The Messianic Idea in Judaism

All quiet on the Masters front?

You may wonder why it’s been so quiet on the MTh front!?! Have I given up already? No, just been out of action for a couple of months as I twisted two vertebrae in my neck and hurt my shoulder. Skiing through the pain, before diagnosis, I hasten to add, I think made it worse!! As a result the Doctor put me on heavy painkillers, and then praise God, I found an Osteopath, and I’m on the mend now. It’s been a tough time though... I’m way behind schedule, so your prayers would be most appreciated.

Jesus: The Jewish messiah?

The positive news is that despite this, as a result of my first term I was able to put together a comprehensive and in depth study on the Jewish Messiah.

The CD is now available, and it comes with the PDF of my notes – you can order it through the Shoresh’im Office (contact details at the bottom of this page).

The feedback has been positive, with many saying that they discovered new pearls of information, so I encourage you to look deeper into this important topic and investigate why the Jewish people struggle to see Yeshua as their Messiah.

My first essay – “The Messianic Idea In Judaism”…

Now I’m in the process of writing (well, still reading) for my 5000 word essay on: How do Messianic Jews relate to the ‘Messianic idea in Judaism’ in light of their belief in Yeshua as Messiah?

The ‘Messianic idea in Judaism’ is varied, as by no means is Judaism a monolithic religion, even if it appears that  Pharisaic thought did have most control from the first century. Today the Jewish people are almost unanimous in saying NO to Yeshua, yet when you study three millennia of Jewish history, there are many times that our belief systems are so close, but yet sadly remain so far apart.

What I have discovered is that ‘the main postulates of the New Testament concerning Messiah are fully supported by the Rabbinic statements’ as remember, ‘the Rabbinic ideas were... based on the Old Testament’ just as our beliefs are too. The main doctrines of Messiah’s death, sufferings, even pre-existence are there, however, ‘as we might expect... indistinct, incoherent, unexplained and from a much lower standpoint.  At best it is the lower stage of yet unfulfilled prophecy- the haze when the sun is about to rise, not the blaze when it has risen.' [Edersheim: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah; p.116]

But, nevertheless, it is STILL there!!!

Recommended reading…

I would encourage reading Book 2 chapter 5 ‘What Messiah did the Jews expect’ from Edersheim’s book. See book review... Also to study Appendix 9, which is the list of old Testament passages messianically applied in ancient Rabbinic writings. It will blow your mind!

Every page has new insight

Every page I turn, in the tens of books I borrowed from the library, I find new insight. So much I read from the Jewish standpoint is so close to what you and I believe. Unfortunately, not many Christians or Messianic Jews have actually interacted with the ‘Messianic Idea in Judaism’ specifically, so it’s a complicated task of trying to decipher their response to what I believe is a crucial issue that anyone who loves the Jewish people and honours the Jewish roots of our faith, needs to grapple with and find a response to. So, let’s hope I can do it well so it will be useful for many others too.

Come with me on this journey

Go on, get your books out too, come on this exciting journey of discovery with me, and let me know your thoughts along the way!

Natasha