Remember Tevye, the papa in Fiddler on the Roof? Surveying his sad situation: five unmarried daughters, a dry cow, a lame horse, Russian pogroms against his people, he looked up to God and said, "God, it¹s nice that you chose me to be one of your chosen people, but would you mind choosing someone else for a change."
 Obviously, Tevye thought "chosen" meant he shouldn't have to suffer. But God chose the Jews for something else. Through the Jewish people, the Lord planned to teach the non-Jewish world about himself.
 Moses said, "Look, I have taught you laws and rulings, just as Adonai my God ordered me...Therefore, observe them...for then all peoples (nations/gentiles) will see you as having wisdom and understanding. When they hear of all these laws, they will ask, Œ...What great nation is there that has laws and rulings as just as this entire Torah which I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). Implied is that the non-Jews would be envious of Jewish ways and their relationship with God, and want to learn more.
This is also seen when Yeshua gave his Jewish shlikim (apostles) the marching orders t (the Great Commission)  "go and make people from all nations (gentiles) into talmidim (disciples)." He told them to teach gentiles about God and his salvation, and he was saying more.
 A talmid (singular for talmidim) is a rabbi's student, one who learns how to live a biblically observant life. It¹s clear from the way Yeshua taught, and also how he lived with his followers, that he practiced this rabbinical method of teaching. Thus, when he told his shlikim to go make talmidim, he told them to teach, not only about salvation, but much, much more. He, like Moses, wanted gentiles to learn the ways of God, the ways of Torah.
 One of the purposes for which God chose the Jewish people was to teach non-Jews about Him. Sadly, this has not been a high priority among my people. We have been dealing more with persecution, Israel's survival, and the continuity of our people. But Messianic Judaism is helping make talmidim out of non-Jews.
  I¹ve presented the "Messiah Our Passover" program in many churches. I explain the connection between Passover and the Last Supper, as well as the Lord¹s Supper/Communion. Very often people tell me that the program "opened their eyes." They never knew the Jewish background of this important Christian observance. But the Passover/Last Supper connection is only scratching the surface.
 Each biblical holiday could be meaningful and relevant to Christians. There is not space here to explain this (that¹s why we publish books on these subjects), but these special days are a gold mine of riches for Gentiles. And that's not all.
 The Torah, the Five Books of Moses, is filled with principles and instructions for individuals, families, communities, and nations. If understood and practiced, life just becomes better. Rabbi Saul (the Apostle Paul) affirmed this to Timothy: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.” The only Scripture available was the Holy Scriptures, the Old Testament. Paul was encouraging Timothy to know and follow the Torah.
 Messianic Judaism is accomplishing what God wanted Jews teaching non-Jews (as well as other Jews) the ways of God.
 Messianic Judaism offers something more to Jewish people, as well.  Most of my people have not read the Old Testament, and of course not the New Testament. Traditional rabbinical Judaism (the caretaker of the Torah) has been quite unappealing to most Jews. Nowadays, you¹re as likely to find a Jew in an Ashram, a Unitarian Church, or a Bahai meeting as you are to find one in a synagogue. I¹m not disparaging rabbinical Judaism. Neither did Yeshua. He showed where the rabbis were off base in their observances. That¹s clear in the Sermon on the Mount. But Judaism today does not benefit from the Messiah's interpretation and application of the teachings of Torah. Messianic Judaism does.
 Yeshua taught his talmidim how to interpret Torah. He didn¹t cancel it; he confirmed it, with a proper understanding of how to observe it. Messianic Judaism could be the most attractive form of Judaism today. The vast majority of Jews don¹t worship in a synagogue, but more and more are attracted to Messianic synagogues by the teaching of the rabbis, the moving of the Spirit in the congregation, the love and warmth, the singing and dancing. Messianic Judaism is bringing Jews back to the teachings of the Torah, as explained by Yeshua and his talmidim. This is good news for the Jewish community.
 As Messianic Judaism matures, it will help more and more Christians restore the richness of their Jewish roots. Paul said that gentile believers were "grafted in" and that they had become part of the Commonwealth of Israel. In other words, all the wonderful teachings and practices Moses taught his people are available to non-Jews, as well as Jews. And God encourages people to follow the Torah by saying, "Choose life!"
 Moreover, as Messianic Judaism receives more acceptance as another branch of Judaism, this will encourage Jews to receive the message of the Messiah, not only with regard to salvation, but also concerning having better biblical interpretation. Indeed, this will enable our people to fulfill the purpose God had for his chosen people, to tell the entire world about him.
 If Tevye knew about Messianic Judaism, he would truly understand what he was chosen for.
 

Click here to return to other articles     Or here to return to home page