For I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham,” …of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews…(Roman 11:1, Phil. 3:5)
One of the most important and misunderstood issues in witnessing to Jews and Israelis about faith in Yeshua is: “Are we still Jews now that we believe in Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach)
Unfortunately, Jewish history is filled with hate crime, persecution, liable, pogroms, expulsions and forced conversions (baptisms) to Christianity committed against Jews by “so-called” Christians and “The Church”. Today in Israel, Israeli Jews see themselves as Jews mainly according to Rabbinical Judaism that rejects Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah, and considers anyone who has trusted their life to Yeshua and was baptized, as being no longer Jewish but Christian. The Israeli government has adopted this point of view and has ruled in the precedent case of “The Beredsfords” that Jews who have converted to Christianity are no longer Jews and don’t have the right of return to the Land of Israel as citizens; a privilege all Jews enjoy.
Of course, as Jewish believers in Yeshua, the Body of Yeshua in Israel doesn’t agree with this ruling, and sees itself as part of the Jewish people. We find it very important to explain this important issue to those with whom we share the Gospel.
Recently, an article in the Jerusalem Post newspaper stated that there are four streams of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionists)…In response, an Israeli Messianic leader of a congregation wrote a letter to the Post Editor-in-Chief. Amazingly it was published in the paper and reached about 15,000 readers, some of them very influential. The Messianic leader also sent a copy of the letter to other Messianic leaders encouraging them to send letters to the Post stating our position and belief.
We pray that more Israelis will become familiar with this issue and know the truth according to the Word of God.
Below are excerpts from the letter sent to the Jerusalem Post on May 25 (btw, the paper came up with the title):
25 May 2016 Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz
We’re still Jews!
“…Certain people have concluded that when a Jewish person believes in Yeshua as the Messiah, he or she is no longer Jewish. This is absolutely wrong. If you ask any Messianic Jew if he or she is Jewish, that person will say: “Of course I am. I was born Jewish and I will die Jewish. I believe in a Jewish man who fulfilled the prophecies of the…Messiah from the Jewish scriptures. The idea that this makes me a non-Jew is absurd!”
” …take the case of Rabbi Akiva. He proclaimed that Bar-Kochba was the Jewish messiah. Today, we know otherwise. Not only was Akiva mistaken, but his mistake brought enormous catastrophe upon the Jewish people. But do people say he was not a Jew? So how is it that a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua as the Jewish messiah, even if he or she is wrong, is no longer a Jew?”
“…we live in a country where freedom of belief and freedom of the press still exist. One of the more prominent streams of Judaism today is the Chabad movement. Many of its adherents believe that their late Rabbi is the Jewish Messiah. I believe this is wrong, but I have no doubt that these people are still Jewish.”
PLEASE PRAY WITH US AND THE BODY OF YESHUA IN ISRAEL for the Truth of Yeshua, The Messiah to take root in the hearts of Israelis. Pray that they understand that He is the Savior sent by God, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Gentile.) Romans 1:16