Let’s Talk Messianic Judaism… What is a Messianic Jew?

What Is a Messianic Jew?

Let’s Talk Messianic and Messianic Judaism – Part 1
By Rev. Dr. Sanette Fleming, DMin (ABD)
President, I Was Just Thinking Ministries Inc.

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Introduction: Who Is a Messianic Jew?

A Messianic Jew is a Jewish person who believes that Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth is the HaMashiach (המשיח)—the anointed Redeemer promised in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Far from abandoning their Jewish heritage, Messianic Jews affirm that belief in Yeshua is the fulfillment—not the negation—of Israel’s covenantal destiny (Matthew 5:17; Romans 11:1–5). Gentile followers of Yeshua in the first century were not converting to a new religion called Christianity. Instead, they were joining a Jewish movement, grafted into Israel’s olive tree, participating in the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan through Yeshua the Messiah (Romans 11:17–24).

The Messianic faith is not a hybrid religion. It is Biblical, prophetic, and covenantal, rooted in the Tanakh and fully expressed in the New Covenant Scriptures. It invites Jews and Gentiles to walk in the ways of the Lord with understanding, unity, and obedience to God’s eternal Word.

Salvation Is from the Jews (John 4:22)

Yeshua’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well reveals a critical truth:

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22, TLV)

The Greek phrase “ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία” (ek tōn Ioudaiōn estin hē sōtēria) explicitly declares that salvation flows from within the Jewish people. The preposition ek (ἐκ) emphasizes origin or source. All the covenants, promises, Scriptures, and ultimately the Messiah Himself come through the Jewish nation (Romans 9:4–5; Isaiah 11:1–10; Genesis 12:3).

Paul reinforces this in Romans:

“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Torah, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah.” (Romans 9:4–5, TLV)

Salvation did not begin in Rome or Antioch—it began in Zion. The Scriptures make it clear that the Messianic faith is Jewish at its core. This is not a matter of ethnicity alone but of covenantal authority and divine design (Isaiah 2:3; Zechariah 8:23).

Messianic Jews in the First Century: Faithful to Torah, Fulfilled in Messiah

The Jewish followers of Yeshua in the first century did not see themselves as part of a new religion. They remained Torah-observant, Temple-attending, Feast-celebrating Jews. They believed Yeshua was the fulfillment of the Torah, not its abolishment.

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17, TLV)

Temple and Synagogue Worship

Far from abandoning Jewish institutions, the early believers continued worshiping in the Temple in Jerusalem and synagogues across the Roman Empire:

• Acts 2:46 – “Every day they continued to gather together in the Temple courts.”
• Acts 3:1 – “Peter and John were going up to the Temple at the ninth hour, the time of prayer.”
• Acts 17:2 – “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Shabbatot he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.”

In fact, Gentiles were regularly found in synagogues as “God-fearers” (Greek: phoboumenoi ton Theon, cf. Acts 13:16, 26), indicating that Gentile believers were participating in Jewish worship, not inventing something separate.

“For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city from ancient times, because he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21, TLV)

Gentiles Grafted In – Not Replacing Israel

Paul’s epistles confirm that Gentiles who came to faith in Yeshua were not replacing Israel, but being grafted into the olive tree of Israel, becoming partakers in the promises through Messiah:

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you—being a wild olive—were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root of the olive tree with its richness, do not boast against the branches.” (Romans 11:17–18, TLV)

The Church did not replace Israel. This false teaching, known as Replacement Theology (Supersessionism), is a historical and theological distortion that became popular in the 2nd–4th centuries AD but has no basis in Apostolic teaching. As Paul states:

“Has God rejected His people? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite… God has not rejected His people whom He knew beforehand.” (Romans 11:1–2, TLV)

Gentiles were “formerly far off” but were “brought near by the blood of Messiah” (Ephesians 2:13). They were now fellow citizens with Israel, not a separate entity (Ephesians 2:19).

The Word “Church” Is Not in the Bible

Contrary to widespread belief, the English word “church” does not appear in the original Hebrew or Greek Scriptures. It is a mistranslation that obscures the original context.

Hebrew and Greek Terms for “Assembly”

• Hebrew: קָהָל (qāhāl) – assembly, congregation. Often refers to the whole congregation of Israel (Deuteronomy 9:10; Numbers 16:3).
• Hebrew: עֵדָה (‘ēdāh) – congregation, company, crowd (Exodus 12:3; Numbers 14:1).
• Greek: ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) – assembly, called-out ones. This word was used in the Septuagint (LXX) to translate qāhāl (e.g., Deuteronomy 31:30).

In the Greco-Roman world, ekklēsia referred to a governing body or civic assembly, not a religious institution. When the New Testament writers used ekklēsia, they meant “assembly” or “congregation” in the Jewish sense—not a building or a new religion.

“This is the one who was in the congregation (ekklēsia) in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai…” (Acts 7:38, ESV)

Thus, the “church” in the New Testament is not a building or a Roman institution, but the assembly of believers in Yeshua, gathered around the Torah, the prophets, and the Messiah.

“Greet also the congregation (ekklēsia) that meets at their house.” (Romans 16:5, TLV)

The idea that believers abandoned the synagogue in favor of “church buildings” is a post-Constantinian development. For the first 300 years, believers met in homes, synagogues, and public places.

Historical Accuracy: A Messianic Movement Misunderstood

The idea that Yeshua started a new religion is an invention of later centuries, not of the first-century Jewish movement. As scholar Oskar Skarsaune notes:

“In the beginning, the Christian movement was a Jewish sect… the break with Judaism happened gradually and painfully, and mostly under pressure from the outside.”¹

It was not until the Bar Kokhba Revolt (AD 132–135) and the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) that formal separation was forced between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Council of Laodicea (AD 363–364) prohibited Christians from observing the Biblical Feasts or keeping the Sabbath.

“Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day… if any be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.” (Canon 29, Council of Laodicea)

These anti-Jewish rulings severed the Church from its Jewish roots. Messianic Jews today seek to restore that original unity in truth and practice.

Messianic Judaism Today: Restoration, Not Innovation

Today’s Messianic Jewish movement is not new—it is ancient faith restored. It honors the Hebraic roots of the faith, the Biblical calendar, the Torah, and the Jewish Messiah Yeshua. It embraces the Apostolic writings as inspired Scripture and proclaims the Gospel to Jew and Gentile alike.

“He made us both one and broke down the middle wall of separation… to create in Himself one new man from the two.” (Ephesians 2:14–15, TLV)

This is the vision of Messianic Judaism: Jew and Gentile, one in Messiah, serving the God of Israel, walking in His commandments, and proclaiming the good news of Yeshua to all nations.

Conclusion

To be a Messianic Jew is to embrace the truth that the Messiah has come—and His name is Yeshua. It is to walk in the covenants of God, not in legalism, but in joyful obedience. It is to live as a light to the nations, pointing to the Redeemer of Israel and Savior of the world.

And for the Gentile believer, it is to recognize that you have been grafted into Israel’s promises, not to replace her, but to stand with her in worship of the one true God.

Stay tuned for more in this series: Let’s Talk Messianic and Messianic Judaism.

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Suggested Reading (Turabian Style)

1. Stern, David H. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998.
2. Skarsaune, Oskar. In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002.
3. Juster, Daniel C. Jewish Roots: Understanding Your Jewish Faith. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1995.
4. Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
5. Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989.

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Footnotes

¹ Oskar Skarsaune, In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002), 327–330.