Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah

By Dr. Esther Diane Boucher

Christianity has attempted to present Messiah in universal terms by stripping Him of His Jewish identity and presenting Him to the world as a universal, one-size-fits-all Savior. In doing so, they have removed Him from the inheritance of Abraham and robbed Him of His core identity. Jewish people have experienced thousands of years of persecution. They have been taught to believe that they are traitors to their people if they accept Yeshua as Messiah. They have looked for a King, a political leader who would free them from their oppressors and provide peace and prosperity. So they also have robbed Him of His core identity.

Bible critics and scholars are talking about the differences between the Messiah of Christianity and the historical person Yeshua, referred to as Jesus Christ. But who is Yeshua? Yeshua was a Torah-observant Jew who practiced the faith of Biblical Judaism throughout His lifetime. He looked like a Jew, acted like a Jew, and worshipped like a Jew. Failure to understand these facts has robbed Jew and Christians alike of spiritual understanding of who Yeshua really was. As you read this book, you'll be amazed at just how Jewish Yeshua really was! This is not just another book about a messiah, but a thought provoking, fun to read journey into the world and culture of the Bible that will change how you think and affirm the historical basis for faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781467045445

Dr. Esther Diane Boucher

Dr. Esther Diane Boucher is the co-founder and president of New England Christian College and Seminary, and Gates of Praise Ministries,Inc. in Fall River, MA. She is a graduate of Christian College and Seminary in Independence, MO., and has a doctorate in Divinity. Esther is internationally recognized as a gifted teacher and public speaker. Dr. Boucher is the rabbi of Kehilat Yisrael in Newport, RI, and co-pastors Faith Fellowship Church, with her husand in Portsmouth, RI. She is "a woman with a mission" to emphasize divine truths of the Hebraic Scriptures and heritage, to remind people of their responsibility to worship and honor the Creator, and to challenge and call Jews and Christians back to their ancient roots of radical passion for the Messiah no matter the cost. She and her husband, Donald, have ten wonderful children. They reside in Newport, RI.

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© 2008 Dr. Esther Diane Boucher. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/25/2008

ISBN: 978-1-4389-1451-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4544-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

ISAIAH 62:11

…SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, LO YOUR SALVATION COMES; BEHOLD HIS REWARD IS WITH HIM, AND HIS RECOMPENSE BEFORE HIM.’

Contents

INTRODUCTION

BRIEF HISTORY OF ISRAEL

THE FORERUNNER

THE BIRTH OF MESSIAH

YESHUA’S CHILDHOOD

YESHUA’S MINISTRY

THE PASSION, CRUCIFIXION AND THE ASCENSION

THE BRIDE

YESHUA IN THE FEAST

CHOOSE LIFE OR DEATH

APPENDIX A

ENDNOTES

INTRODUCTION

The Holy Scriptures are composed of a series of Toledot. These are best understood as genealogies. They are the records of who begat who. They are like a family tree which lays out the relationships between family members. The Torah is like sitting on your grandmother’s knee, opening an ancient photo album and her introducing you to the members of your family. She tells you their stories, their adventures and misadventures. In the ancient Near East, genealogy defined one’s ethnic and tribal identity. Every person in the tribe had a place and purpose. They found their identity in the family as a son or daughter in a long line of sons and daughters.

Christianity has attempted to present Messiah in universal terms by stripping Him of His Jewish identity and presenting Him to the world as a universal, one-size-fits-all Savior. But in doing so, they have removed Him from the inheritance of Abraham and robbed Him of His core identity. They have taken Yeshua out of Israel.

Jewish people have experienced thousands of years of persecution. They are sensitive about their culture and religious practices, their life styles and so forth. They have been taught to believe that they are traitors to their people if they accept Yeshua as Messiah. They feel that such an act discounts all the Jewish blood that has been shed and all the lives that have been lost in inquisitions, pogroms, and gas chambers. Some Jewish people have rejected Yeshua because they have failed to see His dual role. They have looked for a King, for a political leader who would free them from their oppressors and provide peace and prosperity. So they also have robbed Him of His core identity.

Bible critics and scholars are talking about the differences between the Messiah of Christianity and the historical person Yeshua, referred to as Jesus Christ. But who is Yeshua? Yeshua was a Torah-observant Jew who practiced the faith of biblical Judaism throughout his lifetime. He looked like a Jew, acted like a Jew, and worshipped like a Jew. Failure to understand these facts has robbed Jew and Christian alike of spiritual understanding of who Yeshua really was. As you read this book, you’ll be amazed at just how Jewish Yeshua really was! This is not just another book about a messiah, but a thought provoking, fun to read journey into the world and culture of the Bible that will change how you think and affirm the historical basis for faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ISRAEL

To begin to understand Messiah we must begin with some of the history of Israel. During the time of Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) the prophet (627-580 B.C.), we read in the Tanakh chapter 16:10- 13; And it shall come to pass, when you tell this people all these words, and they shall say unto you: ‘Why has the L-RD pronounced all this great evil against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the L-RD our G-d?’ Then you will say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law; and you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, you walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you hearken not to Me; therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night; forasmuch as I will show you no favor. But G-d also makes them a promise in Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 16:15b, And I will bring them back into their land that I gave to their fathers. According to Josephus, the Judean Monarchy ended with the Babylonian captivity. The people began to return in three major expeditions: one in 538- 537 B.C. under Z’rubavel (Zerubbabel), the second under Ezra in 458 B.C., and the last under Nechemyah (Nehemiah) in 444 B.C.

The line of David continued but his descendants no longer possessed the throne of Israel. Hundreds of years later the Maccabees arose to lead a revolt against the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes. After leading Israel to victory they took the throne of Israel for themselves, assuming the crown and the high priesthood. Their dynasty collapsed into civil war between two brothers, both fighting for the throne of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). An Edomite noble named Antipater called upon Rome to intervene and settle the conflict. The Roman General Pompey seized Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) and the Temple, and settled the conflict by force. Israel became a subject of Rome and Antipater was promoted to govern over it. When Antipater died, the Roman Caesar Augustus raised Antipater’s son Herod to the position of King over Israel.

Herod the Great was a military general, politician, and builder. As a king he was a tyrant. He knew his right to the throne was artificial and this caused him to protect his crown from every real or imagined usurper. While all of this was going on the house of David lived on. They never forgot their claim to the crown. Obviously the reign of Herod was a bad time to be the rightful heir to the throne of David. This may be the reason that a Davidic clan left their ancestral territory in the vicinity of Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem) and colonized a small Galilean community called Natzeret (Nazareth). These descendents would have been well aware that they were of the family that would one day produce the promised Savior-king (Whiston,1987).

The prophet Yesha’Yahu (Isaiah) compared the royal dynasty of David to a tree stump. Yesha’Yahu (Isaiah) 11:1, And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Yishai (Jesse), and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots. The Hebrew for Nazareth, Netzeret is based upon the root word netzer. As a noun, netzer means branch or sprout. Is it possible that the Davidic clan founded the community of Nazareth and named it Netzeret, which means Branchtown in anticipation of the ultimate fulfillment of Yesha’Yahu (Isaiah’s) words? Under the reign of Herod the Great and the evil Empire of the Romans, they longed for the Branch, the man who was to be born from among their kinsmen. They named their town after their great hope for Messiah.

We must understand the importance of the Davidic line. If Messiah is not a descendent from David, He is not Messiah at all. G-d entered into eternal covenant with David, promising him that his house and throne will endure forever. Therefore, all the true and rightful kings over Israel must be descended from the house of David. Sh’mu’el Bet (Samuel II) 7:8-16, Yesha’Yahu (Isaiah) 9:6-7 and 11:1, and Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23:5-6 all confirm this truth.

THE FORERUNNER

Let us now look at the forerunner of Messiah. He is