Will The Real Jews Please Stand Up?

Will The Real Jews Please Stand Up? Will The Real Jews Please Stand Up? by Daniel Keeran, MSW Victoria, Canada collegemhc@gmail.com With the possible exception of some ultra-Orthodox Jews, modern adherents of Judaism commonly reject the idea that an individual is prophesied to be the Messiah. Another common view is that the Messiah would be a powerful military ruler or leader, not the image of a gentle or humble king with no army and riding on a donkey, described in Zechariah 9:9 If Christian is Greek for Messianic, should followers of Yeshua of Nazareth be called by a more Hebrew term, like Messianics or Messians? “However, if you suffer as a Messianic, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Although the author is not Jewish by physical lineage, he believes the process of conversion to Judaism or to become a Jew begins with learning the contents of the Tanach, pointing to the risen Jewish Messiah as a person of divine origin (see the miracles of Yeshua) rather than the physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) who nonetheless are “loved on account of the patriarchs. For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” This Messiah was to be a Prince of Peace, and his early followers emulated and extolled nonviolence. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 53 is likely speaking about a person and not the nation of Israel. Why? Because the prophet only refers to a singular “he” or “him” as an offering for sin who “will see the light of life” following his suffering death. “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” – Psalm 16:10 “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.”– Isaiah 53:10-11 Then one must begin confessing publicly the identity of Yeshua of Nazareth (“they will call him the Son of the Most High” in 4QR246), repent of sins and be immersed in water (see Mikvah) believing this to be starting a relationship with (into) the Messiah and his death for the forgiveness of sins as spoken by the prophet Zechariah 13:1 “A fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” On this occasion, Ha Kodesh (the Spirit of God) is given to the new Jewish person. Required of both Jews by lineage and Goyim (Gentiles), this immersion is a pledge to keep a clear conscience toward God. Upon rising from the water, one becomes Jewish in every way except by physical lineage, for the descendants of Abraham become so by believing God instead of by physical lineage. This immersion is the circumcision (of heart) by the Messiah, replacing the penile circumcision for becoming a Jew (see the writing of Paul in Colossians 2:12-13). Many self-identified Messianic groups do not follow the above process for becoming descendants of Abraham, and some groups try to immerse (baptize) unconscious people and even infants, believing the baptismal act and invocation of words to have effect in itself regardless of personal awareness, understanding, or commitment. Yet although infants and small children were certainly among the Samaritans in Acts 8:12, only the men and women are recorded to have been immersed. Households do not necessarily include infants or small children. “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”- Galatians 3:7-9 “If you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”- the apostle Paul, student of Gamaliel, Galatians 3:29