Tisha B'Av: Why We Mourn

We are in the midst of the Three Weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av (July 22–23 this year). The Ninth of Av is a day of fasting on which we commemorate the destruction of the two Temples and many other calamities that have befallen our people over the centuries. I am sometimes asked why Messianic Jews should still observe this day since we have the risen Messiah. While I could go into many different reasons, my response to this question is mainly fourfold.