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PART 1: DEFINITION OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM & OUR VISION
Messianic Judaism is a people movement, a movement of Jews and Gentiles who follow Yeshua, the Messiah. It is a movement that strives to embrace Jewish life, and God's given heritage and culture, viewed through the revelation of Yeshua's life, death and resurrection embracing the Hebrew Testament and the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), believing that the bible (all of it) is the word of God. This is a movement centered on biblical truth, recognizing the unique calling on Jewish people to follow the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. In II Timothy 3:16 it says; “ All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”, and in Joshua 1:8 says; “ Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it each day and night, so that you will take to act accordingly to everything written in it.”
It is a movement that honors many of the traditions that have developed over Thousand's of years, but does not submit itself to Rabbinic Authority, instead submitting to God the Father, Yeshua and the Ruach ha-kokesh. This is a movement of God that honors and submits to the work and word of Yeshua. In Matthew 5:17 -19 Yeshua says; Think not that I have come to abolish the Torah, or the prophets: I have not come to destroy, but to complete . Yes Indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the law, not until everything that must happen has happened. So who ever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven . But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven .”
But the movement is much more, Look around you! We see more than just Jewish people here, or people of Jewish decent. We are a melting pot of God's children who are seeking to walk with ha-Shem, in a manner that is laid out before us in the scriptures. The early congregations and communities of believers were primarily Jewish, Jews and proselytites coming to faith in the shadow of the synagogue and the temple. So we are Jews and Gentiles, worshiping the one God the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.
So how does that fit together, what is the precedent? Well it's in the Book! The early congregations were Messianic Jewish communities. Paul, proclaimed: Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God's powerful means of bringing salvation to the everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile”.
Ok so it's in the book. Now what? Rav Sha'ul , remained a good Jewish boy his whole life, how do we know? Because he tells us in: Acts 26:4-5 : “So then! All Jews know how I lived my life from my youth on, both in my own country and in Yerushalayim. They have known me for a long time; and if they are willing, they can testify that I have followed the strictest party in our religion-that is I have lived as a Parush.” Rav Sh'aul (Paul) many times affirmed his heart regarding his walk, in Acts 28:17 : To a meeting of local Jewish leaders: “Brothers, I have done nothing against either our people or the traditions of our fathers”. We know from many scriptures that Yeshua and His Talmidim (disciples), were not encouraging Jews to stop being Jewish, in fact they were encouraging them to honor there calling as Jews. Yeshua lived as a Jew, died as Jew and was raised as a Jew. We know that Paul, who is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, lived his life as a Jew, as the scripture give testimony to. Rav Sha'ul also saw Israel , As a nation called: Romans 11:26, the calling on Israel is irrevocable! (so much for trying to slip out the back door)
But what about Gentiles in the movement? Well you're here now. so we have to do something with you. You know in the first century in the book of Acts , the problem was not what to do with Jews, but what to do with these Gentiles that want to follow OUR Jewish Messiah , they had a Gentile problem on their hands, today some in the Body of Messiah say, “ what do we do with these Jewish people that want to believe in Jesus! ” Funny what a couple thousand years can do to perspective! The Apostles spend a great deal of time on how to address this, and as we all know that “accommodations were made (Acts 15:28 ) Peter's famous dream is one of those passages (Acts 10:ff).
What about Gentiles committing there whole lives? Ruth II Calling : for those called to immerse themselves into living out a Jewish calling though not born Jewish. Numbers (15:13-16) “For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before Adonai as yourselves. The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.”
Well what is our calling together what is the vision? Our vision as a Messianic Jewish movement, and as Beit Simcha is ordained by the Lord Himself. Jeremiah 31:31-33: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they break, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
This new covenant did not direct Jewish people to change who they would be. In fact by Yeshua's own testimony and that of the Talmidim, there was no question that becoming believers in Messiah and not skipping a beat in being Jewish was of the up most importance, what else would they be? Yeshua came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel ! What would they change to? Recognizing the Jewish Messiah, was and is the pinnacle of being Jewish, our forefathers waited their whole lives in anticipation, in Yeshua it is fulfilled! Now we can be Jewish with a “happy face”!
But we also know that God promises that he will also claim the nations as his own (Isaiah 49:6) “I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth. And in Zechariah 8, it talks about the nations taking hold of the fringes of the Jew, because God is with them.
But what about you Gentiles? For Some Jews and Gentiles, you have complicated everything! Well to Jews who may want to “covet” our Messiah I say, GET OVER IT! It is very clear from scripture that Gentiles, the Goyim are called. Romans 11 Being grafted in as a Wild root. Acts 10:34 Peter understands that God does not play favorites. Acts 10:45 Peter's amazed the Ruach is poured out on Gentiles. Isaiah 55:3 A foreigner joining Adonai should not say, Adonai will separate me from his people. There are many scriptures that set the foundation for Gentiles and Jews to be of one Body Through Messiah. The parokhet in the temple was ripped so that the enmity between Jew and Gentile was destroyed. (Matthew 27:51)
SO WHAT ABOUT THE VISION? It is very clear that Jews and Gentiles are being called to the Body of Messiah, but why not just to a church? Israel has a unique calling, as Jews, and that cannot be maintained, or nurtured outside of the culture and life cycle that God has created, through Torah, and a heritage that has been developed over thousands of years. God is doing a work, he is preparing Jewish houses of prayer and praise where Jewish people can come and worship Messiah Yeshua in a culture they will at least be familiar with. Remember many that will come have not expressed their Jewish identity for many years or not at all. Some will come with the roots of their youth and some will come seeking out the roots of their faith as God the Father calls them back, as the remnant returns.
We at Beit Simcha are preparing a place where our Jewish Bothers and Sisters will find a home , a place where they can tap into there roots, a place where we can disciple them not only in the truth of the Good News but in how to live out a Jewish life in the revelation of the Jewish Messiah! We are not Christianity warmed over, but a genuine expression of what it means to be Jewish and Gentile worshiping God in the revelation of Messiah Yeshua ! (we are a work in progress as is the movement). Part of our vision is to prepare a place for ourselves and those to come, to be able to worship and be discipled in ways that not only honors God, but carries on with what God desires for us not only as Jews, but Gentiles called to live, pray, play and build community affirming and practicing what God has given us in the richness of Jewish life. Some of these expressions are: . Reading , studying and Keeping Torah. Keeping the Sabbath. Celebrate the Jewish feasts. Hebrew liturgical prayer. Davidic Dancing. Birth and Brit Milah. Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Marriage under the Chuppah. Death and sitting Shiva (meaning 7).
Our vision, Jews and Gentiles worshipping together and loving one another, praising the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in a Jewish context. We are a community that witnesses that you can indeed be Jewish and believe in Messiah and we can do it in Love, Jew and Gentile one in Messiah. For Jews, it may be a bit easier to understand what we are doing in a Messianic Congregation, we're Jewish! But many Gentiles are drawn to the Jewish roots of their faith, and scripture, (Romans 11) speaks of spurring the Jew to jealousy! Well how would a Gentile do that? Not by expressing who God is in a church, but embracing the ways of Israel! And Loving Jews! The testimony and the witness of Gentiles are key in the end times. To this day the majority of Jews have come to faith in Messiah based on the witness of a Gentile, not a Jew (Yeshua was rejected too). And many have been drawn by Gentiles giving there lives over to Jewish expressions; it spurs them in love (and curiosity!). God honors the foreigner (nations, Gentiles, Goyim) that attaches themselves to His ways and that of Israel (Remember Ruth?). Isaiah 56:6 foreigners keeping the Sabbath, He will bring to His holy mountain. God honored Ruth's decision to make Naomi's people her people and to live as they do.
Some are called for a season , and some are called for a lifetime , in either case we celebrate, support and nurture our unique calling and vision, as a Messianic Jewish Congregation, called to Welcome (and Spur) the Jew first and also the Gentile seekers to a life in Messiah Yeshua, a Jewish heart, mind and soul.
PART TWO – SPEAKING THE LINGO – GETTEN DOWN WITH JEWISH JIVE You know it is not just that we are to walk the walk, but to talk the talk, Jewish Jive. But to be more serious and heartfelt, we can find scriptural support for not only recognizing Jewish culture and language, but see its great value in not only living out who we are but presenting who we are to Jews and Gentiles.
Rav Shaul (Paul) said in: 1Corinthians 9:20 “and unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law.” In Romans 9:3-5: “He could wish himself actually under God's curse and separated from the Messiah, if it would help my brothers, my own flesh and blood, the people of Isra'el! They were made God's children, the Sh'kinah has been with them, the covenants are theirs, like wise the giving of the Torah, the Temple service and the promises; the patriarchs are their; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be Adonai for every! Amen.” So what does this say? That the Jewish ways are God's ways, especially for Jews! If we want to be able to communicate with Jewish people, befriending them, fellowshipping with them and discipling them we need to use language that they will not only be familiar with, but language (Semantics) that will not make them uncomfortable, or worse offend them, and cause them to put up a wall. Many terms that the Christian body uses are not Jewish, and in fact have been used to persecute Jews, the very Term Christian can bring terrible persecution to mind not only corporately to the Jewish people but to them as individuals (my mom was beat up by individual professing to be Christians).
We must be mindful that Christianity has a not so comfortable past with many Jews, either directly or by history. Charges of Deicide, Blood Libel, Destruction of the 2 nd Temple, The numerous Councils such as Nicea with anti Jewish elements, The Crusades, The Pogroms, Exile from England, Spain, Russia, The Holocaust, Arab/Israeli wars 1947/1948/1956/1967/1973/1982/2000 to present. With this in mind and with the understanding that our vision is in parallel with the greater Messianic Jewish movement, we need to learn and embrace language that will complement who we are, and for some of us that means breaking old habits and forming new ones.
When we are new to this movement we are like new wine, but pouring new wine into an old wineskin (unsaved Jews) will make it burst, but if we take the new wine and age it (believers, and disciple them), it will become old FINE wine that will be able to be poured into the old wineskin! So new can become refined and mix with the already established wine! (Luke 5:37-39) Old wine is not bad! In fact who would throw away fine aged wine!
Here are some terms we all need to embrace, and that means leaving some of what we know best at the door. And remember the reason we do this is to not cause Jewish people to stumble , and we do it out of love and honoring what the Lord has commissioned us to at Beit Simcha.
The Name; Yeshua Vs Jesus: This is his name, and the name Jesus many times puts up barriers. Messiah, Machiach Vs Christ: Lets face it has the same affect as Jesus, it does not open doors to Jewish hearts.
• Names of the Lord:
Ha-Shem : The Lord
Adonai: The Lord, God
Abba: Father
Melech: King
The Cross Vs the tree: The cross can be offensive ( a threat) because of its use in history, this is a symbol I believe we need to reclaim as Jewish, but we need to be sensitive, this symbol does keep some Jewish people from entering in physical buildings . We do not deny who the Messiah is or what he did by being sensitive to our Jewish people. Remember the Romans picked crucifixion on a cross. And something else to remember is that 250,000 Jews died on crosses, but only one rose!
Congregation, we are not a Church: Jewish people want to go to Synagogue, Temple or Shul.
Tivilah, immersion Vs baptism: Here again we can connect the act to it Jewish Roots, purification, it is a Jewish concept (Numbers 19:17-22, Leviticus, many, many instances of purification with water, for many issues from anointing Cohen (priests), to purification for sin, sickness, menstrual cycles, child birth). Mikvah, (the actual location).
• MINISTRY ROLES
Messianic Rabbi Vs Pastor or Priest.
Chazan or Cantor Vs prayer leader, Shamash : Deacon Servant
• HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS
Shabbat Vs Saturday : Shabbat is what the Lord call our holy day
Pesach, Passover Vs Easter, Feast of Unleavened Bread
Shavuot, Feast of weeks Vs Pentecost
Succot, Feast of Booths Vs Feat of Tabernacles
Channukah: Festival of Lights
• LITURGICAL AND BIBLE
Siddur Vs Prayer book
Torah, Pentateuch : 5 books of Moshe
Tanach: all the books of the Hebrew Testament
Brit Chadasha Vs New Testament: Remember Jews don't count the new as legit! But we can slowly show them that it is by sharing it with them in its Jewish context!
Good News Vs gospel: Same here, the word gospel is “Christian” (meaning not Jewish)
Halacha : Jewish Law
Mitzvah: Law, instruction, Good deed
Bracho t: blessings
Chesed: Mercy
Ruach, Holy Spirit Vs Holy Ghost: Forget Holy Ghost, it's just not Jewish
Schulchon Adonai , Lords Table Vs communion: Seeing this act as remembering in the context of the Passover can really changes the image
• STUFF TO WEAR OR BLOW
Kippa or Kippot or Yamulke: Head covering
Tallit: Prayer Shawl
Tzitizit Vs Fringes
Shofar: Rams horn
• GREETINGS
Baruch ha Shem: blessed be the Lord
Shalom: Hello
Shalom Alychem : May peace be with you
Chag Samaiach: Happy Holiday :
• NAMES
Avraham : Abraham
Yitzchak : Isaac
Ya'akov: Jacob
Moshe: Moses
Rav Sha'ul: Paul
Shimon Kefa : Peter
Judah Vs Jude
• LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THINGS TO EAT
Nosh: To eat
One g: Delight, we partake in eating and fellowshipping
Bagels: cream cheese and Lox: No comments necessary, it's Jewish!
Matzah Ball Soup : Another no brainer
Matzah: See above, no brainer unleavened bread for Passover or to solve Diarrhea
Challah: Sweet Jewish Bread
Koogle : A noodle delight
Latkes : Channukah delight of fried potato pancakes
Hamantashin : 3 corned pastry eaten at Purim
Well this is a start on your journey to embracing the vision we have been given by the Lord. For we are Beit (House) Simcha (Joy)! Rejoice and be glad in it!
For we have been called to be a house of prayer and Joy, into community, to live in community and to prepare community for those that Machiach will lead to us. Let's not miss the calling on our lives, CATCH THE VISION! |
