Yeshua Yeshuah Series

Yeshua Yeshuah

(Matthew 1:21)

1. Marylu and I had discussed what we would name our children.... (elaborate)

2. Names are very important to us, because we carry them throughout our lives. And statistics show that people who have weird names are more likely to be criminals.

3. In the Bible, people considered names to be even more important than we do.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Main idea: The angel’s announcement was, in a sense, a compacted version of the Gospel message, containing some crucial TRUTHS.

I. Miriam, While Yet A Virgin, Would BEAR a Son.

A. Mary is not the mother of God, but she is the mother of Jesus’ HUMAN nature.

B. Yet it is correct to say that she BORE God the Son.

C. This was the dream of every devout JEWISH girl.

D. This is important, because Jesus had to be both HUMAN and DIVINE.

1. Do you understand Who Jesus is?

2. I visited a woman at a nursing home who was a charter member of HPC, in her 90’s. For the first time, she understood Jesus was God.

II. The Child Was to Be Named YESHUA (Jesus), for He Would YESHUAH (Save).

A. Yeshua is the masculine form of the Hebrew word yeshuah, meaning SALVATION.

1. The spoken words would have been in Hebrew; Matthew translates into Greek.

2. In Greek, Jesus’ Name is translated ihsus

B. Biblical names were often considered PROPHETIC or descriptive.

The Old Testament prophets were often commanded to give their children names that described God’s dealings with Israel.

Most Old Testament names that incorporate either the syllable “el” or the letter “Y” (sometimes “J” in English) incorporate the name of God. For example, Joshua (Hebrew Y’hoshuah) means “God saves”; Eli means “my God”; Daniel (Hebrew Dani-El ) means “God is my judge”; … Zechariah (Hebrew Zechar-Yah) means “the Lord remembers”; Isaiah (Hebrew Yeshayahu) means “salvation of the Lord.”

When the angel told Joseph that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, he said of the child, “Thou shalt call his name Yeshua (Salvation), for he shall save his people from their sins.” The name was commanded as assurance that this indeed would be Israel’s Holy One. Not only does that name mean “salvation,” it means “God saves.” Not only was the Messiah to be God’s instrument of salvation, he was to be God in the flesh, reconciling his lost creation to himself.

Old Simeon in the Temple knew that. As he cradled the infant Yeshua in his arms, he prayed, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation (thy Yeshua) which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

Yeshua is the Jewish way to say Jesus. Yeshua is the Jewish way to salvation for all people. [Jews for Jesus]

C. Jesus is not primarily a moral teacher, He is, rather, a SAVIOR.

III. Yeshua Would Save HIS People.

A. Jesus’ people can refer to the JEWISH nation.

1. Israel is obviously God’s special nation (lived in exile for 1900 years)

2. Hebrews 7:14a says, “For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah…”

3. Jesus was Torah observant; so were the apostles… (Galatians 4:4-5, Acts 21:20-25)

B. Jesus’ people can refer to those ALIGNED with Him.

John 1:11-13, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

God has always blessed the tag-a-longs. Whether we are talked about the mixed multitude that came out of Egypt with the Hebrews (Exodus 12:38) or Ruth the Moabitess.

C. The SAME people He saved from their sins are HIS people.

1. Are you one of His people?

IV. Yeshua Would Save His People from Their SINS.

A. Sin has a consequence and creates a DEBT that incurs God’s wrath.

Romans 1:18a, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”

Matthew 6:12, “…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

B. You cannot be saved from hell without DESIRING to be saved from your sins at some level.

C. He came to save us from both the PENALTY and POWER of sin.

1. Being saved from the penalty of sin is immediate, but the power is a process.

2. Printing off a scenic picture from your computer is almost immediate, but putting together a 5,000 piece puzzle of the same picture takes time.