Messianic Judaism

Ross Woods, 2022

Christianity was founded as movement of Messainic Judaism in the first century, but modern Messianic Judaism is a relatively recent development, with its roots in Great Britain during the mid-19th century.

Messianic Jews are Jews who have accepted Jesus as Messiah, but wish to keep their Jewish identity, heritage, culture, customs, and traditions. They also see it as a bridge to other Jewish people.

They accept the Old Testament but have their own translations. It use names that follow the Hebrew pronunciation, and maintain the poetry of large parts of the Old Testament that are written in prose in Gentile translations. They accept the New Testament, but are much more aware of its Jewish context than Gentile believers. For example, they refer to Jesus by his Hebrew name, Yeshua. They accept him as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, and believe he died an atoning death for the sins of humanity.

They observe the holy days recognized by Judaism: Passover, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah. Easter is Passover, and they celebrate it in Jewish style. The Christian sacrament of Holy Communion is based on the Passover meal, with the bread and wine.

Ref. Zavada, Jack. "Beliefs and Practices of Messianic Jews." Learn Religions, Feb. 16, 2021, learnreligions.com/beliefs-and-practices-of-messianic-jews-700971.