THE UNITY OF THE MESSIANIC JEWISH MOVEMENT

THE UNITY OF THE MESSIANIC JEWISH MOVEMENT

The Messianic Jewish movement, also called Messianic Judaism, has a couple of key elements, which the entire movement should be able to agree with:

1) The Messianic part: To accept Yeshua as Messiah and L-RD (this means the one true G-d in human flesh; the euphemism for this is “Son of G-d”), and to live like Him.

2) The Jewish part: To emphasize that Jewish people are still to be Jews even after accepting Yeshua as Messiah (there is no requirement of Jews to be like Gentiles), and to live like Him.

Let us lay some other possible groundwork for the unity of Messianic Judaism.

Messianic Judaism is founded on the faith of Yeshua (Jesus) HaMashiach (“Salvation, the Anointed One”). That means we trust in Yeshua as L-RD and Savior and seek to be obedient to the faith and walk of Messiah Yeshua, as our perfect example. Some might call this Nazarene Judaism, Biblical Judaism or even Christianity. But in fact our Messiah did not use any of these names. Messiah Yeshua came to save sinners (of which we all are), and to make clear the priorities of Torah (the teaching of G-d), which provides us protection. Another way of saying this is that Yeshua came to set us free from the law of sin (not sinful Law, for the Torah is good and right and holy), and put the Torah (Law) inside of us. He came to deliver from sin and to protect from sin.

In addition to believing that Yeshua died for our sins, Messianic Judaism seeks to walk the way of Yeshua, whose way was to be a righteous Jew; obedient to G-d and separated from the ways of the world at large. Messiah Yeshua never quarreled with His own Torah. He only sought to remove hypocrisy from its practice. He set the example for us to walk “in His steps.”

Of course, we believe that the salvation provided through Messiah Yeshua is to go forth from the Jews unto all people of all nations, as it once did. Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) called this privilege of Jewish salvation, which is offered to Gentiles, as being “grafted into” the commonwealth of Israel. He said this because Messiah Yeshua made it clear that “salvation is of the Jews.” So, Messianic Judaism emphasizes the Jewish role in taking the Jewish way of Yeshua to Jews first and to Gentiles also. By faith in Messiah, Gentiles are to become offspring of Abraham, and then both Jew and Gentile would be one people in the Messiah.

Just over 100 years after Messiah died and was resurrected, Gentiles became the majority of the Ekklesia (Called Out Ones), and started to alter the original true faith. They set laws contrary to the Laws that G-d gave to Israel. They began to separate from the commonwealth of Israel. There was anti-Semitism involved. Jewish followers of Messiah became so small as to become marginalized or assimilated into what was now called the Church, a Gentile ruled institution. The Church devolved by compromise with paganism and near total darkness came over it in the Middle Ages.

Almost commensurate with the return of the nation of Israel to the Land, the Messianic Jewish movement came forth late in the 20^th Century. Jewish followers of Messiah Yeshua began to grow in strength, and Messianic Jewish synagogues began to spring up. A top priority of this new Messianic Judaism was and is to never again be assimilated into the paganism of the Church, or to become apostate from the way and walk given by our Jewish Messiah Yeshua. While agreeing with some of the confession of the Gentile Church concerning who Messiah is, Messianic Judaism in addition practices what Messiah and the Apostles practiced, and no more. Messianic Judaism uses the Hebrew language and idiom as the standard of revelation, rather than the Greek language and culture.

Our message to Gentile believers is that this movement is Jewish led according to that ability given to us by Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit). Gentiles are free to join as equals into one Body of Messiah, but in no way will it any more be identified as led by Gentiles, or by “traditional Christianity.” The way of Messiah Yeshua must remain clearly identified as from and for Jews, then for Gentiles. As G-d chose the tribes of Israel to bring His Word to, and the Jewish Apostles to testify of His Word, so in this late hour has G-d chosen to usher in His Kingdom using the leadership of Messianic Jews. To be jealous of this fact is to be jealous of the Apostles and the Lion of Judah Himself.

Hasatan (Satan, the Adversary) has demonstrated his fear of this scenario by doing almost anything possible to bring disunity and frustration to Messianic Jewish unity, but he will not succeed in destroying this movement. The world hates the role G-d has bestowed upon Jacob, and a righteous Jacob is not tolerated by any. We have been hit hard by anti-Missionary Jews, anti-Jewish Christians, and so called “messianics” whose sole purpose seems to divert focus from the faith, walk and unity of Messiah Yeshua. We have been slandered, misunderstood, and blacklisted. But then, so has our Jewish Messiah.

We have all sinned and come short of G-d’s glory. Now is the time to forgive and ask forgiveness and get on with the business of unifying for the cause of the Kingdom of Messiah. If you are a Gentile (or rather former Gentile) I ask that you honor the L-RD by honoring His Messianic Jewish movement. You are welcome to join our walk and be grafted in. Do not join to convert Jews to Gentile ways, but rather to convert all sinners from darkness to the light of Torah, which is in Messiah Yeshua.

Shalom in Him,

MRav Dr. David M. Hargis
President/General Overseer, Messianic Bureau International