2) Faith in Jesus doesn't violate any fundamental Jewish beliefs. In fact, it fulfills them.
It would take a lot of space to describe how those who followed Jesus the Messiah went from a small group composed almost entirely of Jews to a worldwide movement that eventually became downright hostile to Jewish people. Suffice to say that people are pretty good at messing things up if you give them half a chance. Look at the chldren of Israel. God miraculously delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, and two minutes later they were dancing around a golden calf. Look at the United States. It was founded by men who believed in God and prayed earnestly for His guidance. Two hundred years later, you can't even talk about God in a public institution without getting sued. So it's clear that mankind has a great propensity for taking taking a gift from God and turning it into something ungodly.
The vicious anti-Semitism that we Jews have often experienced at the hands of people who call themselves "Christians" has made us particularly suspicious of their faith. Many Jews have even come to the conclusion that, whatever Christianity is, it must be diametrically opposed to Judaism.
But, as my grandfather (a survivor of the Holocaust) used to say, "If Christians were really Christians, the Jews would have nothing to worry about!" He was right!
The thing is, we can't let the irresponsible behavior of people who call themselves "Christians" affect our personal evaluation of the facts concerning our Messiah. Did you give up your U.S. citizenship because of Watergate? Should no one get married because some people get divorced? Do you stop eating food altogether because you had one bad piece of chicken? No. We don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We reject that which is evil and false and do our best to hold on to what is good and true.
So what is good and true about Jesus? For one thing, Jesus taught that we should worship the one true God -- the same God who revealed Himself in Torah. Jesus also told us to love one another. He encouraged us to pray. He taught people not to lie, cheat, steal or commit sexual sin. And He proclaimed a glorious kingdom where there is everlasting peace, joy, freedom and righteousness.
Every one of these truths is found in the Jewish scriptures. Every single one. In fact, you can't find anything in the teachings of Jesus that contradicts Torah. Not a thing. Just the contrary, rejection of the Jewish Messiah is an offense to God. (See Proverbs 30:4). So, as a Jew, I in no way, shape or form abandoned my Jewishness when I accepted Jesus. I actually became a better Jew!
Why do so many Jews and so many Gentile Christians operate under the misconception that you have to choose between being a Jew and believing in Jesus? It's probably because so many have never taken the time to read Torah and understand what God actually said about who is a Jew and who isn't -- and why He chose to give us the wonderful gift of His Son Jesus.
