/Messianic Judaism is ironic and kind of horror-mirthy, considering that idolatry is forbidden in Judaism.

[Morpheus]

I just wanted to point out that in Judaism we don't say that EVERYONE should follow the Torah. It's supposed to be something for Jews to do. Non-Jews have their own set of rules which, for the most part, they follow.

The Messianic Jew is a Jewish person by birth who has, "seen the Light", as it were about Yeshua being the long prophesied Messiah.

Downtown, here, there is a Messianic Jewish Church. The Messianic Jew follows all the Jewish customs and celebratory rituals and particiular Biblical festivities, as all Jews do.

[Astral Jane]

Re: the OP - a Messianic Jew is a Christian. And IME, often an evangelical Christian.

JFJ/Messianic Judaism is ironic and kind of horror-mirthy, considering that idolatry is forbidden in Judaism.

??*@#>?
Idolatry is discouraged in Christianity too, was formerly "forbidden," whatever that means. Jesus is not an Idol.

Jesus was of, from, for the Jews first, just as Moses was. Early disciples, gospel witnesses, church organizers had to decide as a practical matter how to reach and persuade the most people; there would be problems either way- Jews would be offended by some choices they might make in expressing their message, and Pagans, Romans & Greeks would be offended/dissuaded by other choices.

Before the miracle healings were in full effect, before the gospel witnesses had even dispersed, people disagreed on what had just happened. Those who saw one thing believed something quite different that others 4 feet away with their heads turned. People are still like this. That's how people are. Christ didn't change that; it's just a challenge He had to work with.

[Yamah]

Jews and Christians have been having this argument for 2,000 years. Jews say Christ is an idol, Christians burn down our villages. Lets just let this one rest before they get antsy again.

[Ecthalion]

Jews and Christians have been having this argument for 2,000 years. Jews say Christ is an idol, Christians burn down our villages. Lets just let this one rest before they get antsy again.
Yet another example of religions, whose founders preached love, causing hatred. God must hate the damage religions have done.

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Starr
Re: the OP - a Messianic Jew is a Christian. And IME, often an evangelical Christian.

JFJ/Messianic Judaism is ironic and kind of horror-mirthy, considering that idolatry is forbidden in Judaism.


The only significant difference between "Christian" and "Messianic Jew" is the fact that the Messianic Jew is of Semetic descent, and born into the Jewish family, and race.

[Jameyson72]

A Messianic Jew is one who has lost his/her way.

[Morpheus]

Or? Come to fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, and their heritage.

[rstrats]

Do Messianic Jews observe the 7th day of the week?

[rstrats]

Someone wrote in this topic - "The Messianic Jew follows all the Jewish customs and celebratory rituals and particular Biblical festivities, as all Jews do." Wouldn't animal sacrifices be excluded, though?