The above statements demonstrate the worst case scenarios that occur when a Messianic Jew reveals his or her faith to their family and community. Messianic Jews are often considered traitors to the Jewish people, idol worshippers who have accepted a foreign God, apostates, and in general, no longer worthy of being called Jews.

History reveals that organized Christianity has not been kind to the Jews. No one who has studied the various inquisitions, crusades, and especially the Holocaust will argue that. Therefore, many of the arguments against following Yeshua stem from a fear of "becoming one of them," and joining the enemy which historically plagued Jewish communities.

Messianic Jews have come to a point that after studying Scriptures, they cannot deny the Messiahship of Yeshua despite the horrific things that have been done in His name. It is not fair to lump all Believers, whether Jew or Gentile, in one category and assume that their faith will lead to anti-Semitism, pogroms, and the obliteration of Jewish life. Nor do the actions of evil and misguided people serve as proof against Yeshua being our Messiah.

From a theological standpoint, many Jews, myself included, were raised with this belief: Jews do not believe in Jesus. God cannot take a corporeal form. To believe in Jesus as God is idolatry. There is only One True God, not three.

That last statement is definitely true. God is echad, one. But "one" can be simple, or it can be complex. God, is all his power and mystery, is absolutely complex. Just try to explain who God is to an athiest -- it is so difficult to describe One who is all-knowing, all-watching, and all-powerful. How do you explain how He can hear our prayers and care for us at the same time as millions of others?

Instead of thinking of the Trinity, which in effect is a Greek concept, think of God as a Tri-unity. The Holy Spirit of God, the Ruach Ha'Kodesh, is spoken of many times in the Hebrew Bible. Yeshua is God in human form. In the Torah, God speaks to Moshe (Moses) as a burning bush. In the Book of Daniel, there is a fourth man who suddenly appears amongst the flames. If God is the Creator of Life, the watcher of all things, and the most powerful, I find it hard to believe He could not come to earth as a human to walk amongst us as one of us and offer himself as our atonement.

But for a moment, let me say hypothetically that worshipping a "man" is idolatrous. Doing so might make me a bad Jew, but I am certainly still Jewish. Let me add that if I am incorrect about Yeshua being the Messiah, again, though I may be misguided, I am still 100 percent still Jewish. After all, Rabbi Akiva, one of the great sages of Judaism, declared Bar Kochba to be the Messiah. He, of course, was wrong -- but you never hear any of the Rabbis today say that Rabbi Akiva was not Jewish!

Speaking of idolatry, it seems that where Judaism is concerned, anything goes -- anything, that is, except Yeshua. More Jews convert to other religions than any other group. Jews are disproportionately represented in cults and alternative religions like Wicca, Paganism, Buddhism, and other Eastern philosophies. However, I never hear any Rabbinic authorities claim that these people are no longer Jews.

This reminds me of a book that I read by a woman who claimed she adhered to both Buddhism and Judaism. She described how she prostrated herself in front of a statue of the Buddha. Yet when she asked her Rabbi if she was committing idolatry, he would not commit to an answer! Unbelievable! Worshipping a piece of stone is apparently fine, but worhsipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our Fathers, is not -- just because the Rabbis disagree about Yeshua.

If you are a Jewish Believer, know that God will get you through the rejection and hard times you may face. Don't turn your back on God because of family or community pressure. If you are a Jewish person who has not considered Yeshua as Messiah, I urge you to read the New Testament and see how it relates to our Hebrew Scriptures. Then, study the Hebrew Scriptures and really pray that God directs and leads you to a fuller understanding of Him.

Copyright 2002