Yom Kippur can be somewhat of a conundrum to Jewish believers in Y'shua. Do we fast and confess our sins like the rest of the Jewish community or do we rejoice in the knowledge that we're forgiven in Messiah?
I was raised in a traditional Jewish home in Melbourne, Australia. My grandparents were killed in the Holocaust. Our family were founding members of the Moorabbin and Districts Hebrew Congregation, where I attended weekly until I was 19.
I always had a strong Jewish identity, but it disturbed me that I didn't know what God expected from me as a Jew. In college I even kept kosher for a while, but this didn't bring me closer to God. It seemed there had to be something more.
I spent my childhood attending two different neighborhood synagogues for the High Holidays. I remember the awesome dignity of the men as they approached the bimah, in contrast to the sights and sounds of the congregation as they sat and visited during the service. I didn't shy away from religious observance. Actually, I went to Shabbat services in my early teens because I wanted to know what being holy meant and where to get real spiritual power.
What do the rabbis tell us about the following key theological themes? And what can we learn from the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament understanding? This chart will help you prepare your heart for the High Holidays.
