Kehilat haMashiach Messianic Jewish Congregation

"And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born."
--- Zech 12:10 (NASB^®©1)

How can a Jew believe in Yeshua (Jesus), and why is it so important for you to know about him?

For those of you who really want to know the truth, ask G-d to show you -- even if you're not sure if He exists or who He is.

Prayer
G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, please show me the truth.
Who are You, and who is Yeshua?

Here is a 9 point summary of the answers to the questions of how a Jew can believe in Yeshua and why it is so important for you to know about him:

Prophecies in the Tenach (Old Testament) point to a Messiah who would die for the sins of his people. The Tenach also states that G-d would make a new covenant with Israel that was not like the previous covenant.
When Yeshua came, many of the Jewish people believed that he was the Messiah.
All of Yeshua's disciples were Jewish.
The leadership of the original Messianic community was completely Jewish.
40 years after Yeshua was crucified, the Holy Temple was destroyed. At this point, mainstream Judaism completely departed from the Bible's prescribed ways of making ourselves acceptable to G-d. All forms of modern Rabbinic Judaism derive from this decision.
Several years after Yeshua came, gentiles were permitted to follow Yeshua without first converting to Judaism.
By the 3rd century, the leadership of the Messianic community was no longer Jewish. These non-Jewish leaders made a tragic error by trying to strip the Messianic community of its Jewish roots, thus causing it to appear as a non-Jewish entity.
In the past few decades, many Jewish people are discovering that Yeshua is the Messiah, and these Jewish followers of Yeshua are taking back their heritage. Old Testament prophecy speaks of the spiritual revival occurring at this time.
It is possible for you to know the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob just as did the prophets of old --- Yes, it's really possible!! And through Yeshua, and him alone, you can obtain eternal life!

Click here to read the stories of some Jewish people who came to believe in Yeshua.

Tenach (Old Testament) Prophecy

The Tenach contains several prophecies concerning the Messiah. Two such prophecies are found in Daniel 9 and Isaiah 53. Ancient Jewish sources understood both of these prophecies to refer to the Messiah. (See the Messianic Prophecy Cave for quotes of ancient Jewish sources in connection with these and other messianic prophecies). Daniel 9 indicates that the Messiah would come and die before the destruction of the 2nd Temple. Isaiah 53 very clearly shows how the righteous servant of the Lord would suffer and die to atone for the sin of his people.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 states that G-d would make a new covenant with His people and that this covenant would not be like the previous one which He made with them when He brought them out of Egypt (i.e. - the Torah). In this new covenant, G-d would forgive their sins and they would all know Him. [Note that the words covenant and testament mean the same thing. What is referred to today as the New Testament is actually the new covenant referred to in Jeremiah 31.]

Yeshua's Disciples

In the New Testament (Matthew 15:24), Yeshua said that his ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. During Yeshua's ministry, crowds of people followed him, nearly all of them Jewish.
Yeshua was crucified on Passover. On the following Shavuot, when all Jewish men were commanded to be present at the Temple in Jerusalem, G-d poured out His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) upon Yeshua's disciples. When the Jewish people gathered at the Temple saw this happen, and the supernatural signs which followed, thousands of them became followers of Yeshua. The movement grew very rapidly and remained composed primarily of Jewish people during its early years.
The initial leaders of the Messianic Community were the disciples which had been closest to Yeshua during his ministry (aside from Yehuda ben Kriot who had betrayed him). All of these disciples were Jewish -- Shimon Kefa (Peter), Ya'acov (James), Yochanan (John), etc.

Modern Rabbinic Judaism

In the Torah, G-d provides a way of atoning for sin through the shed blood of animals. Furthermore, every covenant in the Tenach required shedding the blood of innocent animals. One example of this is the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (Ex 24:1-8). Eating blood is not kosher, because it is used for making atonement (Lev 17:11-12).
In 70AD, the Roman army destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Realizing that there was no longer any way to continue animal sacrifices without the Temple, the Rabbinic leadership at that time proclaimed that doing good deeds and praying would be substituted in place of the animal sacrifices. For example, the primary prayer times in synagogue (shacharit, minchah, and ma'ariv) were set to occur at the same times of the day in which innocent animals were supposed to have been sacrificed in the Temple.
While the Torah made provision of atonement only through the shedding of blood, Rabbinic Judaism relies on a substitute which is inadequate as prescribed by the Torah.

Gentiles Follow Yeshua

The initial Messianic Community, was seen as a sect of Judaism known as "the Way". At that time only Jewish people followed Yeshua. The question of that day, was whether or not it was possible for a gentile to follow Yeshua!
The New Testament (Acts 10-11) records how the leadership of the Messianic Community (which was at that time composed of Yeshua's initial disciples) ruled that gentiles were allowed to follow Yeshua without first converting to Judaism.

Jewish Roots Stripped from the Church

After several generations of its inception, the Church was led by gentiles who had no knowledge of Judaism. Over time, the leadership tried to remove many Jewish practices from the Church:

The celebration of Yeshua's resurrection was divorced from its roots in Passover (Yeshua was the fulfillment of the Passover lamb -- G-d passes over people in judgement when He sees the blood of Yeshua, just as He passed over those houses in Egypt whose doorposts were smeared with the blood of the innocent lamb).
The celebration of the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday to prevent Messianic Jews from observing Shabat.
Jewish observances were outlawed from the Church

The Church thus tried to separate itself from it Jewish roots. The departure from Biblical practices (both Old and New Testament) and the incorporating of some pagan practices caused the Church to appear as an entity completely divorced from its Jewish roots.
In modern times, there is a movement within parts of the Church to return to its heritage: many people within the Church are recognizing the need to learn about their Jewish heritage and to repent of the anti-Semitism that was practiced within the Church for many centuries.

The Modern Jewish Revival

The Tenach is filled with prophecies about Israel's eventual return from exile to the Land they were given by G-d. These prophecies indicate that a spiritual revival would accompany the physical return to the Land. One such example is in Ezekiel 36-37 (see especially Eze 36:22-28).
Since the end of the 19th century, G-d has begun bringing the Jewish people home to the Land that He gave them in an eternal covenant. Corresponding to that, more and more Jewish people have been coming to believe in Yeshua and receive eternal life. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a re-awakening amongst Jewish believers of the need to continue to live as Jews. This re-awakening occurred simultaneously all over the world. Many who were called to do this were not even aware of others doing the same until years after they first began to follow the calling. Clearly, this re-awakening is a sovereign move of G-d during these days as He brings the Jewish people back home to their Land.

Can I really know G-d and obtain eternal life?

YES!!!

And I'm not talking about knowing about G-d -- I'm talking about knowing G-d. If you read about Abraham, Moses, David, and others in the Bible, you'll find that they were normal people like us. They weren't a bunch of super-beings who never did anything wrong. They underwent the same type of struggles that we go through, and they made mistakes just like any human being. Yet each one of them had an amazing relationship with the living G-d.

There is no sound on earth nearly as beautiful as our Creator's voice.

You and I were created to have a close relationship with G-d. And being good enough is not an issue -- you know why? ... because none of us are good enough. G-d is well aware of that problem. That's why He sent Yeshua to die in our place. Yeshua took the punishment that we deserved so we could come into G-d's presence and enter into a relationship with Him. The Torah, Writings, and Prophets all point to Messiah Yeshua, as does the sacrificial system which G-d sovereignly abolished immediately after Yeshua came and died for us. How can we neglect such a great salvation? G-d did the work, and now it's ours for the asking!

Sound simple? It is! So simple, that children have no problem entering into that relationship with G-d. You see, G-d is not interested in religion; He's interested in a relationship with you. He turns away none who come to Him in earnest. You can start a relationship with your Creator even at this very moment. Pray this prayer, or something along these lines:

Prayer
G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: I want to know You. Yeshua: thank you for dying for me. Please come into my life and save me. Be Lord of my life.

If you honestly submit your life to G-d, wanting Him to change you, and you have trusted in Yeshua for salvation, then you have entered into a relationship with G-d and been given the promise of eternal life. Understand that it is not because of anything good you have done, but because G-d already paid the price by coming to earth as a human being and taking the punishment due you. G-d promised this relationship to all who call on His name, and He is good to His promises.

Understand that submitting your life to G-d and following Yeshua is a life-long decision. If you have done this, then study the Bible to find out more about G-d. G-d will send His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to help you understand His Word in ways you never were able to understand before. Also, make sure you get involved in a congregation of people who have also put their trust in Yeshua and who accept and teach the Bible as G-d's word. If you contact us, we will be happy to help you find such a place.

B'hatzlacha!