Tough Concepts
 

Radio teaching notes from Rabbi Jeremy Storch

Today I would like to talk to you about Messianic Judaism because many people ask, "What exactly is Messianic Judaism?" and, "How can Jewish people believe in Jesus?"

Messianic Judaism began 2,000 years ago with the Messiah Himself, (Jesus of Nazareth). Jesus was Jewish and so were all of His disciples, and so were all the men who wrote the Bible, both Old and New Covenant scriptures. (In Hebrew, the Tenach and the Brit Hadasha)

According to the scriptures, Yeshua lived the life of a Jewish person. He was circumcised, dedicated and had a "form of a Bar Mitzvah" at the Temple (see Luke, chapter 2). He attended the synagogues on Shabbat and went to the Jewish festivals. He not only observed the commandments of the Torah, but He, Himself, fulfilled them (Matt. 5:17, 18).

In the early centuries after Yeshua's death and resurrection, many changes in the Body of the Messiah came about through Roman church policy (including the switching of Shabbat, the official day of worship from Saturday to Sunday), but that never stopped Messianic Judaism from existing, nor the fact that Christianity was born out of Judaism.

Over the centuries and up until the present time, the majority of Jewish believers in Yeshua still maintained their Jewish identity, Jewish Customs and Jewish lifestyle, even through they have also embraced the basic doctrine of the New Covenant (the deity of Jesus, forgiveness of sins through His blood atonement on the cross, resurrection from the dead and everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven). The same is true today, only on a larger magnitude due to the worldwide Messianic Jewish explosion which has taken place during the last 40 years.

In the late 1960's there were only a handful of Messianic Synagogues and perhaps a few thousand Jewish believers in Yeshua. Today there are over 400 Messianic Congregations in the United States alone, with many more around the world. There are also hundreds of thousands of Jewish believers in Yeshua throughout the world today, and the number is growing rapidly!

Why, you might ask? Because God has a divine plan and nothing can stop it! In these last days, as many of our Jewish people are becoming "born again" through the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit); the Church (also inspired by the Holy Spirit), is sovereignly becoming hungry for the Jewishness of the gospel and for the biblical Jewish Roots of Christianity. The reason being, that as the Bride of Messiah, God is preparing us for the soon return of our Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Yeshua, who has broken down the middle wall of partition and made us all one in Him.

On a personal note, I grew up in a typical Jewish home, had Bar Mitzvah and observed the Jewish holidays, but honestly it was all a lifeless form of religion to me. Today, after being a believer in Yeshua for twenty-seven years, I have never been more Jewish in all my life! I worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I observe Shabbat and all of the Biblical Jewish Festivals, I study the writings of the Torah and the entire Tenach (Old Testament) on a regular basis, and I pray to the God of Israel every day. These are things I never did until I accepted God's Messiah into my heart. You might say, Jesus really made me Jewish, and not only that, but a Messianic Jewish Rabbi as well, for the glory of God.
 

Today I would like to talk to you about the triune nature of God. Of course, the Lord our God is one God who manifests His Presence in three divine persons. Avinu (our Father), Yeshua (the Son) and the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit), but still He is one God!

In Deut. 6:4 we find a central statement of all branches of Judaism, including Messianic Judaism (Jewish believers in Jesus). It is called in Hebrew the "Shema". It reads “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad” – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”.

Now, some of you may be asking "If the Lord is one God, how can He manifest Himself in three divine persons? How can three be one?"

A hard concept for the human mind to grasp; however, God created and arranged many things is a triune fashion. The universe consists of space, time and matter. Space consists of length, breadth and depth. Time consists of past, present and future. Matter consists of energy, motion and phenomena. A sunbeam is light, heat and ultra violet rays and H20 is ice, liquid and steam. What's more, even basic Judaism teaches the same concept. The patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Tenach (Hebrew Bible), includes the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. The three pieces of Matzah at the Passover table represents the Priests, the Levites and the people, according to traditional Judaism.

The Trinity is not originally a Christian concept. It was well documented in the Hebrew Scriptures long before the New Testament was written. The scripture references often read "Elohim" in Hebrew in the Tenach. Elohim is the plural noun for the word "God". You will discover this as you read the following scriptures: Genesis 1:1,2 with verse 26 and Genesis 3:22. These passages use "Elohim". In Psalm 110:1 David wrote, "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till make your enemies your footstool". Isaiah 48:16 (A great Messianic Prophecy) says, "The sovereign Lord, meaning (God), has sent me (the Messiah), with His Spirit (the Holy Spirit).

Here we see all three divine persons of the Godhead in one verse of scripture! (That's Isa. 48:16). There are many other passages in the Tenach which clearly reflect the triune nature of God. The Trinity, contrary to popular belief, finds its roots in Judaism, not Christianity.

In either case, the Trinity does not represent three gods, but one God who manifests Himself in three divine persons.

This may be hard for the human mind to grasp, but remember, with God, all things are possible.

Today I would like to talk to you about "blood atonement". The theme of blood atonement is dominant throughout the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). The blood of the Passover Lamb was applied to the door posts of every Israelite home just prior to the exodus from Egypt (according to Ex. 12). When God saw the blood on the door-post, he "passed over" that house and those inside passed from death to life.

The writings of Torah often remind us that "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins". Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of a creature is in the blood; and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar, it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life". In the Tabernacle of Moses and in the Temple of Solomon, the blood of animals was offered as a sacrifice for the sins of the people, especially on Yom Kippur, which is the Day of Atonement.

All the blood sacrifices foreshadowed the one perfect sacrifice, Yeshua, whose blood made atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is also known as the Lamb of God. If you apply (spiritually speaking) the blood of His atonement to the door-post of your heart, you will pass from "death unto life". You will also receive the gift of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit). If you reject His blood sacrifice, which He made on your behalf, then there is no forgiveness of sin. Through Him, and Him alone, is God's plan of salvation for the Jewish people and for all mankind.

The Rabbis teach that when the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, blood atonement became unnecessary. Forgiveness of sins now came through doing "good works". But God says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins". Even the prophet Isaiah said, "Our own acts of righteousness are like filthy rags before the Lord". (Isaiah 64:6)

The question to all of us is, "do you think you can save yourself" or "Do you want to come under the New Covenant which God has provided for you and me through the blood of the Messiah Yeshua?

This New Covenant was instituted by the Messiah, Himself, shortly before His crucifixion, when at the Passover table He took the cup and said, "Drink from it, all of you – this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins".

My fiends, you do not have to live a life of bondage and sin - you can have the "abundant life" instead, promised by the Messiah Yeshua, who also gave His life for you - listen carefully to the words of this song and then simply ask Jesus into your heart, today!

The song “My Atonement” can be ordered – it’s on the “On Mount Zion” CD
 

At the Tabernacle we place an emphasis on Spirit-filled praise and worship that we may worship the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) in "Spirit and in truth" and in the "splendor of His holiness". We also recognize that there is a strong connection between "high praise" and spiritual warfare.

According to the scriptures there is a strong connection between praise and warfare. In Gen. 29:35, when Leah, the wife of Jacob, gave birth to their fourth son, she said, "this time I will praise the Lord" and she named the child Judah. The name of Judah comes from the Hebrew root word "Yadah", which means "to thank and praise with extended hands". In Judges 1:1,2, the Israelites inquired of the Lord "who shall go up first to fight against the Canaanites?" The Lord answered "let Judah go up first" or in other words, let praise be on the frontlines of the battle. In II Chronicles 20, there were three enemy nations coming against King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The Spirit of the Lord told Jehoshaphat to place singers on the frontlines of the battle, which he did. The Lord then threw all three enemy nations into complete confusion and gave Jehoshaphat a total victory that day.

Today, for us as believers in Jesus, who is the "lion of the tribe of Judah", the same biblical and spiritual principles apply. When we come together and lift up our voices in praise to the Lord, spiritual warfare takes place in the "heavenly realms" and God always gives us the victory, "for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, even to the pulling down of strongholds!" (2 Cor. 10:4).

If you are presently under a "spiritual attack", remember to pick up one of the spiritual weapons God has given us, the weapon of praise! Take you position on the frontlines of the battle and "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever". Praise the Lord with all your heart, and watch Him throw your enemies into complete confusion and give you a mighty victory.

“Speak to Me” can be ordered – it’s on “In the Presence of the Lord” CD
 

Shalom! This is Messianic Rabbi Jeremy Storch of the Tabernacle, a Messianic Jewish/Christian congregation here in Branson, Mo. For service times and locations, please call 417-334-7373. Song played from CD, entitled "Speak to Me", which reflects prayer, worship and intimacy with God.