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Re-Judaizing Jesus

Earlier this year, Time Magazine posted an interesting "top 10" list: 10 Ideas That Are Changing The World.

#10 on the list? Gentile Christians world-wide are awakening to the Jewish identity of Messiah.



Regarding how this came about in gentile Christian circles, the article states,

The shift came in stages: first a brute acceptance that Jesus was born a Jew and did Jewish things; then admission that he and his interpreter Paul saw themselves as Jews even while founding what became another faith; and today, recognition of what the Rev. Bruce Chilton, author of Rabbi Jesus, calls Jesus' passionate dedication "to Jewish ideas of his day" on everything from ritual purity to the ideal of the kingdom of God — ideas he rewove but did not abandon.


Interesting article. It is unfortunate they failed to mentioned the increasing number of Christians celebrating the Feasts of the Lord, Scriptural holidays which Christians for over a thousand years have deemed "too Jewish" and have not been widely celebrated since the organization of the Roman state religion 1700 years ago.

Neither does the article mention the rise of Messianic and Nazarene Judaism in Israel and abroad, nor does it touch on the various Hebraic-roots movements which attempt to restore the faith in Messiah closer to its origins and further from its Roman and often pagan influences.

What is really happening is God is moving Jews and gentiles closer to Himself. When we gather closer to Him, the strife and grumblings between us begin to crumble. This is why we see gentiles abandoning the Roman and pagan elements of their religion and restoring the Messiah of Israel as the center, some even going as far as to keep Torah. Yes, kashrut-keeping goyim Christians -- God works in mysterious ways.

And on the other side of the spectrum, we are witnessing a miracle in this modern time: the Jewish people in greater number are taking this great leap of faith to accept what Jews have for so long regarded as unacceptable: that moshiach did come and his name is Y'shua, whom the gentiles call Jesus. Both are going through a transformation that transcends the religions of Christianity and Judaism.

The article focuses only on the gentile side of things, yet what God is doing among the Jewish people is even more amazing: Jews turning to the Jewish Messiah in numbers not seen in 2 millenia. And unlike the shameful, evil forced conversions of the old world Church, these are folks coming to know the Messiah in his authentic identity: as a Torah-observant, zealous Jewish rabbi who made full the Torah and the prophets, a rabbi who came not to start a new religion, but to open up to Jew and gentile alike all the promises of God and a way for atonement now that the Beit HaMikdash is gone and the Levitical priesthood is no more. Jews are seeing Y'shua as one of our own for the first time in nearly 2000 years. God is so faithful.

With the long history of Christian persecution of Jews, and early Jewish persecution of Christians, the long history of antisemitism in the name of Christ, the pogroms carried out, even the strife between us, one must come to the conclusion this is a work of God's fingers to bring us closer after this long separation. In retrospect, we can now see the whole mastery of it all, the wisdom of God that puts humanity's knowledge to shame: during this time, God was not sleeping; during this separation we have witnessed almost 1/3 of the entire gentile world come to know the God of Israel through the Messiah of Israel. The Lord is so good.

Despite the article's shortcomings, I'm happy to see God's move among the gentiles recognized by secular sources.

5 comments:

  1. Judah,

    I probably should be encouraged by the attention. But I'm not that patient I guess. There are still too many misunderstandings and the wrong words are being used for descriptions of events and people groups.

    An example: "The shift came in stages: first a brute acceptance that Jesus was born a Jew and did Jewish things;"

    It would be more accurate to say: "Yeshua was born the Son of Elohim and did His Father's things."

    See the difference?

    The Torah of YHVH made provision for the foreigner and the stranger to join themselves to Israel. Part of the entrance requirement was for them to:

    1. abandon their former life and practices and,

    2. participate in the practices YHVH had instructed Israel to do. Specifically, circumcision for the men, observe pesach, and to keep the commands and ordinances prescribed in Torah.

    Prior to completing those requirements a stranger or foreigner would not be allowed to bring a sacrifice to the tent of meeting to be offered up to YHVH. But when all had been done, the foreigner and the stranger were to be treated as native born Israelites with one Torah for both. No difference.

    Would someone who has abandoned their former life and practices and embraced Torah in the keeping of the appointed times still be called a "Christian"? Because that word is used to describe a people who have rejected the Torah of YHVH and have gone about to establish their own ways of worship and sacrifice.

    A Gentile used to be anyone who was not of the nation of Israel. Has the meaning changed? Do we now call someone who has left the practices of the church behind and embraced the pratices of Torah a "gentile Christian"? Or is that reserved for those who have not yet left the confines of the "church"?

    If what is happening today among the people of YHVH is to be perceived as "real", then the old ways of describing what we thought was true needs to change.

    Then it will truly be a restoration and not just another religious exercise.

    And like you I yearn for the day when the earthly distinctions disappear and we come together as the people of YHVH. As the nation of Israel. Without the name tags.

    Shalom,

    Efrayim

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  2. Efrayim... you said:

    "
    It would be more accurate to say: "Yeshua was born the Son of Elohim and did His Father's things."
    See the difference?"

    What's wrong with saying that he's a Jew? How is it less accurate? Isn't he the "King of the Jews", the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"? Did he not "come unto his own"? It's only becomes wrong if you start insisting that only Judah represents the Jewish people, and gentiles represent the other Israelite tribes. Yeshua did Jewish things because it was His Father will that Yeshua live as the most perfect of all Jews, a servant of HaShem.

    You said: "The Torah of YHVH made provision for the foreigner and the stranger to join themselves to Israel."

    One thing people forget is that even the best and most acceptable of the strangers are only allowed to enter the congregation of the L-rd in the THIRD generation:

    "Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country. The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 23:7-8)

    The Salvation of the Lord is not to become an Israelite (which one can only be born into), but to repent from sin and to cleave to HaShem through the Jewish Messiah. G-d loves ALL nations and in the millennium we can clearly read about the world still divided into nations with Israel being at the center. Egypt is still Egypt, Ethiopia is still Ethiopia.

    What about AFTER the thousand yeas of Messiach's reign, will all nations and people be blended into one big nation called "Israel"... No, it's not what the scripture testify to (Revelation 21:24):

    "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."

    Notice it says "nations shall walk"? So, did G-d abolish all the diversity that he created and blended all of us into one nation called Israel? It's not what the scripture say... G-d will bless ALL of the nations.

    However, what is G-d doing? Does He love Jews more than Gentiles? He LOVES ALL who seek Him, and he would prefer a Gentile who loves HaShem will all of his heart to a half-hearted Jew ANY DAY.

    You said: "Do we now call someone who has left the practices of the church behind and embraced the practices of Torah a "gentile Christian"?"

    You speak of your fellow Gentiles in churches as if they were pagans. I think that this superiority attitude of Messianic Israel folks is very destructive to the Body. I don't tend to view the "Gentiles as lost tribes" beliefs of Messianic Israel as being better for Gentiles then them being in churches - in many ways I view them as much more hurtful to the Body because I view the "lost tribes" beliefs as based on a lie.

    G-d didn't require of Gentiles believers to follow the Jewish customs, circumcise their children, eat kosher or even observe most of the Jewish holidays (please re-read Acts 15). What's required of them is the same thing that is also required of Jews - to have a broken heart before G-d, to love Him and fellow man.

    However, at the same those Gentiles in churches who insist that Jews are wrong to follow the Law given to Israel by HaShem are also very wrong and need to repent of this attitude before G-d.

    Shalom,

    Gene

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  3. Hi Gene,

    So based on your premise, that Yeshua was "Jewish" and did "Jewish" things, would that make pesach a Jewish holiday? Would a menorah be a Jewish lamp? How about the ark of the covenant, was it a Jewish ark? In a Jewish temple? Rhetorical questions I know. But I hope you see my point.

    And no, I don't say that the gentiles represent the other tribes. I say what scripture says, that the ten northern tribes of Israel were sent out into the nations as a punishment for their sins. See your blog for more info.

    I also do not say that "all" the nations will be blended into one big nation called Israel. But I do say that "all" Israel will be saved. And that only happens after the fullness of the nations have returned. And that means Yehudah and all his companions, and Efrayim and all his companions. Again see your blog regarding Ezekial chapter 37.

    Acts 15? Are you sure you want to go there? Because that is one the best places to find support for the return of the tribes from out of the nations. But let's do it over on your blog so as not to tie up Judah's space.

    I agree with the broken heart and contrite spirit part. 100%. But I do not agree that there are two versions of the Torah, one for the Jews and one for the gentiles. Nor do I believe that Yeshua supported that idea either. Observing the appointed times is not a matter of earning approval for either group, but rather it is YHVH's way of restoring His people to His timeline and His purpose.

    By the way, I do not say that the Christians in the churches are pagan. What I do say is that their worship and practices have been mixed with pagan practices and are not what YHVH wants. And I say that because that is what He is telling them and causing many of them to leave the churches that will not listen to what the Spirit is saying. You won't have to go far to find out if that is true. Visit the churches around you and listen to what they are talking about. I really have no reason to make this stuff up. Go check it out for yourself.

    Shalom,

    Efrayim

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  4. Efrayim and Gene, I won't get too involved with your debates, but I do want to comment on a few quick points. Efrayim, you said,

    Would someone who has abandoned their former life and practices and embraced Torah in the keeping of the appointed times still be called a "Christian"? Because that word is used to describe a people who have rejected the Torah of YHVH and have gone about to establish their own ways of worship and sacrifice.

    Indeed, an excellent question. Some would say yes, others no. To me, such a person is very different than the Christian image we all think of.

    Gene, you said,

    The Salvation of the Lord is not to become an Israelite (which one can only be born into)

    Ah, not true. The Torah accomodates those who wish to join Israel. Even during the exodus from Egypt, we see that there were native born Israelites and a "mixed multitude" from the nations (mostly Egypt) that came with and joined Israel, having the same commandments apply to them as a native born.

    Efrayim, I think you summed up in a wonderfully succinct way the things I feel on gentiles coming to the God of Israel through Messiah when you said,

    I agree with the broken heart and contrite spirit part. 100%. But I do not agree that there are two versions of the Torah, one for the Jews and one for the gentiles. Nor do I believe that Yeshua supported that idea either. Observing the appointed times is not a matter of earning approval for either group, but rather it is YHVH's way of restoring His people to His timeline and His purpose.

    Very well put! One God, one Moshiach, one standard of righteousness, Torah.

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  5. I think the internet has played a big role in this. We have so much information at our fingertips, information that many did not even receive in seminary. It has also opened the way for deep conversation between people who would never have such conversations under normal circumstances.

    God is using a tool that the world tends to use for evil to bring about great good.

    Pam

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