What is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is a religious movement of Jewish people who believe that Yeshua (Jesus’ original name in Hebrew) is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. Yeshua taught that He came to fulfill the Torah (see Matthew 5:17-19). He performed unparalleled miracles, bringing great blessings to the nation of Israel. Yeshua and His early disciples lived very Jewish lives, observing Jewish traditions and lifestyles. The Messianic movement was entirely Jewish at its inception and continued to exist as an authentic Jewish movement for 700 years after Yeshua’s death and resurrection.
The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations defines Messianic Judaism as “a movement of Jewish congregations and groups committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant.”
“Jewish life is life in a concrete, historical community. Thus, Messianic Jewish groups must be fully part of the Jewish people, sharing its history and its covenantal responsibility as a people chosen by God. At the same time, faith in Yeshua also has a crucial communal dimension. This faith unites the Messianic Jewish community and the Christian Church.