“What is a Messianic Jew?” “Why don’t you consider yourself a Christian?” These are questions that I often have to answer when I share my story with people.  Here is why I identify myself as I do…

In 1997, I went through a difficult and painful life situation.  It brought me to my knees and shook me to my core.  I was 2,000 miles from home with nowhere to hide.  No family. Very few friends. No faith.  So what was I to do?

During that time, I had been hearing about God and Jesus and Christianity and Love and Faith from my friends.  I asked more questions than anyone should ask and challenged every person who tried to convince me that this was true. However, none of it registered.  “I’m Jewish,” I said.  “That doesn’t apply to me.  Why would God care about me and why should I care about this Jesus guy?  He hated the Jewish people.  I studied world history…millions of Jewish people died in His name.”  Why would anyone want to be associated with someone like this?!

Christianity confused me.  I did believe that He existed in history, but was merely a teacher, a prophet.  I had never read The Bible.  Knew very little about it.  I barely stepped foot in a synagogue, and even then, it was for the rare and uncomfortable wedding or funeral.  The only reason my family got together at the Jewish holidays was to eat and drink.  We didn’t do religion.

So in 1997 when I went through a divorce that I didn’t want, didn’t expect and didn’t understand, I had nowhere to turn but Jesus.  It was then that I surrendered my heart and my life to Him.  As it turns out… I came to believe that the story is true.  God did send His One and Only Son here to earth to save us (John 3:16).  And He came first to the Jewish people — His people — only to be rejected by them (Romans 1:16) I realized that He did care, that He had nothing to do with all of those people murdering Jews in His name, and that HE was Jewish!  I could relate to Him as a Jew more than I could relate to all the Christians in the world.

So now, when I share my story and explain how I came to faith, it only makes sense that I call myself a Jewish Believer. One’s name, one’s identity is crucial in how we see ourselves.  This identity gives me the confidence to believe what I do. What do you call yourself?