Life Cycle

The Scriptures zealously enjoin Jewish national practices as responsibilities upon Jews who come to faith in Yeshua as Messiah. The first-century Shalikhim (Apostles) are portrayed to us in Scripture as deeply committed Messianic Jewish adherers to the three-part inventory of Jewish faith life described by them in Acts 21:18-25: bringing sons into the covenant of Abraham, observing Torah in a manner spiritually sound, and clinging to the customs of our Jewish nation that are Scriptural and spiritually healthy.

Jewish life-cycle events — from weekly Shabbat services and Jewish holidays through to personal events like b’rit milah and b’nai mitzvah ceremonies — form the national distinctives of Israel to which Scripture so adamantly advises Messianic Jews to cling (Jeremiah 31:35-37, Matt. 5:17-19, Acts 21:18-24), and which enable Jewish continuity.

In a world in which self-identifying Jews are disappearing at an alarming rate, Messianic Judaism considers fomenting the sacred stewardship of Jewish identity an extremely important arena of effort and ministry.

N2H