Communion and baptism are both considered holy sacraments in Christianity. With Messianic Judaism also being founded on the teachings of Yeshua, some may wonder what the Messianic Jewish perspective of these two traditions is.
As the foundation for these two traditions is found in Scripture, they do both exist in Messianic Judaism, but in a different form, in more alignment with their original Jewish context.
Communion (The Lord’s Supper) in Messianic Judaism
Communion in Christianity developed as a remembrance of Yeshua’s sacrificial and redemptive death. A small wafer of bread and a small drink of bread are eaten in remembrance of the broken body and spilled blood of Yeshua.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you—that the Lord Yeshua, on the night He was betrayed, took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in memory of Me.” 25 In the same way, He also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in memory of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
In Messianic Judaism, we understand that when this happened – the Lord’s Supper – Yeshua and His disciples were celebrating Passover together. Yeshua wasn’t necessarily trying to start a new rite; He was giving His disciples a whole new understanding of the Passover seder and its full meaning. Passover was always intended to foreshadow Yeshua’s first coming.
There is some evidence that the early Messianic community may have kept some form of Communion with their closing of Shabbat or in their regular meals. In fact, if you look at the greater context of that passage in 1 Corinthians, you see that it is referencing something that happened in homes at dinner tables as people were fellowshipping and sharing meals together.
This tradition is kept alive in a couple of ways in Messianic Jewish communities. First of all, every year at Passover, the seder is gone through in a way that integrates Yeshua into the entire service, and especially eating the matza and drinking the wine/juice in Yeshua’s remembrance. The bread (matzah) and wine correspond to the Afikomen (broken matzah) and third cup of wine (Cup of Redemption)—which Yeshua linked to His body and blood (Luke 22:19-20).
Secondly, some communities and/or families tie the remembrance into their Erev Shabbat meals and the blessings over the bread and wine.
And there are some Messianic Jewish communities that keep a more Christian version of the tradition, taking the bread and wine in their Shabbat services on a more regular basis, or even just at the feast days.
Baptism (Tevilah) in Messianic Judaism
Baptism in Christianity developed from the practice of John the Baptist (Yochanan, Yeshua’s cousin) to immerse people for repentance. But this concept didn’t originate with Christianity, it originated with Judaism. Washing for purification was commanded in the Torah, and by the Second Temple era, it was common practice to fully immerse oneself for purification. Archaeological digs in Israel have turned up hundreds of mikvot (baths made for this purpose) in Jerusalem and around Israel. Some scholars suggest that Yeshua’s disciples practiced immersion regularly as part of preparing for ministry (John 3:22, 4:1-2).
Immersion was also done for conversion. The Talmud (Yevamot 46a, b) describes the three-step conversion process: circumcision, mikveh, and a temple sacrifice (when the Temple stood). And David Flusser (Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, 1988) argues that immersion was a sign of spiritual renewal before entering a covenant to be under a certain rabbi.
These examples help show us more context around the tradition of immersion in the first century, when the Messianic Jewish community was established. We see early as Acts 2 three thousand people being baptized/immersed for repentance and into the teachings and community of Yeshua-followers. All throughout the Epistles, we see immersion happening upon someone’s declaration of faith in Yeshua as the Messiah.
In modern Rabbinic Judaism, immersion is usually done in an indoor mikvah (special pool made for this purpose). The most common use for a mikvah is family purity – the immersion of a woman at the end of her monthly cycle. But it is also used for conversion, as well as by both men and women before a sacred event (wedding, holy day, etc) or for personal spiritual renewal.
In Messianic Jewish communities today, immersion is still done (usually called immersion or tevilah). Most Messianic Jewish communities don’t practice immersion for family purity, they do for conversion (salvation, the acceptance of Yeshua as Lord) and for personal spiritual renewal. Most communities immerse in a natural body of water, as Messianic mikvot are rather expensive and thus, fairly uncommon. Messianic immersion is usually done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit according to Matthew 28:19.