Messianic Judaism is a religious movement, whose membership is primarily made up of ethnic/cultural Jews. They differ from Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jews concerning their beliefs about the Messiah. This difference is sufficient for Morton Klein, the President of the Zionist Organization Of America (ZOA), to have allegedly declared that a Messianic Jew is a “former Jew.”

Messianic Jews consider themselves to be fully Jewish. They maintain a “Jewish lifestyle of faith....[they] celebrate all of the biblical holidays (i.e. Passover, Succot, etc) as well as many of the customs which are consistent with the Scriptures.” An “Evangelical Protestant” wing of Messianic Judaism has also accepted Yeshua (Jesus Christ) as the Messiah. They have also adopted the theology of Evangelical Christianity. Some add an additional criteria: the belief “that God wants the Jewish people to remain a distinct and obedient nation until the end of time.

Messianic Jews retain their Jewish symbolism, heritage, culture, seasonal days of celebration and many details of religious observance. They also regard themselves as an integral part of the “Body of Messiah”—what countless conservative Christian denominations refer to as the “Body of Christ.” The followers of Yeshua have accepted and worship him as Lord and Savior. The doctrinal statement of the Christian Jew Foundation, for example, is indistinguishable from that of other Evangelical faiths.

Messianic Bureau International’s essay, “Why You Need Messiah,” similarly supports Evangelical Christian beliefs when it states, “Those who hear and place their trust in Him [Yeshua] as Savior and Lord are rescued (redeemed) from the curse of sin and death and will live eternally. The full promise will appear when Messiah returns and the resurrection of the dead takes place. If you do not know Yeshua as your Messiah and/or Savior, you can receive Him now by confessing your sins to Him, then asking Him to come into your life and make you a new person. Your entryway to God’s throne will be made clear and you can then learn all that His Word says, because you will have the strength through His presence in you.”

What might be called a “Jewish Christian” wing of Messianic Judaism closely resembles the Jewish Christian movement. This was the group of reform-minded Jews who were followers of Yeshua. They formed a group in Jerusalem immediately following Yeshua’s execution around 30 B.C. under the leadership of James, Yeshua’s brother. They worshiped and offered sacrifices in the Temple; they circumcised their male children; they followed all of the Jewish festivals; they observed Jewish dietary laws. Later, around 36 B.C., Paul introduced Pauline Christianity to the Gentiles.