NEW MEMBERS ORIENTATION CLASS 3

YESHUA

In lesson two we saw that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had a physical manifestation of G-d appear to them.  Abraham made dinner for him, and Jacob wrestled with him.  In D'varim (Deuteronomy) 13 Moshe warned us that if someone tried to tell us to worship some other god which our fathers did not know, we should not agree with him, not listen to him, not pity him, not spare him, not protect him, but rather put him to death. (verses 6-9)  Faith in Yeshua is Torah-based.

 "These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moshe, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me.  Then Yeshua opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures."  Luke 24:44-45    In Acts 17 we see Rav Shaul, as was his practice, going into the synagogue on Shabbat and reasoning with them out of the scriptures, demonstrating that Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and that Yeshua is the Messiah.  Some believed, and some did not, but those in Berea searched the scriptures daily to see if he was telling them the truth. This is not about a new religion or another god.  Our faith is based on the Hebrew scriptures and their fulfillment in Yeshua. In our previous lesson, we examined the mystery of the complex unity of G-d.  We looked at specific scriptures about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, haAv, haBen, v'haRuach haKodesh.  When we call haShem "Avinu", we are calling Him our Father. 

Yeshua is called the Son of G-d.  He is referred to as the Son in Psalms 2:7,12, Psalms 89:26-29, and Proverbs 30:4 , before He was born as a human being.  Then in Isaiah 9:6 we read of a Son Who will be born Who will be called the mighty G-d.  In Isaiah 7:14 we are told a virgin will conceive and bear a Son whose name will be called G-d with us, Imanuel. 

In Genesis 1 we see G-d creates everything through His Word.  In Yochanan (John) 1:1-3 we read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d.  The same was in the beginning with G-d.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."  Verse 14 says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 Abraham was told he would have a son.  Although he physically brought forth two sons, in Genesis 22 when G-d commands him to offer up his son, G-d calls Isaac his only son three times.  G-d is creating a picture for us to see the offering of an only Son, which He would later do Himself, in atonement for us.  Just as the ram died that day for Isaac and for all the Jewish people in his loins, so Yeshua would come and die in our place. How is a son born?  The genetic code of the father is mixed with the genetic code of the mother, and a child begins to grow in the mother's womb.  In the case of Yeshua, His Father was G-d.  The seed that was planted in Miryam's womb was the Word of G-d, the genetic code of G-d Himself.  Yeshua was fully man and fully G-d.  As Yeshua walked this earth, G-d in human form, He lived, breathed, and taught the Word of

G-d.  He fulfilled biblical prophecies that He could have had no control over, such as His place of birth, time in Egypt, and where He was buried.  He explained G-d's heart in portions of the Torah which were being misused.  He taught us to love and obey G-d's commandments.  He prophesied events with complete accuracy, in confirmation of prophecies in the Tanach, which has demonstrated to us today that He was indeed the prophet like Moshe who would arise, to Whom we should listen.  D'varim (Deuteronomy) 18:18-19

 "If you want something done right, do it yourself," goes the old adage.  That's what G-d did in sending His only Son, Yeshua.  He was coming in fleshly form to get the job done right, to purchase back humanity from the slavery to sin and death.  He was born to die. 

WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY.  At Beth T'filah we do not believe that the Christian Church has replaced the Jewish people in the heart of G-d.  We do not believe the Brit haChadashah has replaced the Tanach.  We do not believe the Son has replaced the Father, or that the Holy Spirit later came to replace the Son.  In Yeshua we receive the grace to live by the truth which He revealed at Mount Sinai, the truth of the Torah (instruction) given to Moshe.  Isaiah 42:1-4 , Micah 4:1-7 , Yochanan (John) 1:17

G-d does not change.  Malachi 3:6

Yeshua is the ETERNAL Son of G-d.  In Genesis 14:18-20 Abraham pays tithes to a mysterious man, Melchizedek.  In Psalms 110:4 G-d swears to make the Messiah a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.  In Hebrews 7:1-10 the writer explains that Melchizedek was someone we should consider because of the likeness to the Son of G-d.  In Daniel 3:19-30 one like the son of G-d appears with the three men in the fiery furnace and rescues them.  In Luke 10:18 , Yeshua says He saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven, an event which occurred before Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden.  In Yochanan (John) 8:58 He says, "Before Abraham was, I am."  "Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever."  Hebrews 13:8 .  See also Hebrews 1:8-13 .

Yeshua was with G-d in the beginning, and all things were made by Him.  Without Him nothing was made that has been made.  Genesis 1 , Yochanan (John) 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17

He became the Lamb of G-d to take away the sins of the whole world, for everyone who would believe in Him.  Genesis 22:13-18 , Exodus 12:1-13 , 21-23, Leviticus 16:16-22 , 29-34, 17:11, Numbers 21:6-9 , Isaiah 52:13-53:12 , Yochanan (John) 1:29, Revelation 4:11 , chapter 5

MEMRA - THE WORD

Exodus 32:24 , "Behold, My Angel shall go before you..."  When G-d appeared as a man to Abraham, Jacob, and others He is sometimes called "the angel (messenger or deputy) of the L-rd.", Mal'ach haShem.  Notice in Judges 2:1-5 that this angel speaks only in first person G-d, without saying, "The L-rd says."  (unlike in Luke 1:11-19 where the angel Gabriel identifies himself and speaks of G-d in the third person.)  In Daniel 10 this being has a body like beryl, his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, his arms and his feet like polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a multitude.  Only Daniel saw the vision, but a great shaking came upon the other men and they ran to hide themselves.  Daniel responds, "How can the servant of this my L-rd talk with this my L-rd?" Targums:  Aramaic was the spoken language of most Jews in Israel and Babylon during the Talmudic era.  After each verse was read from the Hebrew Torah scroll, an official translator would then recite orally an Aramaic rendering.  Targums, or "translation", was used in the synagogues before, during, and after the times of Yeshua.  In the Targums, whenever G-d's sacred name appears more than once near each other, or when we see YHVH and then Elohim (G-d), or where YHVH is appearing in human form, they called Him Memra, in Hebrew "D'var haShem", in English, the Word of the L-rd.  Yeshua was revealed to our fathers many times in the Tanach as the Angel of the L-rd, "Mal'ach Elohim".  When Yochanan (John) calls Yeshua the Word, (Yochanan chapter 1) he was referring to this person Who is the Angel/Messenger/Deputy/WORD of the L-rd. 

A targum example would be in Genesis 19:23-24 where we read, "V'YHVH himtir al-S'dom v'al-'Amorah gafrit va'esh me'et YHVH min-hashamayim."  "And haShem rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from haShem from heaven."  The Targum has, "And the Word of YHVH caused to descend upon the peoples of Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the YHVH in heaven."

In Psalm 33:6 we read, "BiDvar YHVH shamayim na'asu uv'Ruach piv kol-tzva'am."  "By the Word of haShem the heavens were made and by the Spirit of His mouth all their armies."  The D'var haShem should be understood as that part of G-d by which all things were created.

 1 Yochanan (John) 1:1-3, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.  We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Yeshua the Messiah."

MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

There are many prophecies in the Tanach concerning the Messiah which are fulfilled in Yeshua.  Psalms 2, 8, 16, 22, 30, 31, 41, 45, 68, 69, 89, 102, 103, 109, 110, 118, 132 are some of the Psalms which contain references to the Messiah, His suffering and death, His resurrection, and His return to rule over the earth.  In these you will find many very specific prophecies concerning Him, spoken 1000 years before His birth.  For more extensive study, see the article, "Consider Yeshua," or read Moshe Rosen's book on Messianic prophecy called Y'shua or other good books on the subject.  Or do a comparison yourself between Messianic passages in the Tanach and the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Yochanan (John). 

Find these references to10 Messianic prophecies with their correlating fulfillment:

1.  Micah 5:2 (compare to Matthew 2:5-6 , John 7:42 )

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2.  Isaiah 7:14 (compare to Matthew 1:23 )

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3.  Haggai 2:7 (compare to Luke 2:22-32 )

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4.  Hosea 11:1 (compare to Matthew 2:15 )

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5.  Zechariah 9:9 (compare to Matthew 21:4-5 and John 12:14-15 )

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6.  Malachi 3:1-2 (compare to Matthew 21:12-13 )

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 7.  Zechariah 11:13 (compare to Matthew 27:3-10 .  This part of the book of Zechariah was very possibly written by someone other than Zechariah, so perhaps it could have been Jeremiah, although his prophetic ministry took place 70 years previous at the beginning of the exile.  Perhaps Matthew is connecting this with the corruption and pronounced judgment in Jeremiah 18-19 and 32.  In any case, it was not a coincidence that the prophet predicted the corrupt leadership would not value the Messiah when He came, or that they would buy the potter's field with his purchase price, and exactly what that price would be.) 

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8.  Zechariah 13:7 (compare to Matthew 26:31 , Mark 14:27 ,50)

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9.  Psalm 22:18 (compare to Matthew 27:35 )

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10.  Isaiah 53:9 (compare to Matthew 27:57-60 )

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The Messiah has already come, and He's coming again. 

Maimonides 12th principle of Jewish faith is that the Messiah will come.  "I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he tarry, yet will I wait for him."  The first time the Messiah came, He came as a suffering servant, Mashiach Ben Yosef, Messiah the Son of Joseph, who suffered the cruel rejection of his brothers and was punished as a criminal even though he was innocent.  His identity remained hidden although he was the provider and savior for his family.  (Genesis 37-45 )  When the Messiah returns, He will come as Mashiach Ben David, Messiah the Son of David, to reign as G-d's anointed King.  Even with David, although he was anointed to be king by Samuel, triumphed militarily, and was loved by the people, although he worshipped with the humility and fervor of a priest, he was not installed as king until years of rejection had passed.  (1 Samuel 16 through 2 Samuel 2 .  See also Hosea 3:4-5 )

Yeshua will set up His kingdom and rule over the earth.  Genesis 49:10 , Numbers 24:17-19 , Daniel 7:9-14 , Psalm 2 , Isaiah 11 , 66:15-16, 23-24, Zechariah 6:12-13 , chapter14, Matthew 24:30 , Acts 1:9-11 , Jude 14-15 , Revelation 1:7 , 14:14, 19:11-16

Yeshua did not commit any sin against G-d's Torah. Yeshua was tempted in every way in which we are tempted, yet did not sin.  Sh'mot (Exodus) 12:5, Vayikra (Leviticus) 4:3, Isaiah 42:1-4 , 54:9,

2 Corinthians 5:21 , Hebrews 1:9 , 4:14-15, 7:26-27, 1 Kefa (Peter) 3:18, 1 Yochanan (John) 2:29, 3:9, 5:18

When Yeshua died on the tree, He became sin for us, and fully bore the consequences of all our sin for all time.  Psalm 22 , Isaiah 53 , Zechariah 3:3-9 ,12:9-13:1; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 , Galatians 3:13 , Colossians 1:13-14 , Hebrews 9:11-28 , 1 Yochanan (John) 2:2,12

Yeshua arose bodily from the grave.  His body never suffered decay.  Job 19:25 , Psalm 16:10-11 , Psalm 30:2-3 , Hosea 6:1-3 , Matthew 28 , Luke 24:1-12 , Acts 2:23-36 , 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Yeshua is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us as our High Priest.  (Genesis 20:17-18 , Exodus 32:9-14 , 30-32, Leviticus 16 , Numbers 16:44-50 ), Psalm 110:4 , Ephesians 1:3 , Colossians 3:1-2 , Hebrews 7:14-28 , especially verse 25

We believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Eternal Son of G-d.  He is Israel's Mashiach (Messiah) as promised in Tanach.  He is Imanuel (G-d with us).  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary, vicarious death for sin, rose bodily from the dead, ascended back into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and is coming again in the same way as He ascended for the purpose of establishing His Kingdom upon earth from Jerusalem.

Making Yeshua L-rd of our lives means letting Him order our thoughts, words, and deeds. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of G-d, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah." 

Ephesians 4:29 , "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers."

Matthew 12:36 , "But I say to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."

Proverbs 3:5-6 , "Trust in the L-rd with all your heart; and don't lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

Matthew 26:39 , "Not as I want, but as You want."

Ya'akov (James) 2:18, ..."I will show you my faith by my works." 

He ordered the whole universe - the orbits of the planets, the times and seasons, the table of the elements, the growth and reproductive cycle of every living creature - don't you think He is capable of ordering your life?

      
DIVINITY OF YESHUA

In the first chapter of Genesis we see that G-d spoke the universe into existence with His Word.  In John 1 we learn that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d and the Word was G-d.  The same was in the beginning with G-d.  All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men....He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.  As many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of G-d...And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  And we (Peter, Ya'akov, and Yochanan on the Mountain where He was transfigured) beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth...No man has seen G-d at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

 In Colossians 1:15-20 we read in reference to Yeshua, "Who is the image of the invisible G-d, the firstborn of every creature:  For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:  all things were created by Him, and for Him:  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the Body, the worldwide congregation of believers:  Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell and, having made peace through the blood He shed at His execution stake, by Him to reconcile all things to Himself." 

Isaiah 48:12-17   Listen to Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.  My hand also laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand spanned the heavens:...Come near Me, and hear this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I:  and now the L-rd G-d, and His Spirit, have sent me.  This is what the L-rd, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:  I am the L-rd Your G-d..."

Compare this to Revelation 1: 11ff when Yochanan has a vision of Yeshua:  "I was in the Spirit on the L-rd's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last...And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.  And having turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the middle of the seven candlesticks one like the Son of man, ...and when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, 'Fear not; I am the first and the last:  I am He that lives, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.'" 

The detailed descriptions in Revelation of His appearance and of the throneroom of G-d remind us of the description in Daniel 7:9 :  "I watched until the thrones were thrown down, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool:  His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire.  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him; a million ministered to Him, and 100 million stood before Him...I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him, and there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him:  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

Compare this to Psalm 2: 6ff, "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.  I will declare the decree:  the L-rd has said to Me, 'You are My Son; this day have I begotten You.  Ask of Me, and I shall give You the heathen for Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.'...Serve the L-rd with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." When Yeshua was on trial before the high priest, Pilate, and Herod, this was a huge issue.  Are you that King, King Messiah, Who will rule over the whole earth, the Son of G-d Who is in His very essence G-d?  He admitted it was true, and added, "Hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?   Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy.  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is guilty of death."  Matthew 26:64-66   He was crucified for admitting that He was G-d come in the flesh, and that He would eventually rule over everything! 

Yeshua was not just a nice person.  Not just a good teacher.  Not just a revolutionary thinker.  Not just a true prophet, although He was definitely all of these.  Either He was everything He said He was, or He was blaspheming, and deserved His crucifixion.  He said, "I and the Father are one.  If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father.  I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father, except through Me."  

See John 14   He is the King of kings, and the L-rd of lords!  Revelation 17:14  

Each week we recite the Sh'ma and speak of G-d's oneness.  Just as a man and his wife are "echad", one, just as a cluster of fruit is "echad", so G-d is a complex unity made up of Father, Son, and the seven-fold Holy Spirit of G-d.  This is such a mystery for our small minds to grasp, but let's consider this:  we are made in the image of G-d, and we also are a complex unity of spirit, soul, and body.  My mind can be thinking one thing, my body doing another thing, my heart feeling another thing, and my mouth saying another thing, all at once.  If I, a simple human being, am so complex, why should it be so hard to accept the complex unity of Almighty G-d, and that G-d would desire to become flesh so that He could dwell with us and provide the perfect atonement for our sin?

Ephesians 1:17-23 , "That the G-d of our L-rd Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Messiah, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to the the head over all things to the Body of believers, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all."