It's December, and the Jewish people are once again bombarded with confusing messages about Christmas. Instead of trying to make sense of it all, we usually go to the movies and order in Chinese food.

The problem is that many of these messages are not only inaccurate but they also present a false picture of the incarnation and who Jesus really is.

On one hand, when approaching Christmas, the Jewish people can see it as embracing a "cultural Christmas" with the trees, tinsel, and Santa Claus.

On the other hand, the other option the Jewish people see is to embrace the more "Christian Christmas" of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the manger. For the Jewish people, there’s always been an aversion to Jesus. Not that Jesus is bad, “he just isn’t for us.”

The problem for the Jew is that both of these options feel divorced from the "Jewish roots" of a Jewish Messiah being born and fulfilling the words of Jewish prophets hundreds of years earlier.

This series of podcasts is based on our new eBook is an answer to restoring Jewish eyes to the incarnation narrative. You can download it at thejewishroad.com/christmas. There's so much to be said on this topic, however for our purposes we focused on just "5 Questions Every Jew Should Be Asking About Christmas." 

These five questions will help us understand what has been hidden from the Jewish people for centuries - that Yeshua (Jesus) was in fact born a Jew as He claimed. This episode is looking at the question, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

Are you looking for a way to celebrate Hanukkah with your family? Should you as a Christian even celebrate Hanukkah? Is it allowed?

The Jewish Road Podcast is here to help. We know that it can be difficult to find the right words and traditions, so we’re going to share some ideas on how you can make this holiday special. You might even discover something new about your faith in the process!

Celebrating Hanukkah has never been easier than it will be after listening to our podcast. This year, let us help you create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s time for your family tradition of Hanukkah to get a start, or an upgrade! Let us show you how easy it is by tuning into our podcast today!

Check out our Instagram account @thejewishroad for our Quick Guide To Celebrate Hanukkah At Home.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the Jewish people during that 400 year gap between the Old Testament and New Testament?

The story of Hanukkah is an incredible one. It’s a story of God working behind the scenes in faithfulness to His people, despite another ruler trying to wipe out the Jewish people and the promised seed of David.

This podcast tells this incredible story so you may know the WHOLE story! You won’t want to miss it! 

Many already know about a 400-year gap between what we call Act One (Old Testament) and Act Two (New Testament), Malachi to Matthew, that in the end, waits for a deliverer, who would be Jesus. But there is another 400-year gap we wanted to address that occurs more than a thousand years earlier that sets the stage for a deliverer as well.

Join us for our latest episode of The Jewish Road Podcast and learn the parallels between the two accounts and new some new info on the life, and even more important, the death of Joseph. You won’t want to miss this one, so click now and listen in!

Have you ever heard of Simchat Torah? Nope, didn't think so.

This is a holiday that happens on the Jewish calendar that is unique. In the telling of this holiday lies an important truth: the centrality of the Torah in Jewish life.

This is one of the more unique holidays we celebrate as Jews. You won't see a section in Target with all of the latest "Simchat Torah Decor," though it could be fun, just not profitable.

There are some things that happen during this holiday that have a direct impact on how we live our lives as "people of the Book." And you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate and learn from this time.

This is an episode you don't want to miss if you're interested in what goes on inside the synagogue during this time of year or if you just want to learn more about Judaism and why we do what we do!

So grab your favorite vintage bottle of Manischewitz, sit back, relax and enjoy The Jewish Road Podcast - Episode #10 - "Joy of the Word."

The gospel of John talks about a feast called "the Feast of Booths." This is a festival to celebrate their harvest and remember how God provided and protected them in the desert. His Presence was also "with" the people, and we track the Presence of God throughout the Bible.

The Feast of Booths (or Sukkot in Hebrew) is also a time where the Jewish people give thanks for all that God has given them. In this episode, we will explore what this ancient Jewish tradition means, why it was important to Jesus' disciples during his ministry, and what is its significance for us today and in the time to come!

Key Passages: Leviticus 23; Ezekiel 10, 11; John 1, 7, 8, 9; 1 Corinthians 3; Revelation 21, 22

Sukkot commemorates the 40 years Moses spent leading Jews out of slavery and into freedom. It takes place on the 15th day of the seventh month on the Hebrew Calendar, Tishri, or Sunday, September 19, 2021. From there it goes on for eight days.

Jewish tradition teaches that to remember our time in the desert, we should build a sukkah (booth) at home and decorate it with palm branches and leafy boughs of trees, and hang fruit from the makeshift ceiling, both of which are meant to remind us of Israel's harvest season.

We also eat all kinds of different foods inside the sukkah because they represent abundance and joyous celebration. The goal is not to do these things perfectly but rather to try to connect as much as possible with what life was like for our ancestors in the desert.

In addition to being a time for looking back on the past, Sukkot is also a time for looking forward. More on that in the next episode. For this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast, we will take a look at this Festivals of Booths from Act One, and trace the presence of God with His people throughout.

Key Passages: Exodus 12; Leviticus 3; Numbers 29; Jeremiah 2; Ezekiel 10-11

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and forgiveness. It is the last day of the Days of Awe, and it's time to take stock in our lives. On this Day of Atonement, we are supposed to live with a spirit of repentance and be thankful for forgiveness.

As Jewish followers of the Messiah, our atonement was secured as Jesus was crucified on that cursed tree. There is nothing more we can do to earn ourselves forgiveness or atonement, it has already been provided for us. What is left is for us to receive it.

Key Passages: Genesis 3; Leviticus 16, 23; Matthew 27

Blog Post Connection with Holiday Prayers: https://www.thejewishroad.com/blog/yomkippur

What do you do with your sins? 

Since the beginning, man has been in search of something to do with sin. From the account in Act One with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) in the garden, to the story of Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5) in Act Two, our first response is to hide from others, but especially an All-Knowing God.

During these "Days Of Awe," the 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, the Jewish community symbolically casts their sins into the depths of the sea. 

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the redemptive story that is taking place in this season. In fact, we believe this will enhance and grow your faith in a God who has already cast our sins into the depths of the sea. 

Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing

And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in mercy.

He will again take pity on us;

He will trample on our wrongdoings.

Yes, You will cast all their sins

Into the depths of the sea.

- Micah 7:18-19

Do you want to know more about the Feast Of Trumpets?

The Feast of Trumpets is a fascinating holiday that has been celebrated by Jews for thousands of years. It’s not just an interesting historical event, but there are layers that also point forward to Jesus and His return. This podcast episode will walk you through passages in Act Two and will prepare us for what is to come.

So sit back, relax, grab your favorite drink (we recommend Manischewitz), and let us guide you through Act Two of the Bible as we prepare for what is to come!

1 Thessalonians 4

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Other key passages: John 14, Luke 21, 1 Corinthians 15

Do you want to know what the Jewish New Year is all about?

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, begins on Sunday night. It’s a time of reflection and introspection as we look back at the past year and prepare for the new one ahead. But did you know that Biblically this holiday is not actually the new year and has nothing to do with apples or honey? We call it the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah in Hebrew. Find out why in today’s episode of The Jewish Road Podcast.

Look at Leviticus 23.

23 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

What happens in a synagogue today during the Feast of Trumpets?

Apples + Honey

The Akedah (Genesis 22)

"L'shanah tova tikateyvu." (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!)

Passages to Study: Leviticus 23; Exodus 19; Nehemiah 8

On this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast:

The High Holy Days are here! You can find them in the back half of Leviticus 23. In this episode, we’ll explore one parenthetical verse in Leviticus 23. This one verse spans the time between the Spring feast of Pentecost and the Fall feast of Trumpets. It's summer. In 2021, this span of time runs three-and-a-half months.

Hidden in this one verse is a call for the church to go into the fields and bring in the harvest! Find out more on this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast!

On this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast:

God loves a good party, but sometimes it can be hard to remember what the feasts of Israel are and why they have any relevance to us today.

In this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast, we give you an overview of the feasts found in Leviticus 23. You'll also get some interesting insights into how these celebrations help us see both Act One (the Old Testament) and Act Two (the New Testament) of God's story better.

On this episode of The Jewish Road Podcast:

We are Messianic Jews. What does that mean?

How can you be Jewish AND believe in Jesus?

Doesn’t that mean we are Christians? Have we converted?

What is Act One + Act Two?

The Roman Road + The Jewish Road