Is it bad that I feel this way?

[honey19]

So I've grown up Jewish my entire life, but I've always felt disconnected from other Jews and whenever I look back I've always held a special place for Jesus in my heart and now I don't know what to do, I honestly feel more Christian than Jewish. Any advice? I'm 15 by the way.

 

[talitha]

No, it is not bad!! According to the New Testament, the true Jews are the ones who are following Jesus, because He is the fulfillment of all of the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament!!

 

[ananda]

You may want to look into Messianic Judaism

 

[joey_downunder]

Have you heard of Jews for Jesus? About Jews for Jesus - Jews for Jesus

 

[honey19]

Thanks for the help guys! Messianic judiasm makes a lot of sense to me. I'm just not sure how my family will react.

 

[talitha]

Yes, you need to be careful how you approach the subject with your family. Pray. Ask God to guide you.

 

[honey19]

Okay, I'm sure with God's guidance I'll make the right decision and hopefully my family will accept that

 

[FireDragon76]

So I've grown up Jewish my entire life, but I've always felt disconnected from other Jews and whenever I look back I've always held a special place for Jesus in my heart and now I don't know what to do, I honestly feel more Christian than Jewish. Any advice? I'm 15 by the way.

Lots of Jews have admired Jesus. But that doesn't mean they necessarily became Christians. You might be too young to be deciding those things, to be "looking back" on anything. You are an adolescent and just stepping out into being an individual and could get yourself into serious trouble and regrets later in life.

If you desire to become a Christian, count the cost to yourself and do not try to have it both ways in your life, that's just not fair to anyone. Because I am a mainline Protestant I have a great deal of respect for Judaism, and I consider understanding the Jewish roots of Christianity and the context of the New Testament essential. However, I do not think "messianic Judaism" is a legitimate expression of the Christian faith or Judaism, it misrepresents the Jewish faith's self-understanding and it undermines the authority of the tradition of the Church in interpreting the New Testament.

 

[graceandpeace]

I agree with FireDragon76.

You're young, & it's normal to explore topics for yourself - including religious topics. However, I'm reluctant to advise any talks of "conversion" just yet & I certainly would not recommend any of the self-proclaimed Jewish-Christian hybrid groups.

Judaism & Christianity share similarities, but there are deep differences - of course with regard to the identity of Jesus, but also in regards to the respective understandings of God, etc. Are you aware of or able to appreciate these differences?

I'm just hesitant to advise further without more information, & perhaps because of dealing with a younger age demographic. I don't want to discourage your interest in Jesus, of course, but I don't want to push a younger individual to make an impulsive choice about a change in religious faith.

 

[honey19]

Okay, I think I will seek to find out all the differences between the faiths and then see where I stand with my core beliefs. No need to rush, it would be a big change for me and God can help me think through this

 

[98cwitr]

Thanks for the help guys! Messianic judiasm makes a lot of sense to me. I'm just not sure how my family will react.

Let your actions speak for themselves Show the Love of Christ to them, and remember these verses:

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

John 10:25-38New International Version (NIV)

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

 

[visionary]

Okay, I think I will seek to find out all the differences between the faiths and then see where I stand with my core beliefs. No need to rush, it would be a big change for me and God can help me think through this

Amen... God will help you through all this.

 

[Emmy]

Dear honey19. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: love your neighbour as yourselves." Then Jesus tells us: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
God is Love and God wants loving sons and daughters. All we say or do, all we advice and all we stand for, should be from Love and Joy.
In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " ask and you shall receive," there we ask God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We keep asking for Love and Joy, then thank God and share it all with our neighbour: ( all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends)
The Bible tells us: " Repent and be Born Again," change all selfish wishes and wants into loving and caring for our neighbour. God will see our loving efforts,
and God will approve and bless us. The Holy Spirit will help and guide us, and Jesus our Saviour will lead us all the way. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
Love is a Christian`s great weapon, with love we can overcome all enmity and
wrong behaviour. Love will greatly change this imperfect world, and we can be
sign-post to our Heavenly Father. I say this with love, honey19.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ. P.S. Your feelings are not bad, but why not give them to Jesus? lay them at Jesus`s Feet, and ask Jesus to take them away? AND NOT PICK THEM UP AGAIN.

 

[Soul2Soul]

So I've grown up Jewish my entire life, but I've always felt disconnected from other Jews and whenever I look back I've always held a special place for Jesus in my heart and now I don't know what to do, I honestly feel more Christian than Jewish. Any advice? I'm 15 by the way.

It sound like an internal religious conflict? In a peculiar comparison I felt more Christian than Catholic when I was in my 30's.

I wonder if there are other (Jewish) teenagers who are struggling with similar issues? Maybe you could do some searching? There must be (Jewish) groups etc of people ( teens and parents) which have been set up to deal with this very kind of concern?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Okay, I think I will seek to find out all the differences between the faiths and then see where I stand with my core beliefs. No need to rush, it would be a big change for me and God can help me think through this

It can't hurt to learn about both religious traditions.

It is also going to be painful as you learn more about the history of both religions. Jews have suffered horrible things at the hands of Christians in history, and it would be wrong of me as a Christian not to acknowledge that--and indeed most mainstream Christian churches today do acknowledge this past and have made serious attempts at building bridges and friendships with the Jewish community. The past can't be erased, but we can work toward a better future.

I would also echo what Fire and Grace already mentioned about Messianic Judaism. I'm sure your parents or your rabbi could explain why. Also, from a Christian perspective, Messianic Judaism largely seems like a marketing gimmick to try and seduce Jews away from Judaism to modern Evangelicalism. That only compounds the problems I mentioned in the last paragraph.

I'm certainly not trying to stop you from pursuing Christianity--heaven forbid. But whether fifteen or fifty I would want someone to come to the Christian Faith knowing what they are getting into. I believe the Gospel, on its own, stands sufficiently to draw people to Christ and His Church. I don't want to sell anyone anything, no gimmicks, no sugar-coating Christianity's less than savory times in history.

By all means, ask us questions--you will get lots of different answers I'm certain. Also, and because you are so young, be open with your parents. Be kind, be gentle about it, be patient, keep them in the loop. Also, again, talk with your rabbi, learn about Judaism, know the Jewish side of things.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

It sound like an internal religious conflict? In a peculiar comparison I felt more Christian than Catholic when I was in my 30's.

Seeing that Roman Catholics are Christians, how does one feel more Christian than Catholic?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Soul2Soul]

Seeing that Roman Catholics are Christians, how does one feel more Christian than Catholic?

-CryptoLutheran

Yes, that's why it was peculiar in a way to me. I went through a period in my life during which I was struggling to equate the two. I couldn't really figure out why the term "Roman Catholic" could/should be used to describe a follower of Christ. I simply thought that the term "Christian" should be the only suitable one. I also began to question some of the practices that I experienced as a Roman Catholic and began to wonder about some of the teachings of the Catholic church. I was becoming more and more convinced that I personally was not living a Christian life as a Roman Catholic - to me it seemed it was based more on the teachings of the Catholic church than on the teachings of Jesus and the bible. I did not like the "holier than thou" representation of priests, bishops etc that I experienced. I became very disillusioned with the Catholic church and it's representation of Christianity - from my experiences - although I still had a yearning to be a follower of Christ ... which for me was not as a Roman Catholic but as a Christian.

 

[Inkachu]

So I've grown up Jewish my entire life, but I've always felt disconnected from other Jews and whenever I look back I've always held a special place for Jesus in my heart and now I don't know what to do, I honestly feel more Christian than Jewish. Any advice? I'm 15 by the way.

You're old enough to begin exploring your own personal beliefs and faith, little bro. Is your family practicing Jewish? Do you have an idea of how they might react if you shared your feelings with them?

 

[Emmy]

Dear honey19. We cannot help our feelings, but we can change slowly to something we like better. Jesus has good advice for us. In Matthew 22: 35-40
Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The second is like it: love our neighbour as we love ourselves. ( neighbour is all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends) Matthew 7: 7-10: tells us: " ask and you shall receive," we ask God for Love and Joy, then we thank God, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and bless us. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour.
The Bible tells us: " Repent and be Born Again," we give up all selfish wishes and wants, and start treating all around us as we would love to be treated.
We keep doing this, and the Holy Spirit will help and guide us, and Jesus our
Saviour will lead us all the way. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
A Christian`s weapon is Love, with love we can overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. Ask for and receive Love and Joy, then thank God and share all with your neighbour, people around us will know that we belong to Jesus.
Ask and you shall receive, then share all Love and Joy with all around you,
Jesus will guide you. I say this with love and shall pray for you. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.