🌿 Culture and Our Identity in Messiah
For many of us, identity has been shaped by the lands and nations we were born into. We say, “I’m Canadian,” “I’m Jamaican,” “I’m American,” “I’m Nigerian.” These labels come from the world we live in, but they are not the root of who we are.
When we come to Messiah — or for many of us, awaken to the truth that we are not strangers but inheritors — we must ask ourselves an important question:
👉 What was Messiah’s culture?
If we claim to follow Him, then our lives, practices, and identity should reflect His.
🕎 Messiah’s Culture in Scripture
1. He Honored the Sabbath
Messiah didn’t treat the seventh day as optional or outdated. He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was His custom.
📖 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” (Luke 4:16, KJV)
Messiah kept the commandments — even in His clothing. The woman with the issue of blood touched the border of His garment, which carried fringes as commanded in the Torah.
📖 “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.” (Matthew 9:20, KJV; see also Numbers 15:38–39)
Messiah observed the Feasts of Yah — not man-made traditions. He went up to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Gospels repeatedly show Him participating in the holy days.
📖 “Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand… Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.” (John 7:2, 14, KJV)
4. He Ate According to Torah
Messiah lived a sinless life, which means He obeyed Yah’s dietary instructions. He did not eat pork, shellfish, or anything unclean (Leviticus 11). He kept His Father’s Word in every way.
📖 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17, KJV)
5. He Worshiped in Spirit and Truth
Messiah prayed often, sometimes all night, always in alignment with the Father’s will. He taught that worship was not about location, but about obedience and truth.
📖 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (John 4:23, KJV)
6. He Lived Torah Perfectly
Messiah’s life was the living Word. Everything He did — from His speech to His walk — reflected obedience.
📖 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21, KJV)
🌿 The Struggle with Identity
Too often today, believers mix and blend — bringing in fragments of ethnic traditions, family customs, and world culture, while sprinkling in pieces of Scripture. The result is a patchwork that looks nothing like Messiah’s life.
Some struggle with even being “grafted in,” not realizing that Messiah already has a culture — one that does not need to be changed, modernized, or watered down. He is the blueprint.
It is a beautiful thing to be like Messiah in every way.
To walk as He walked, to dress as He dressed, to celebrate as He celebrated, and to worship as He worshiped — this is life in its fullness.
When we lay down the labels the world has given us, and embrace the identity that Messiah has shown us, life takes on a deeper meaning. No longer are we tossed about by culture, tradition, or man’s opinion — we are rooted in Him.
📖 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6, KJV)
Messiah’s culture is not one of confusion, mixture, or compromise. It is set-apart, holy, and eternal. If we are truly His disciples, then we must do more than just speak His name — we must live His way.
Let us lay aside every false identity and proudly embrace the culture of Messiah. For in Him, we don’t just find a belief system — we find our true heritage, our true worship, and our true life.
📖 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6, KJV)
