A Tale of Two Messiahs

The subject of this post has come to me from two unconnected sources within a few days of each other and has really made me think differently about some pre-conceived ideas I had unquestioningly accepted., but which I must revisit and very likely discard.

It's strange how we look back to our childhood and remember vague conversations with our parents that somehow made an impression on our young minds and firmly rooted themselves into an accepted belief. I can't remember what prompted the subject, but I clearly remember a discussion with my mother concerning the difference between Jews and Christians. They worshipped in synagogues, we worship in churches, we believe in Jesus as the Messiah and they don't. Other than that, I don't think I ever gave further thought to the subject.

Today I know it's not as simple as that.There are many factors which have come into play that separate Christians and Jews. I want to focus on two major differences today; The Law and the Messiah.

I have often wondered why the Jews, as a whole, do not accept Y'shua (Jesus) as the Messiah. They are zealous for the Torah, Prophets and writings of what we today term "The Old Testament". These all testify of the coming Messiah in great detail, both his first and second coming. At his first coming, many Jews indeed did become believers and began living by the teachings of the disciples and apostles in obedience to all that he had commanded while with them. Today there are many Jews who believe in Y'Shua as Messiah. Do they, however, believe in the SAME Messiah as Christians? In fact, could the testimony of the Christian be considered a false witness with regard to the identity of the Messiah?

Let us reason together for a moment. As I previously stated, the Jews are well versed in the Torah and they know the prophecies of old concerning Messiah. Does the Christian Messiah meet the criteria of the one prophecied in the Torah? The answer, unfortunately, is NO! First, the image we have inherited from our forefathers of his physical appearance is totally false. It bears no resemblance to what Y'Shua would have looked like as a Jewish man in the first century. Second, the teachings of this Messiah to his followers would seem, to a Jew, to be diametrically opposite of what the real Messiah would teach.

The majority of Christians today have been taught a Messiah who has done away with his father's commandments. They have inherited a religion that has abandoned YHVH's (God's) Sabbaths and holy days, as well as his Torah. These hallmarks of true obedience have been replaced with idolatrous customs, traditions, symbols and holidays that Christianity has adopted from ancient sun-god worship. These are the very practices that YHVH condemned in the Torah and forbid his people to  follow. The majority of Christians don't put much stock in the Torah, though, because it's been done away with, nailed to the stake (cross) by their Messiah. How can a Christian convince a Jew to believe in Messiah when his/her doctrine and lifestyle are in opposition to everything our creator taught in his word? They would ask, can this be the Messiah? Are his followers living according to the Torah, in obedience to YHVH, or have they and their "Messiah" created some new religion?

Now, on the other side of the coin, the Jewish leaders have also borne responsibility in misrepresenting the Torah to their people, as well as to the Christian. Through the oral traditions of the elders, they have imposed burdens on their people by adding numerous man-made "commandments" to the Torah. It was these oral traditions that Y'Shua opposed in his day, not the Torah itself. In fact, he accused the religious leaders of making void the commandments of YHVH by their traditions. They taught a salvation by the deeds of the "law", both written and oral.

So how do we rectify the errors inheited on both sides? Can Christians come to recognize and accept the true Messiah, the Messiah of their bible? Can they come to realize that, although salvation comes by grace through faith, obedience is a direct result of repentance and allowing Y'Shua to live his life in them? Can the Jew also come to freedom in Messiah, freedom from the traditions of the elders that have enslaved them to a myriad of man-made commandments that do not bring about true repentance? Can they come to understand that salvation was never meant to come from the Torah, but through our savior?

Both Christians and Jews will one day be reconciled when they both return to "true" Torah. YHVH tells us of a day, yet in the future, when we will be joined together into one house, the household of faith. In that house there will be one king over all and one Torah. Many Christians and Jews today are beginning to come out of this world, this Babylon of religious confusion, and embracing the teachings of the true Messiah. They are breaking the chains of false doctrines and finding freedom in him alone. Most Christians will be content to remain in their respective denominations and many Jews will continue to adhere to the oral traditions of their Rabbis as if they were "law". This is soon to change, as the true light is about to shine on this world, exposing the darkness and leading the nations of the world to true repentance and salvation.