My name is Loren Jacobs. I'm typical of a growing number of Jewish people today. I grew up in a Jewish home, went to synagogue, and had my bar mitzvah, but I felt that something spiritual was missing from my life. As a teenager I started investigating Eastern philosophy. When I went to Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois I studied western philosophy. It was during college that I started reading the Bible for the first time on my own. Within a very short time my life was completely revolutionized and hasn't been the same since.

What was it that transformed me? I had a supernatural encounter with the Jewish Messiah. He opened up a whole new dimension of spirituality to my life that I never dreamed possible. He enabled me to develop a personal relationship with the God of Israel that is still going strong twenty years later. I discovered the Messiah, who came to earth 2000 years ago, died in the city of Jerusalem on Passover, but miraculously came back to life. I encountered Yeshua - Jesus of Nazareth.

Many Jewish people are looking for a deeper sense of spirituality. They are looking for it in all kinds of places - the occult, psychics, and the new age movement. Maybe that's you - maybe you are searching for something more. It might come as a surprise to learn that you don't have to leave the realm of Judaism in order to meet that need!

What is Messianic Judaism?

Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish people who believe that Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew) is the promised Messiah for Israel, and the Savior of the world. He is the One that the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures told us was to come. Messianic Jews have not stopped being Jewish. On the contrary, we are even more Jewish in our identity and lifestyle. I enjoy telling people that Yeshua made me kosher - because it's true.

When did Messianic Judaism originally begin?

Messianic Judaism is actually 2,000 years old, dating back to the time of Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua was born in a Jewish home. He was raised in a Jewish family. He was a rabbi who taught Jewish people in a Jewish land - Israel. The apostles were Jewish. The writers of the New Testament were Jewish, and for a time, the Faith was strictly Jewish. There were tens of thousands of Jewish people who believed that Yeshua was the Messiah in the first century (see the New Testament book of Acts 2:37-42, 4:4, 21:20).

When did the modern movement of Messianic Judaism begin?

Messianic Judaism faded from the ancient scene around the seventh century A.D. Beginning in the 1800's increasing numbers of Jewish people began to believe in Yeshua once again. The movement picked up speed after 1967, when thousands of Jewish people suddenly accepted Yeshua.

How many Messianic Jews are there in the United States?

It has been estimated that there are 100,000 Messianic Jews in the United States, and this number is growing all the time. Just as Messianic Judaism is not new, Messianic synagogues are not new either. From Biblical and historical records, we know that Messianic synagogues existed as early as 50 A.D. A Messianic synagogue is a place where we can worship the God of Israel, believe in Messiah Yeshua, live a Jewish lifestyle, and raise our children to be Jews.

Currently there are 150 Messianic synagogues in the United States and another 40 or 50 in Israel. Messianic Synagogues are in other countries as well. Bible prophecies indicate that Messianic Judaism is a direct result of God revealing Himself once again to the Jewish people, and that one day soon all Jewish people will recognize Yeshua. We are just the beginning. Messianic Judaism is the Judaism of the future.

If Messianic Judaism was strictly Jewish at first, how did Gentiles come into the Faith?

At first the early Messianic Jews only proclaimed Yeshua to Jewish people. Ironically, the big controversy in the first century was not if it was Jewish to believe in Yeshua, but whether Gentiles could become part of the Messianic Faith without having to become Jewish first! When Messianic Jews finally recognized that Messiah was also for the Gentiles, they began to share Yeshua with non-Jews as well as with Jews. As a result many Gentiles came into the Messianic Faith.

By the end of the first century A.D., the number of Gentile Believers outnumbered the Jewish Believers. As the number of Gentile Believers increased, they began to dominate the Messianic Faith. Some Gentile Believers, not understanding the Jewish roots of their Faith and God's eternal covenant with Israel, wanted to split off and form a separate religion divorced from their Jewish roots (see Romans 11:1-2). This "de-Judaizing process" continued until the Gentile expression of Christianity emerged as the dominant form of faith in the Jewish Messiah. Then in one of the greatest paradoxes in history, it became alien for a Jew to believe in Yeshua as the Messiah!

Who is a Christian?

There is a difference between anti-Semitic Gentiles who are nominally Christian, like an Adolph Hitler, and true Christians. Moishe Rosen once said: being born in a Christian home doesn't make you a Christian any more than being born in a bakery makes you a bagel! A true Christian must have a spiritual rebirth. True Christians should have a genuine love for the Jewish people (see Romans 11:11). There have been many real Christians who gave their lives to save Jewish people. Yad V'Shem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial, has a grove of trees planted in honor of these Christians who sacrificed themselves to save Jews. While we are spiritually united with true Christians, and consider them our spiritual brothers, Messianic Jews have our own expression of the Faith. We observe the Jewish holidays and the Sabbath. We practice circumcision. Many of us keep kosher. We have Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Jewish weddings and funerals. In other words, we live as Jews.

Can Gentile Believers be members of a Messianic synagogue?

According to the New Testament, Gentile Believers have entered a Jewish faith (see Romans 11:24). They are spiritually circumcised and become part of the Commonwealth of Israel (see Ephesians 2:11-13). To be a member of a Messianic synagogue, a Gentile Believer should love the Jewish people. He needs to understand what God is doing among the Jewish people. He needs to be able to say, along with the Ruth of the Bible: your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God (Ruth 1:16). We thank God for the many wonderful Gentiles who have such a love for Israel.

A Messianic Synagogue can be the ideal place for intermarried couples. Many have expressed that we have the best of both worlds - the rich Jewish heritage and a vibrant spirituality that comes from knowing the God of Israel and Messiah Yeshua in a personal way.

What is the difference between Messianic Judaism and Rabbinic Judaism? How can you say that Messianic Judaism is more faithful to the Jewish Bible than Rabbinic Judaism?

Rabbinic Judaism, whether it is Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform, is centered around the teachings of the rabbis. After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. the rabbis reorganized Judaism and added many new laws, rules, customs and traditions to the Bible. Their writings, like the Talmud, form the foundation of Rabbinic Judaism. Of all the various Judaisms that existed in the first century, Messianic Judaism and Rabbinic Judaism are the only ones that remain. We claim that Messianic Judaism is more faithful to the Jewish Bible than Rabbinic Judaism.

The Jewish Bible teaches that it is wrong to add man made rules to the Word of God.

It is a terrible mistake to add the laws of men to the pure revelation of God. You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it (Deuteronomy 4:2). But the rabbis have added many rules to the Word of God. These man made traditions have complicated and confused things, and helped us miss the true goal of the Jewish Bible - Messiah. The prophet Jeremiah put it this way: My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). By adding man made rules to the Bible, by elevating rabbinic writings to the same level as God's Word, and by taking away from the Word of God by not accepting the true Messiah, the rabbis have done terrible spiritual damage to the Jewish people. Messianic Judaism differs in that we are based totally on the Bible, both the Older Testament as well as the New Testament. Our Judaism is the Judaism of the entire Bible and only the Bible. We believe that the Bible is a supernatural book, divinely inspired by the Creator of the universe. It is a priceless treasure that contains wisdom for this life and guidance for eternal life. Because we believe the Bible is the inspired communique from God, we believe everything that it teaches. We believe in angels and demons, in heaven and hell, in resurrection and eternal life, in miracles and the world to come.

The Jewish Bible teaches the necessity of having a personal relationship with God.

In most synagogues today we never hear about developing a personal relationship with our Creator. Where is that relationship with God that Abraham and Moses had? Almost no one can say as King David did: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:1-2). Can you honestly say that you have a personal relationship with God like that?

Instead most synagogues emphasize ritual and ceremonies. Isaiah the prophet put it this way: This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of traditions learned by rote (Isaiah 29:13). Rabbinic Judaism today for the most part does not emphasize having a personal relationship with the Creator. Prayers, ceremonies and rituals can be nice, but they are no substitute for a personal relationship with God.

Messianic Judaism believes that it is essential to have a personal relationship with God. God is not just a concept or an idea for us, but a living Person, and coming to know Him is our primary responsibility in life. Only through Messiah is it possible for us to enter into this kind of personal relationship with our Creator. God is a living Person, and a personal relationship with God must always be emphasized as central to true Judaism.

The Jewish Bible teaches that we must come to God on His terms - not our terms. There are two essential components to approach God on His terms: a sacrifice and a mediator.

The Jewish Bible teaches that we need to approach God with a sacrifice. Moses put it this way: The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement (Lev. 17:11). Every day at the Jerusalem Temple animals were sacrificed. Their blood was poured out on the altar to make atonement for our souls. The pure animal took on the sin of the human who had sinned, and the person who sinned was cleansed by the blood of the sacrifice. Rabbinic Judaism today is without the sacrifice that the Jewish Bible teaches is essential for atonement and approaching God on His terms.

Messianic Judaism believes in this principle of atonement based on sacrifice. We believe that all the sacrifices in the Jewish Bible were pointing us to the ultimate sacrifice - Messiah Yeshua. The prophet Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Yeshua came, gave us this amazing prediction: He (referring to the Messiah) was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed (see Isaiah 53:5). 700 years after Isaiah predicted the Messiah's death to atone for sin, Yeshua died on a cross in Jerusalem so that all who believe in Him, both Jew and Gentile, can be reconciled to God and be eternally forgiven.

The Jewish Bible teaches that we need not only a sacrifice, but we need someone to offer the sacrifice. In the Jewish Bible that person was called a cohen - a priest. The job of the cohen was to function as a mediator to help us approach God. Rabbinic Judaism teaches that we can approach God without any mediator. But according to the Jewish Bible no one except the High Priest of Israel could enter the Most Holy Place of the Jerusalem Temple, the place where God manifested His presence on earth. The High Priest could only enter the Most Holy Place on Yom Kippur, and only by taking the blood of a sacrifice with him.

When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD the rabbis were faced with a dilemma. What were they to do without the Temple, without the sacrifices, and without the priests that were essential to approach God on His terms? The rabbis solved their dilemma by replacing the Temple, the sacrifices and the priests. They replaced the Temple with the synagogue. They replaced the priests with the rabbis. They replaced the sacrifices with repentance, prayer, studying the Bible and doing good deeds. Repentance, prayer, Bible study and good deeds are fine, but they are not adequate substitutes for the way God told us to approach Him.

The Judaism of the Bible is a Judaism of priests and sacrifices, Temple and atonement. That is the way to approach God on His terms that He revealed. Without a God ordained priest offering up a God ordained sacrifice in God's Temple in Jerusalem, no true atonement is taking place, Biblical Judaism is not occurring, and no real approach to God is happening - we are only fooling ourselves.

Messianic Judaism took another approach. We recognized that Yeshua was sent by God to fulfill the Biblical requirements for approaching God on His terms. Messianic Judaism retains the original principles in the Jewish Bible - approaching God His way on His terms - through a sacrifice and a priest. There is only one way to legitimately approach God - by accepting Messiah Yeshua the High Priest of the New Covenant, and the Final Sacrifice.

The Jewish Bible teaches that Messiah is an essential central Jewish concept. God, speaking through Moses predicted: I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen, like you (Moses), and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak all that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him (Deut. 18:18-19). Messiah is the greatest of the prophets. We must listen carefully to everything that He said. He speaks for God. He represents God. Messiah is the key to coming back to God, finding atonement and receiving eternal life. We believe that Messiah already came the first time to make atonement for the sins of Israel and the world, that God raised Him from the dead, and that Yeshua will return soon to fulfill everything that God has revealed. It is essential to believe in Messiah now. Messianic Judaism already knows Him. Rabbinic Judaism is missing the Messiah.

The Jewish Bible teaches that God will make a New Covenant with the Jewish people, different from the one He made with us at Mount Sinai. Like me you probably were never taught that the New Covenant is found in the Jewish Bible in the book of Jeremiah: Behold days are coming declares the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them declares the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days declares the Lord. I will put My Torah within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Messianic Judaism believes this New Covenant has already been made. Through His death and resurrection Messiah Yeshua put into effect this new relationship with God. Another way of saying "New Covenant" is "New Testament." Messiah Yeshua already established this Covenant, and if we believe in Him we can enter into this new relationship with God right now. Rabbinic Judaism is missing the New Covenant. God wanted the Jewish people enter the New Covenant with Messiah, not take the path of Talmudic Judaism.

Messianic Judaism is the Judaism that is consistent with the Jewish Bible. We retain the principles of approaching God on His terms - by having a sacrifice and a priest. We have entered the New Covenant which is already in effect. We believe in the Messiah who makes a personal relationship with God possible. We are the Judaism that is most faithful to the Jewish Bible. It is Rabbinic Judaism that has deviated from the authentic original Biblical Judaism - not us.

You base a lot on the Bible. How do you know that the Bible is true?

Many of the greatest archaeologists believe that the Biblical manuscripts are authentic, accurate and reliable. Ever since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940's there has been ever increasing confidence among scholars that the Bible was transmitted very accurately over the past 3500 years.

The Bible is accurate scientifically. There are thousands of scientists who believe that the Bible is scientifically true, and that there is no conflict between true science and the Bible.

Very few books claim to be a divine revelation from God. The Bible is one of the very few books that makes that claim. That in and of itself is unusual and makes it worth taking a closer look at.

Consider the amazing unity of the Bible. It was written by forty authors from different backgrounds over 1500 years and yet reads like it was written by one author. That makes the Bible unique, and hints that it is a supernatural message system.

Consider the tremendous impact that this Book has made. The Bible has affected the world more than any other book ever written. It's the most widely published book ever written. It has influenced morals, law, politics, literature, the arts and science more than any other book.

Perhaps one of the strongest evidences that the Bible is supernaturally inspired by God is its ability to tell the future. Let me give you some detailed prophecies in the Bible about the nation of Israel.

• The Bible predicted that the Jewish people would undergo a world wide diaspora. It was predicted in Deuteronomy 28:62-68 and has literally taken place.
  
  
• The Bible predicted that the Jewish people would have a very difficult time in the diaspora, and yet we would be preserved (see Leviticus 26:31-45, Jeremiah 31:35-37).
  
  
• The Bible predicted that just before the Messiah's Second Coming, the Jewish people would be regathered and established as a nation in our ancient homeland, which has miraculously occurred within the past fifty years (see Isaiah 49:8-13, Isaiah 43:1-8, Isaiah 11:11-12, Zechariah 10:8-12, Ezekiel 36:24-32).
  
  
• The Bible predicted that prior to Messiah's Second Coming, God would begin to revive us spiritually and the Jewish people would start turning to Yeshua. We believe that the Messianic Jewish movement is the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy (see Jeremiah 32:36-44, Isaiah 59:18-21, Ezekiel 37:1-29, Joel 2:28-32).
  
  
• The Bible predicted that right before Messiah's Second Coming, the entire world would turn against the regathered state of Israel, and a united nations task force would invade (see Zechariah 12:2-3, Jeremiah 30:7). It isn't too hard to see how this prophecy could easily come to pass in the current political climate.

These amazing prophecies were written between 2000 and 3500 years ago, and yet they accurately describe the history of the Jewish people. How can we explain this except that the Bible is a supernatural Book inspired by God, who is able to operate beyond the confines of time, and is able reveal the future to His prophets?

How can I know that what you believe about Yeshua is true?

The first line of evidence that Yeshua is the Messiah is Messianic prophecy. There are many prophecies in the Jewish Bible that tell us about Messiah. God wanted us to be able to recognize the Messiah when He came. All of the prophecies that I am about to mention were considered to be legitimate predictions about the Messiah by various rabbis, both ancient and modern. They are not being taken out of context.

• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be born in the city of Bethlehem. Any other place of birth disqualifies one from being the Messiah (Micah 5:2). See Matthew 2:1-6, Luke 2:1-20.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah had to come before 70 A.D. Messiah had to appear before Jerusalem was destroyed the second time, which took place in the year 70 (Daniel 9:24-27). See Luke 1:5, 2:1-7.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah had to be a direct descendant of King David, a member of the royal family of Israel (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 9:6-7). See Matthew 1.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to enter Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). See Matthew 21:1-9, John 12:12-16.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be tried and condemned even though He was perfectly innocent (Isaiah 53:8). See Matthew 27:1-2, Luke 23:1-25.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7). See Matthew 27:12-14, Mark 15:3-4, Luke 23:8-10.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be beaten and spit on (Micah 5:1, Isaiah 50:6). See Matthew 26:67, Matthew 27:30, Mark 14:65.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be mocked and taunted (Psalm 22:7-8). See Matthew 27:39-43, Luke 23:11, 35-36.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the people would cast lots for Messiah's garments (Psalm 22:18). See Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to be pierced (Zechariah 12:10). See John 19:18, 34-37.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah was to die by crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-17). See Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20, 25.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah would die to make atonement for the sin of Israel and the world (Isaiah 53:5-6, 8, 10-12, Daniel 9:24-27, Zechariah 9:9, 12:10, Psalm 16:10, 22). See John 1:29, 11:49-52, 1 Corinthians 15:53.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah would be more than a man - He was to be God in human form (Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Psalm 110:1, Proverbs 30:4). See John 1:1, 20:28, Hebrews 1:8.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah would not be immediately recognized by the majority of the Jewish people. Only a minority within the Jewish people would initially recognize Him. One of the strongest indicators that Yeshua is the true Messiah of Israel is that the majority of the Jewish people did not recognize Him (Isaiah 53:1-3, Psalm 118:22). See John 1:11, 12:37-43, Acts 4:1-12.
  
  
• The prophets predict that the Messiah would have an impact on all the nations of the world. Isaiah prophesied that Messiah will be a light to the nations so that God's salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6). Yeshua has been that light to the Gentiles. Yeshua has become the most popular, the most studied, the most influential figure in the history of mankind. He is the most famous Jew who ever lived: more famous than Abraham, more famous than Moses, more famous than king David, more famous than Freud or Einstein. If people throughout the world know about Israel, or pray to the God of Israel, or read the Holy Scriptures of Israel, it is because of Yeshua. He put Israel on the map. No Jewish person should be indifferent to the fact that this Jew should have had such a tremendous part in the religious history of mankind. The love He has inspired, the comfort He has given, the good He has engendered, the hope and joy He has kindled are unequalled in human history. He truly has become the light of the world - which is one of the major accomplishments that the Messiah of Israel had to fulfill (see Isaiah 49:6).

These are just some of the Messianic prophecies. There are more. Do you have any idea if anyone has fulfilled these prophecies, or has come even close? History tells us that only one man - Yeshua of Nazareth - fulfilled these prophecies and many others. No other man in history even comes close. The probability that one person could fulfill all these prophecies by chance is infinitesimally small. There is only one rational conclusion: Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel that the prophets told us to expect.

What is the second line of evidence that Yeshua is the Messiah?

The second line of evidence that Yeshua is the Messiah is His resurrection from the dead. Unfortunately supernatural concepts like the resurrection, heaven, hell, and eternal life have become foreign to most Jewish people today. That is unfortunate because people have an innate desire to live forever. We feel that something is very wrong if only nothingness awaits. People can despair if they don't believe that they can live forever.

God wants us to be very sure that eternal life is a possibility. Not surprisingly the reality of the resurrection is found throughout the Jewish Bible. It is found in concepts like:

Heaven: which is a real place, the dwelling place of God and angelic beings (see 2 Chronicles 30:27).

The Tree of Life: Lest he stretch out his hand, take from the tree of life and eat and live forever (see Genesis 3:22).

The new heavens and the new earth: they are eternal in duration (see Isaiah 65:17).

The final Judgment: the wicked often prosper. The righteous and innocent often suffer. Life would be a cruel mockery if there were no final judgment where God righted all wrongs, judged the wicked and rewarded the righteous. In order for the final Judgment to take place there must be resurrection.

Resurrection is made clear by Hebrew words for "forever" or "everlasting", like "nehtzach" and "olam". In Your presence is fullness of joy, in Your right hand there are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom (Psalm 145:13).

Resurrection is explicitly stated in the Jewish Bible: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground shall awake, these to everlasting life (Daniel 12:2). I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take his stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26). Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy (Isaiah 26:19).

In light of the Jewish Bible's teaching on resurrection, the Messiah's resurrection is to be expected. In fact it was specifically foretold by the prophets (see Isaiah 53:8-12, Psalm 16:10, 118:21-24, Zechariah 12:10). Yeshua even predicted His own death and His resurrection from the dead (see Matthew 16:21).

The resurrection of Yeshua is the central fact which validates the New Testament. It is the cornerstone upon which it rests. There is no way to overemphasize its importance. Yeshua's resurrection forms the basis for the Messianic Faith. Messianic Judaism stands or falls with the Resurrection of Yeshua.

If Yeshua's resurrection is true, if He really rose from the dead, then it is the most important event of history. Yeshua's resurrection validates Him, His ministry and His message. It is God's seal of approval on everything that Yeshua did and taught. Why? Because God would never allow a liar or a deceiver or a false Messiah to be resurrected. If Yeshua rose from the dead, it is God's declaration to the world that Yeshua is Israel's Lord and Messiah.

When considering the case for Yeshua's resurrection, we need to know that scholarly evidence exists in abundance to document that the New Testament can survive the most severe scrutiny by modern archeology. There is better manuscript evidence for the accuracy of the New Testament than for any other ancient text.

When considering the case for Yeshua's resurrection, we must be open to the possibility of the supernatural. Many have ruled out the resurrection on the basis of their presuppositions. They presume that miracles can't happen. That is not good methodology. We must be open to the possibility of the supernatural and that the same God who created the universe and brought us out of Egypt can raise the dead.

When considering the case for Yeshua's resurrection, we need to understand that the scientific method isn't applicable. Science can't be used in investigating the resurrection because the scientific method can only be used with phenomena which can be repeated in observable, testable fashion. The same criteria must be applied when investigating the resurrection as are applied to any other event in history. By those standards the case for the resurrection is extremely strong.

We investigate the resurrection by the criteria of history, not science. Dr. Simon Greenleaf, Professor of Law at Harvard, wrote a book called A Treatise on the Laws of Evidence around 1842. He was one of the greatest authorities on the laws of evidence, and his book is still considered an authoritative book on evidences in law. Dr. Greenleaf was a religious skeptic. Once he was challenged by a student to use his knowledge of evidences and apply it to the resurrection of Yeshua. Dr. Greenleaf did so, and after investigating, he concluded that the resurrection of Yeshua is one of the best established facts of history, and that there is more evidence for Yeshua's resurrection than for almost any other event in human history!

What is some of the evidence for Yeshua's resurrection?

There is the evidence of the empty tomb: Both Jews and Romans admitted that the tomb was empty (Matthew 27:11-15). Any theory must deal with this fact. All that the authorities who were hostile to Yeshua would have had to do to crush the Messianic movement in its infancy would have been to produce Yeshua's body. They never did.

We have the evidence of transformed lives: The New Testament records that Yeshua appeared to a wide variety of Jewish people, under varying conditions, in varying numbers, under varying circumstances. He appeared to Miriam (John 20:11-18), to some other women (Matthew 28:8-10), to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34), to two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), to ten of the Apostles (Luke 24:36-43), to all eleven Apostles eight days later (John 20:24-29), then to seven by lake Kinneret (John 21:1-23). Yeshua appeared to five hundred people at once, most of whom were alive and could verify the event when the New Testament was written (1 Cor. 15:6)! Yeshua appeared to His brother James, who became the leader of the Jerusalem Congregation (1 Cor. 15:7), and to rabbi Saul of Tarsus, who became better known as the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-16).

The followers of Yeshua were not ignorant nor naive. They were practical men raised in a tough environment who knew the difference between fact and fable. Yeshua's disciples were in no frame of mind to fabricate His resurrection. In fact they refused to believe it when they first heard about it! What could motivate them to make up a resurrection story about their rabbi? Almost all of them suffered terribly and died for their belief in the resurrected Yeshua. They could have spared themselves much pain and suffering by denying Him. But they didn't.

Something transformed frightened disciples. Something transformed Simon Peter who denied Him three times. Only Yeshua's resurrection could have transformed them from a frightened dispirited group into a fearless band that were willing to give up their lives and within a generation change the course of world history. Something transformed hostile family members like James, the brother of Yeshua, who at first didn't believe in Him but later became the leader of the Messianic Jewish movement in Jerusalem. Something happened to rabbi Saul of Tarsus, who went from the most zealous opponent of the early Messianic Jews into the greatest proponent of the Messianic Faith that the world has ever seen.

Since the first century there have been millions of people who have claimed to have encountered the resurrected Yeshua, including some of the greatest thinkers, philosophers and scientists. What transformed these people? Only one explanation makes sense - the resurrection of Yeshua.

I think that any informed, unbiased, rational person should agree that the evidence points overwhelmingly to the fact that Yeshua rose from the dead, that He is alive now, and He is the Lord and Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.

If Yeshua really was resurrected, what does that mean? What are the implications?

Yeshua's resurrection makes Him absolutely unique in the history of the world and puts him on a level far higher than any of the prophets of Israel or any other religion or any philosopher. It sets Messianic Judaism apart from all the other major world religions. Buddha is still in his tomb. Mohammed is still in his grave. Confucius is still buried. Marx and Lenin and Freud are still in their graves. Of all human beings only Messiah Yeshua has been raised from death and overcome it. We ought to listen very carefully to every word He ever uttered. You can trust Him and His words, more than any other man's. All men's words are a mixture of truth and error - all men except for Messiah Yeshua. He always spoke the 100% pure truth without any error. We must believe everything He said.

Messiah's resurrection guarantees our resurrection, if we believe in Him. Yeshua once said to a Jewish woman named Martha: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26). Yeshua's resurrection is meant to give us hope for our resurrection. It also gives us power to overcome our bad habits and the ability to please God now.

How can I develop a personal relationship with the God of Israel like Abraham, Moses and David had?

God has promised us in the prophet Jeremiah (29:13) You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. We must seek Him the way He has revealed Himself: through the Bible and through the Messiah and through prayer. You might want to pray the following prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I admit that I have sinned. Thank You that You have provided atonement for me. I believe in Messiah Yeshua and receive Him into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I promise to follow Him with all my heart and soul. Thank You for forgiving my sins and coming into my life as You promised.

Amen.

If I believe in Yeshua as the Messiah, won't I lose my Jewishness?

No you won't! God made you a Jew and no one can ever change that, regardless of what the majority of rabbis might say. You are still a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Besides, the real question is, "Is Yeshua the Messiah?" If He really is the Messiah, then believing in Him is the most Jewish thing that you can do. If God sent Yeshua, and commands us to believe in Him, then faith in Yeshua is Jewish, no matter what the majority may say. Truth is determined by God - not by a majority vote.

Remember that Messianic Judaism is Jewish. Yeshua was a descendant of King David. He was raised in a Jewish home and went to synagogue. He perfectly kept the entire Torah (see Galatians 4:4). Yeshua was the most Jewish of Jews. Yeshua taught that He fulfilled, not set aside, the Torah (see Matthew 5:17-19). All His early disciples lived very Jewish lives. The Messianic movement was entirely Jewish at its inception. Our Scriptures are Jewish. The Jewish Bible provides the foundation of our faith and the New Testament was written by Jews. The early Messianic movement was an authentic Jewish movement that existed for 700 years. Messianic Judaism has been miraculously reborn by God's Spirit in the past 25 years. You can be part of this exciting movement with Messiah that will last forever and ever. The decision is yours.

[I'm indebted to David Chernoff and Josh McDowell for parts of this message - Rabbi Jacobs]

(For more information about Messiah or Messianic Judaism, you can contact: CONGREGATION SHEMA YISRAEL, P. O. Box 804, Southfield, MI 48037, 248-358-3850; Email: LJacobs777@aol.com)