What is Netzarim Messianic Judaism?

(Simple and complete overview of the faith in Yeshua):

Netzarim Messianic Judaism is a monotheistic religion (based on the believed of the existence of only one Elohim (God)). It is centered in the life and teachings of Yeshua Hamashiach ( a Jewist Rabi living in Israel between 6 BC and 33 AD).His followers as they are known believe Yeshua (Jesus) to be the Messiah (Christ in hebrew) prophesied in the Torah as the savior. They also believe He is the Son of Elohim, and that He is not Elohim (God).

Messianic Judaism is not christians dress in jews clothes, they are jews, in all the sense of the word, following the Laws of Elohim in the Tanack (Old Testament) like His Holy Feasts, the Shema, the days of worship (Sabbath) and jewish traditions follow by Yeshua and its apostles, that do not go against the Torah (Bible) and the laws given by Yeshua himself.

(Rev 14:12 [UKJV]) “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

1. The Complete Torah (Bible):

It considers that Elohim has taken action to reveal himself and His Son to us in his scriptures, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit of YHVH . The Torah is a collection of revealed scriptures given to us by Elohim through the writters of 66 books. This collection includes history, legends, poetry, letters, and prophecy.

The guide of the words of Elohim is what believers look for when they read the Torah. They see a power at work in their own lives, helping them out in situations which would otherwise be hopeless. A Messianic Jew will not accept any change of doctrine or belief unless can be traced directly to their Torah (Old and New Testament), that is what is called “Sola Scriptura” in the protestant tradition. The Torah becomes the only primary source of the revelation of Elohim, and any doctrine must be based on it.

For the faitfull in Messianic Judaism the Torah is inspired, is infallible, is to be interpreted literally in plain sense, it interprets itself and its clear in everything concerning salvation. But truth can not be based with isolated verses; it should be based on study of the whole message and of the major themes and key words placed throughout the Torah.

Elohim through His revelation on the Word (Torah) demands of us to live according to His moral law. His law is the standard for judging right or wrong and a Messianic Jews should follow his commandments, His Holy Feasts and days of worship (Sabbath).The Law of Moses was never abolished.

2. The Torah includes all the Hebrew scriptures (Tanakh), and talks of the creation of the world and humanity, giving especially attention to a group of people chosen by God upon which His laws were given: The Jewish People. Through out Abraham, Isaiah, Jacob and his sons and especially Moses, we follow the journey of the Israel nation in conquest or defeat as they obeyed or disobeyed God’s law. During this times the individuals and the nation as a whole perform an elaborated ceremony to cleanse their transgressions to the Law to be able to have fellowship with a Holy God, who can not even look upon sin, using animal sacrifices. It includes 39 books divided in 4 types: Law, Story, Poetry and Prophecy.

3. The New Testament Scriptures: Includes the biography of the life and ministry of Yeshua Ha Hamashiaj, The Son of God. There are four portraits of His life,and they are called The Gospels. There are also a book of Acts about the early church, some letters from the apostles about Hebrew Roots Beliefs and the last book is Revelation, a Prophetic book given details about the Second Coming of Messiah in the Last Days.

The central theme of the Bible is the Passion of the Messiah: the death by crucification, the burial and resurrection of Yeshua. The Messiah was a sinless man, like a lamb, gave His life in the cross for all mankind, not just the Jewish people, and by risen from death, He gave those who believe in Him salvation from the punishment of sins and eternal life with Elohim through His blood. Yeshua was the ultimate sacrifice, a last and perpetual atonement (amend), taking all our transgressions of the Law of Moses and paying the price to be able to reconcile ourselves with a Holy and Just YHVH .

4. Salvation: How Elohim reconciles us with Him.

YHVH reaches us through his word and most often through other people. This process of taking the message of salvation to others is called evangelism. This Great Commission was mandated by Christ so every faitfull will reach others with the message of the gospel.

People are by nature sinful. We all do things that even from a world point of view is wrong like: lying in our taxes, cheating on people we are suppose to love, keeping money when somebody give us a wrong cash back or swearing to the police that we never went over the speed limit. We are not bad people, but we are all sinners according to Elohim’s Law.

To be in fellowship with us YHVH called us to Him. That inward call is called Irresistible Grace, and it’s a free gift from Him, we do not have anything to do with it. It is the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit of YHVH bringing the sinner’ soul from spiritual death to an inclined and disposed faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. No one is inclined to Elohim unless the believer receives a inward calling from the Holy Spirit.

Only them the believer will respond yes to the outward call made by another believer, pastor or Elohim, repent of his ways and accept Yeshua Ha Hamashiach as his or her Lord and Savior. Only them the believer is consider saved from sin and reconciled with Elohim or born again.

That does not mean that the believer is free from sin and is a perfect human being, just means that from now on he or she can come to YHVH , ask for mercy, and be able with Elohim’s power to stand against sin, without ever loosing his or her salvation.

Ro’eh Yosef Ben Marques © 2013