Is Messianic Judaism a form of Judaism?

Answer 1

I'm going to give you a complicated answer to what might seem, at first glance, to be a simple question.

Movement of Messianic Judaism

If, by "Messianic Judaism" the current movement including "Jews for Jesus", Hebrew Christians" and the like, the answer is "No". Every branch of Judaism, from Orthodox to Reform, agrees that Jesus was not the Messiah and that one cannot be part of a faith that rejects the belief in Jesus as the Messiah and affirm that he is. Moreover, Judaism rejects the entire concept of virgin birth.

Jewish Yearning for the Messiah

If, as a larger issue, you asked whether Judaism believes in a Messiah, the answer would be a complicated "Yes". The traditional prayerbook includes prayers about the (future) coming of the Messiah, a descendent of David, who will restore the traditional kingdom, rebuild the Temple and usher in a ideal -- albeit imperfect -- age. Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist Movement in Judaism, preferred to speak of a "Messianic Era" in which people will act in a humane manner and need not rely upon a supernatural figure.

Answer 2

NO. Messianic Judaism is a form of PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Its beliefs and views are practically indistinguishable from most forms Protestantism and line up relatively well with Baptist Groups, Seventh Day Adventists, and other similar churches. They believe in a triune God, composed of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who was Sacrificed on the Cross for the Sins of All Humanity. They use well-accepted Protestant Bibles, instead of the Masoretic Text, for the Old Testament. They have the same eschatology as Protestant sects of Christianity. And, most importantly, they use the Christian definitions of key Jewish terms like Messiah, Sheol, and the Suffering Servant.

What makes Messianic Judaism unique is its incorporation of Jewish holidays and formulas of worship (such as using Hebrew language prayers and celebrating Passover and Shabbat). However, even in these more "Jewish" aspects of worship, festivals or traditions that have nothing to do with the Messiah in traditional Judaism (such as the Passover Seder) become replete with Messianic connotations. There are two main reasons that Messianic Judaism came to be: (1) Protestant Christians wanted to "save" Jews from Hell and created Messianic Judaism as a way to lure them into proper belief, and (2) Protestant Christians wanted to connect more with Jesus as a person and, therefore, wanted to emulate the kinds of traditions that would be important to Him, which would be Jewish traditions.

Answer 3

Some might think that's a silly question; that if the word "Judaism" is in the name then it obviously has to be. But the answer is not a definitive yes or no. Actually, the vast majority of the very first Christians could be considered Messianic Jews. Jesus (the Messiah) came first for his fellow Jews, then he sent his disciples (also Jews) to preach the Gospel to the gentiles (non-Jews). The gentiles who are converted became adopted or grafted into what was, at the time, a faith centered on Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) while also keeping much of the Jewish festivals and rituals. They were not called "Messianic Jews" or "Jewish Christians". At that time, they were called "People of The Way."

The most recent resurgence in the 20th century was somewhat of an effort to go back to the original ways of the Christian Church (pre-Catholocism). Many of those were Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah, while others were already Christians.