Share your grafted mandate with a beautiful high-quality Grafted Tote Bag for a gift of $30 or more to support our work in reaching Jewish people with the Gospel.
This tote bag can be a powerful reminder of the salvation that has been given to you as well as a proclamation of your calling to share God's mercy and salvation through Jesus with the Jewish people as God has shown mercy to you.
Hear Jonathan Bernis and Ezra Benjamin of Jewish Voice explain the biblical mandate set forth in Paul’s letter to the Romans and why, as Jews and Gentile Believers, we are grafted together like the branches of an olive tree to work in partnership to bring God's shalom to the world.
This ancient symbol dates back to around the 3rd century A.D. and tells the incredible story told by the early Church to remind Gentiles and believing Jews of the biblical mandate in Romans 11, as well as to portray the power and mystery of two distinct groups made one through the Messiah.
At the top is a traditional lampstand design to symbolize the remnant of Israel with branches grafted back in. These are Messianic Jews.
In the center, the Star of David weaves together the two faiths – Jewish and Gentile – both working in partnership, wholeness and shalom to bear powerful witness to the world of God’s promises, love, mercy and grace through Yeshua, our shared Messiah.
At the bottom is an Ichthys fish, as well as numbers representing Romans 11:11. These are the Gentile Believers who are called to point salvation back to Israel.
At the top is a traditional lampstand design to symbolize the remnant of Israel with branches grafted back in. These are Messianic Jews (Jews who believe in Jesus).
In the center, the Star of David weaves together the two distinct groups – Jews and Gentile Believers – both working in partnership and shalom to bear powerful witness to the world of God’s promises, love, mercy and grace through Jesus, our shared Messiah.
At the bottom is an Ichthys fish, as well as numbers representing Romans 11:11. These are the Gentile Believers who are called to point salvation back to Israel.
What is Messianic Judaism? Are Jewish people who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is their Messiah Jews or Christians? Are Christians who celebrate their spiritual Jewish roots Messianic Jews?
The origins of Messianic Judaism can be traced back to the Hebrew Christian missions to the Jews in the 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1960s and ‘70s, Messianic Judaism was gaining popularity with many Jewish Believers, coming out of the Jesus movement or "Jesus people" movement openly identifying as followers of Jesus the Jewish Messiah while remaining committed to their Jewish faith and identity. Many began identifying as Messianic Jews.
While some Christians attend Messianic Jewish congregations and many Messianic Jews attend evangelical Christian congregations, we believe that Christianity and Messianic Judaism are ultimately distinct faiths – and it’s important to see this distinction to find our unique place and roles in the salvation of the world.
The Jewish faith is the only religion in the world that is both a religious faith and an ethnic people group. Both identities are inseparable. Because of this, the biggest distinction that makes Christianity and Messianic Judaism different from one another is that Messianic Judaism is still Judaism at its core. It shares the same core faith and bloodline that believes in a promised Messiah but acknowledges that the Messiah has already come.
Messianic Jews also hold on to other distinct promises that God has yet to fulfill that don’t apply to Christians – namely that God will one day restore all of the "outcasts" of His Chosen People to the land of their birthright, Israel.
Paul helped the Gentiles understand this in the book of Romans where he writes in Chapter 11:
(Verses 17-18)
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
(Verse 24)
“After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
(Verse 25)
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.
(Verses 28-31)
“As far as the Gospel is concerned, they (the unbelieving Jews) are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call (His promises) are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.”
