A Gateway to Emerging Messianic Judaism on the Internet
Messianic Judaism: frequently asked questions
What Are Messianic Jews? Messianic Jews are Jews who believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of Israel and who continue to live as Jews usually as members of a Messianic synagogue.
What is Messianic Judaism? Because Messianic Jews continue to live within the orbit of Judaism, they refer to their way of life as Messianic Judaism. Simply put, Messianic Judaism is that branch of Judaism which claims that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel and that Judaism is best expressed in and through him.
What is a Messianic Synagogue? A synagogue is above all a sacred community of Jewish people who gather for worship, prayer, study, benevolence, social justice, lifecycle events, outreach and other Jewish community activities. What distinguishes Messianic synagogues from mainstream synagogues is the centrality of Yeshua, the prominent place of the New Testament, and the presence of Gentile followers of Yeshua who come alongside Messianic Jews to build a congregation for Yeshua within the house of Israel. There are presently over 500 Messianic synagogues in the world today. See MessianicJudaism.net to find a Messianic synagogue in your area.
What is Our Approach to Jewish Life? Messianic Judaism takes its name seriously. By stating that we represent a "Judaism," we acknowledge our connection to Jewish history, the Jewish community and Jewish life. Likewise, we take the "Messianic" part of our name seriously as well. We believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of Israel, that he is worthy of worship, and that he brings Jewish life to its fullness of meaning and expression.
What Organizations Represent Messianic Jews? Messianic Jewish denominational organizations like the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) are established and represent the mainstream Messianic Jewish community in North America and around the world. Their statements on Messianic Jewish definition, vision and theology ultimately delineate the center and the periphery of the movement.