When you are affiliated with one religion and feeling drawn to another, it can feel as though you are being torn in two. If you are currently a Christian feeling drawn to Judaism, you may be feeling the same way. On the one hand, you have Christianity, the religion of Jesus and his teachings, of the Old and the New Testaments. On the other hand, you have Judaism, the religion in which Jesus was raised and preached and the religion of the Torah. It can be tough to choose between these two different albeit related paths. However, there may be a path you might not have considered, Messianic Judaism. Get to know some of the facts about this religious offshoot of Judaism. Then, you can decide if this is the right path for you and your faith journey.
Messianic Jews Believe in Jesus as the Messiah
The biggest tenant of Messianic Judaism that differs from traditional Judaism is the fact that the Messianic religion believes that Jesus is the messiah foretold in the Old Testament. They share this belief with Christians, though they do not consider themselves Christians as many other beliefs and celebrations in the synagogues are different than those in Christian churches.
Messianic Judaism Is Relatively New
Messianic Judaism is a relatively new religious movement. Prior to 1972, Jews who believed in Jesus as the messiah were considered and called "Jewish Christians." They often opted to attend Christian churches rather than Jewish synagogues and often felt out of place in both religious houses.
In 1972, the term Messianic Judaism was adopted. Years later Messianic houses of worship were formed so that Messianic Jews could have their own unique faith communities in which members did not feel out of place all the time.
Messianic Judaism Honors Jewish Holidays
Rather than celebrate as true Christians would (thus making this religious movement a purely Christian one), Messianic Jews celebrate holidays also celebrated in the Jewish religion. These include Passover, Hanukkah, and others. They also keep the Sabbath holy (which makes the holy day of the week Saturday rather than Sunday). This firmly roots the religion in Judaism.
Most Messianic Jews Maintain a Kosher Lifestyle
Another aspect of Messianic Judaism is that the religion calls for members of the Messianic order to keep kosher. Kosher laws are very strict and complicated. Most people think it means only that the person cannot eat pork. However, there are many more rules involving the parts of animals that can be eaten, the way food is prepared, and even how an animal for consumption is killed.
Messianic Jews Believe in the New Testament
Unlike traditional Judaism that believes in the Torah (several books from the Old Testament of the Bible), the Messianic Jewish faith believes in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as scripture. Therefore, if you would choose to join this religious movement, you would be able to keep your faith in the Bible intact without losing as much as you would with traditional Judaism.
Now that you know some of the facts about Messianic Judaism, you can contact a nearby Messianic synagogue and get the process of learning more or of conversion started as soon as possible. To learn more, visit a Messianic teachings blog.
Share11 December 2019
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