You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob!
Psalm 44:4
Lifting up Zion’s mission is twofold: to pray for the salvation of Israel (the Jews) (Rom. 10:1) and to financially bless the Messianic Jews (Rom. 15:25-27). We hold this mission firmly because our vision is the salvation of all Israel, as God promises in Romans 11:26.
So, who are the Messianic Jews? This question hinges on another question: Who are the Jews?
Genealogically, the Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Historically, the Jews have also been called Israel, which was the name God gave to Jacob after he struggled with God (Gen. 32:28).
However, there were also those who became Jews through conversion, so Jews were not only those who physically descended from Jacob; however, the vast majority of Jews were (Ex. 12:48-49). So, one could be Jewish because of ancestry, or one could be Jewish because of religious conversion.
Now, during Jesus’s earthly ministry, all of his disciples were Jewish. Furthermore, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, all of those present were Jewish. On that day, Peter preached boldly to a diverse group of Jews from around the world who were in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. Scripture says:
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:38-39
The number of Jews who believed in Yeshua as Messiah grew wildly from this day forward.
As we read through the book of Acts, we notice a division between those Jews who believed in Jesus as Messiah and those who did not. For example, Peter and John were arrested for preaching in the Name of Jesus and healing a lame man (Acts 3-4). Scripture says that the rulers, elders, and scribes gathered together and said:
But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.
Acts 4:17
On the other hand, Jews from various backgrounds came to believe in Jesus. For example, many priests came to the faith.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:7
And we also know that many Pharisees came to believe in Jesus because when the believers gathered for what we call the Jerusalem Council, some Pharisees who believed in Yeshua were present.
…some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees…
Acts 15:5
So, who are the Messianic Jews? Generally speaking, they are Jews who believe in Yeshua as the Messiah. Some would add that in addition to faith in Yeshua as Messiah, they also continue to keep some Jewish traditions and practices.
Today, Messianic Jews are a diverse group of people who worship in various ways. Some Messianic synagogues are more reminiscent of an Orthodox Jewish service, while others are more reminiscent of a Pentecostal church service.
The one thing Messianic Jews have in common is they worship and proclaim the name of Jesus, of Yeshua, as Lord and Messiah.
