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WHO IS YESHUA?
YESHUA IS THE SON OF YHVH.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with
YHVH, and He was YHVH. . . . So the Word became human
and lived here on earth among us. He was full of
unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His
glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.” (John
1:1, 14) What Yeshua taught and what He did are tied
inseparably to Who He is. The Bible shows Yeshua as
fully human and fully YHVH. Although Yeshua took upon
Himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never
ceased to be the eternal YHVH who has always existed,
the Creator and Sustainer of all things and the source
of eternal life. This is the truth about Yeshua and the
foundation of all truth. If we cannot or do not believe
this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust
our eternal destiny to Him. That is why John wrote this
Gospel; to build faith and confidence in Yeshua
HaMashiach so that we may believe that He truly was and
is the Son of YHVH (20:30-31).
YESHUA IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Yeshua HaMashiach is the Creator of life and His life
brings light to mankind. In His light, we see ourselves
as we really are (sinners in need of a Saviour). When we
follow Yeshua, the true Light, we can avoid walking
blindly and falling into sin. He lights the path ahead
of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness
of sin from our life. Have you allowed the light of
HaMashiach to shine into your life? Let HaMashiach guide
your life and you will never need to stumble in
darkness.
YESHUA IS BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE.
By becoming human, HaMashiach became (1) the perfect
Moreh (teacher); in Yeshua’s life we see how YHVH thinks
and therefore, how we should think (Philippians 2:5-11);
(2) the perfect example: as a model of what we are to
become, He shows us how to live and gives us the power
to live that way (1 Peter 2:21); (3) the perfect
sacrifice: Yeshua came as a sacrifice for all sins and
His death satisfied YHVH’s requirements for the removal
of sin (Colossians 1:15-23).
YESHUA IS A MEMBER OF THE TRINITY.
“A voice came from heaven saying, ‘You are My beloved
Son and I am fully pleased with You.’” (Mark 1:11) The
Spirit descended like a dove on Yeshua and the voice
from heaven proclaimed the Father’s approval of Yeshua
as His Divine Son. That Yeshua is YHVH’s Divine Son is
the foundation for all we read about Yeshua in the
Gospels. Here we see all three members of the Trinity
together; YHVH the Father, YHVH the Son and YHVH the
Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).
YESHUA IS THE MASHIACH.
“[Yeshua] asked them, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter
answered, ‘You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living
YHVH.” (Matthew 16:15-16) The disciples answered
Yeshua’s question with the common view; that Yeshua was
one of the great prophets come back to life. This belief
may have stemmed from Deuteronomy 18:18, where YHVH said
He would rise up a prophet from among the people. Peter
however, confessed Yeshua as Divine and as the promised
and long-awaited Mashiach. If Yeshua were to ask you
this question, how would you answer? Is He your Lord and
Mashiach?
YESHUA IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN.
“When the woman realized that Yeshua knew, she began to
tremble and fell to her knees before Him. The whole
crowd heard her explain why she had touched Him and that
she had been immediately healed. ‘Daughter,’ He said to
her, ‘your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’” (Luke
8:47-48) Many people surrounded Yeshua as He made His
way toward Jairus’s house. It was virtually impossible
to get through the multitude, but one woman fought her
way desperately through the crowd in order to touch
Yeshua. As soon as she did so, she was healed. What a
difference there is between the crowds that are curious
about Yeshua and the few that reach out and touch Him!
Today, many people are vaguely familiar with Yeshua, but
nothing in their lives is changed or bettered by this
passing acquaintance. It is only faith that releases
YHVH’s healing power. Are you just curious about YHVH or
do you reach out to Him in faith, knowing that His mercy
will bring healing to your body, soul and spirit?
THE HUMANITY AND SUFFERING OF YESHUA HAMASHIACH
IN WHAT WAYS DID YESHUA DEMONSTRATE HIS HUMANITY?
YESHUA DEMONSTRATED HIS HUMAN NATURE BY DYING FOR
US.
“All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left
YHVH’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him
the guilt and sins of us all”. (Isaiah 53:6) In this
chapter Isaiah speaks of the Mashiach Yeshua, who would
suffer for the sins of all people. Such a prophecy is
astounding! Who would believe that YHVH would choose to
save the world through a humble, suffering servant
rather than a glorious king? The idea is contrary to
human pride and worldly ways. But YHVH often works in
ways we don’t expect. The Mashiach’s strength is shown
by humility, suffering and mercy”.
YESHUA DEMONSTRATED HIS HUMANITY AND DIVINITY IN
RESISTING TEMPTATION.
“The devil came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of
YHVH, change these stones into loaves of bread.’”
(Matthew 4:3) This temptation by the devil shows us that
Yeshua was human and it gave Yeshua the opportunity to
reaffirm YHVH’s plan for His Ministry. It also gives us
an example to follow when we are tempted. Yeshua’s
temptation was an important demonstration of His
sinlessness. He would face temptation and not give in.
This time of testing showed that Yeshua really was the
Son of YHVH, able to overcome the devil and his
temptations. A person has not shown true obedience if he
or she has never had an opportunity to disobey. We read
in Deuteronomy 8:2 that YHVH led the Israelites into the
desert to humble and test them. YHVH wanted to see
whether or not His people would really obey Him. We too
will be tested. Because we know that testing will come,
we should be alert and ready for it. Remember, your
convictions are strong only if they hold up under
pressure!
THE DIVINITY OF YESHUA HAMASHIACH
HOW IS YESHUA PROVED TO BE DIVINE?
YESHUA DEMONSTRATED HIS DIVINITY BY HIS CONTROL
OVER EVIL POWER.
“He began shouting, ‘why are you bothering us, Yeshua of
Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You
are; the Holy One sent from YHVH!’” (Mark 1:24) Evil
spirits or demons are ruled by satan. They work to tempt
people to sin. They were not created by satan; because
YHVH is the Creator of all. Rather, they are fallen
angels who joined satan in his rebellion. Though not all
disease comes from satan, demons can cause a person to
become mute, deaf, blind or insane. But in every case
where demons confronted Yeshua, they lost their power.
Thus YHVH limits what evil spirits can do; they can do
nothing without His permission. During Yeshua’s life on
earth, demons were allowed to be very active to
demonstrate once and for all HaMashiach’s power and
authority over them.
YHVH THE FATHER IDENTIFIED YESHUA AS DIVINE.
“Even as He was saying this, a cloud came over them; and
terror gripped them as it covered them. Then a voice
from the cloud said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One.
Listen to Him.’” (Luke 9:34-35) As YHVH’s Son, Yeshua
has YHVH’s power and authority; thus His Words should be
our final authority. If a person’s teaching is true, it
will agree with Yeshua’s teachings. Test everything you
hear against Yeshua’s Words and you will not be led
astray. Don’t be hasty to seek advice and guidance from
merely human sources and thereby neglect HaMashiach’s
message. YHVH clearly identified Yeshua as His Son
before saying that Peter and the others were to listen
to Yeshua and not to their own ideas and desires. The
ability to follow Yeshua comes from confidence about who
He is. If we believe He is YHVH’s Son, then we surely
will want to do what He says.
YESHUA DEMONSTRATED HIS DIVINITY BY HIS
RESURRECTION.
“The angel said, ‘Do not be so surprised. You are
looking for Yeshua, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He
isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this
is where they laid His Body.’” (Mark 16:6) The
Resurrection is vitally important for many reasons: (1)
Yeshua kept His promise to rise from the dead, so we can
believe He will keep all His other promises. (2) The
Resurrection ensures that the ruler of YHVH’s eternal
Kingdom will be the living HaMashiach, not just an idea,
hope or dream. (3) HaMashiach’s resurrection gives us
the assurance that we also will be resurrected. (4) The
power of YHVH that brought HaMashiach’s Body back from
the dead is available to us to bring our morally and
spiritually dead selves back to life so that we can
change and grow (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). (5) The
Resurrection provides the substance of the church’s
witness to the world. We do not merely tell lessons from
the life of a good teacher; we proclaim the reality of
the resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach.
HAMASHIACH’S DIVINITY WILL SOMEDAY BE KNOWN BY
ALL.
“Because of this, YHVH raised Him up to the heights of
heaven and gave Him a Name that is above every other
name, so that at the Name of Yeshua every knee will bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every
tongue will confess that Yeshua HaMashiach is Lord, to
the glory of YHVH the Father”. (Philippians 2:9-11)
These verses are probably from a hymn sung by the early
Christian church. The passage holds many parallels to
the prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. As a
hymn, it was not meant to be a complete statement about
the nature and work of HaMashiach. Several key
characteristics of Yeshua HaMashiach however, are
praised in this passage: (1) HaMashiach has always
existed with YHVH; (2) HaMashiach is equal to YHVH
because He is YHVH (John 1:1.; Colossians 1:15-19); (3)
although HaMashiach is YHVH, He became a man in order to
fulfil YHVH’s plan of salvation for all people; (4)
HaMashiach did not just have the appearance of being a
man; He actually became human to identify with our sins;
(5) HaMashiach voluntarily laid aside His divine rights
and privileges out of love for His Father; (6)
HaMashiach died on the cross for our sins so we wouldn’t
have to face eternal death; (7) YHVH glorified
HaMashiach because of His obedience; (8) YHVH raised
HaMashiach to His original position at the Father’s
right hand where He will reign forever as our Lord and
Judge. How can we do anything less than praise
HaMashiach as our Lord and dedicate ourselves to His
service!
THE RESURRECTION OF YESHUA HAMASHIACH
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT YESHUA ROSE FROM THE DEAD?
HAMASHIACH’S ENEMIES CONFIRM THE TRUTH OF THE
RESURRECTION.
“We request that you seal the tomb until the third day.
This will prevent His disciples from coming and stealing
His body and then telling everyone He came back to life!
If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at
first”. (Matthew 27:64) The religious leaders took
Yeshua’s resurrection claims more seriously than the
disciples did. The disciples didn’t remember Yeshua’
teaching about His resurrection (20:17-19); but the
religious leaders did. Because of His claims, they were
almost as afraid of Yeshua after His death as when He
was alive. They tried to take every precaution that His
body would remain in the tomb.
THE EMPTY TOMB WAS UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE.
The Pharisees were so afraid of Yeshua’ predictions
about His resurrection that they made sure the tomb was
thoroughly sealed and guarded. Because the tomb was hewn
out of rock in the side of a hill, there was only one
entrance. The tomb was sealed by stringing a cord across
the stone that was rolled over the entrance. The cord
was sealed at each end with clay. But the religious
leaders took a further precaution, asking that guards be
placed at the tomb’s entrance. With such precautions,
the only way the tomb could be empty would be for Yeshua
to rise from the dead. The Pharisees failed to
understand that no rock, seal, guard or army could
prevent the Son of YHVH from rising again.
THE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES CONFIRM THE TRUTH OF
THE RESURRECTION.
“Very early on Sunday morning the women came to the
tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found
that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled
aside. So they went in, but they couldn’t find the Body
of the Lord Yeshua”. (Luke 24:1-3) The two angels
(appearing as men “clothed in dazzling robes") asked the
women why they were looking in a tomb for someone who
was alive. Often we run into people who are looking for
YHVH among the dead. They study the Bible as a mere
historical document and go to church as if going to a
memorial service. But Yeshua is not among the dead; He
lives! He reigns in the hearts of Christians and He is
the head of His Church. Do you look for Yeshua among the
living? Do you expect Him to be active in the world and
in the Church? Look for signs of His power; they are all
around you.
THE RESURRECTION IS AN ESSENTIAL TRUTH OF
CHRISTIANITY.
Why is the Resurrection so important? (1) Because
HaMashiach was raised from the dead, we know that the
Kingdom of heaven has broken into human history. Our
world is now headed for redemption, not disaster. YHVH’s
mighty power is at work destroying sin, creating new
lives and preparing us for Yeshua’s second coming. (2)
Because of the Resurrection, we know that death has been
conquered and we too, will be raised from the dead to
live forever with HaMashiach. (3) The Resurrection gives
authority to the church’s witness in the world. Look at
the early evangelistic sermons in the book of Acts: the
apostles’ most important message was the proclamation
that Yeshua HaMashiach had been raised from the dead!
(4) The Resurrection gives meaning to the church’s
regular feast, the Lord’s Supper. Like the disciples on
the Emmaus Road, we break bread with our risen Lord, who
comes in power to save us. (5) The Resurrection helps us
find meaning even in great tragedy. No matter what
happens to us as we walk with the Lord, the Resurrection
gives us hope for the future. (6) The Resurrection
assures us that HaMashiach is alive and ruling His
Kingdom. He is not legend; He is alive and real. (7)
YHVH’s power that brought Yeshua back from the dead is
available to us so that we can live for Him in an evil
world.
THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION CAN WITHSTAND
SERIOUS INQUIRY.
“The other disciple also went in and he saw and
believed; for until then they hadn’t realized that the
Scriptures said He would rise from the dead”. (John
20:8-9) People who hear about the Resurrection for the
first time may need time before they can comprehend this
amazing story. Like Mary and the disciples, they may
pass through four stages of belief. (1) At first, they
may think the story is a fabrication, impossible to
believe (20:2). (2) Like Peter, they may check out the
facts and still be puzzled about what happened (20:6).
(3) Only when they encounter Yeshua personally are they
able to accept the fact of the Resurrection (20:16). (4)
Then, as they commit themselves to the risen Lord and
devote their lives to serving Him, they begin to
understand fully the reality of His presence with them
(20:28).
THE RESURRECTION IS CONFIRMED BY THE SURPRISE OF
THE DISCIPLES.
As further proof that the disciples did not fabricate
this story, we find that Peter and John were surprised
that Yeshua was not in the tomb. When John saw the grave
clothes looking like an empty cocoon from which Yeshua
had emerged, he believed that Yeshua had risen. It
wasn’t until after they had seen the empty tomb that
they remembered what the Scriptures and Yeshua had said;
He would die, but He would also rise again!
THE RESURRECTION ANSWERS MANY MORE QUESTIONS THAN
IT RAISES.
Yeshua’s resurrection is the key to the Christian faith.
Why? (1) Just as He said, Yeshua rose from the dead. We
can be confident therefore, that He will accomplish all
He has promised. (2) Yeshua’s bodily resurrection shows
us that the living HaMashiach, not a false prophet or
impostor, is ruler of YHVH’s Eternal Kingdom. (3) We can
be certain of our own resurrection because Yeshua was
resurrected. Death is not the end; there is future life.
(4) The divine power that brought Yeshua back to life is
now available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves
back to life. (5) The Resurrection is the basis for the
church’s witness to the world. |
