I recently read an article that just made me smile.

The article claims that 1.2 million American non-Jews feel “Jew-ish,” despite not having any familial or religious ties to Judaism. While the article was clear in delineating who of the 1.2 million non-Jews associated with Jewish people, it never answered the question of why they feel “Jew-ish.”

So here are three simple reasons I, a non-Jew, feel “Jew-ish.”

God: As a Christian/non-Jew I worship the Jewish God from the Old Testament. In fact, all Christians worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the same God in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. He is the great “I AM.”

Of course, God is the God of all creation, but He chose to reveal Himself through the Jewish people.

Jesus: As a Christian/non-Jew I believe in Jesus. Jesus was Jewish. He grew up in Israel, spoke Hebrew/Aramaic, went to synagogue, celebrated Jewish holidays, read the Torah, and claimed to be the Jewish Messiah. The term Messiah is a Jewish title that was allocated to the Jewish king. Even the title “Christian” means “Messiah Follower.” When Christians/non-Jews ascribe to be followers of Jesus, they are associating themselves with the Jewish Messiah.

Think about this: As Christians we believe in Jesus who fulfilled the Jewish prophecies of the Old Testament. He is the one who connects ALL people (Jew/non-Jew) to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Bible: As a Christian/non-Jew I value the words of the Bible. The Bible I read is comprised of the Old Testament and New Testament, with writings that span almost 1,500 years. Each one of those books was written by men through whom God divinely spoke, and each one of those men was also VERY Jewish: Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew, John, Paul, Jude, and Peter, just to name a few. The Bible is replete with Jewish life, Jewish thought, Jewish holidays, and Jewish history.

Whenever I read the Bible I like to put it in its historical and contextual Jewish background. After I understand its background, I can see how it applies to my life today as a follower of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, and worshiper of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 I have to say, as a Christian I feel very Jewish even though I’m as non-Jewish as they come (Irish/Italian). Why? Because the basic tenets of my faith and the faith of all Christians/non-Jews around the world are rooted in God’s promises to the Jewish people. I am merely a benefactor of His mercy and grace.

So are you a non-Jew who feels “Jew-ish”? If so… let us know.