NAME OF MESSIAH

In the Babylonian Talmud there is a statement about one of the Names of Messiah:

"The Messiah - what is his name? The Rabbis say, `The Leprous One.' Those of the House of Rabbi say, `The Sick One,' as it is said, `Surely he hath borne our sicknesses'."

Did you notice in calling Messiah "The Sick One," that the Rabbis are associating it with the fact that Messiah bore our sicknesses? This is a direct quote from the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, the fourth verse, which reads:

"Surely He hath borne our griefs (diseases), and carried our sorrows(pains):...". In order to be made sick, God would have to become human - for, as God He was never afflicted like mankind! Messiah was called "The Sick One" in The Talmud. He was made sick, so that all who would believe in Him would be healed. He is the Great Physician. The Hebrew Scriptures declare that He is called by the Name: "Jehovah Rapha," "The Lord That Healeth."

God foretold through the prophets of old that Messiah would be born of the Tribe of Judah and that not only would He be human, but He would also be Divine. He was not to be A Son of God as was each Israelite, but He was to be THE Son of God in a unique sense. He actually would be "God manifested in the flesh."

God promised Israel that He, Himself, would come to dwell or live in their midst, and one of His names declared the same truth: That name was "Immanuel" or "God-With-Us." The essence of this name, "Immanuel," signified that God would dwell or live among His people and in the Person of Yeshua, THIS WAS SO!

Many other names are given to the Messiah who was to come, but the most wonderful and complete name is the one by which He would be called when He was born into our humanity. This Name was prophesied over and over again, and it is found written one hundred times in the Hebrew Scriptures!

It is translated from a word meaning "Salvation" and when it is applied to a person, it means "Saviour." It was translated into the English from the Greek as the name, "Jesus," and from the Hebrew as the Name, "Yeshua."

Do you know why I am mentioning the name of Jesus? I have a very good reason for doing so. My God commands me to do this! It is written in our own Hebrew Scriptures that we, who believe in Jesus as Messiah, are to publish that Name to the Jewish people! We are not to hold back that great Name from being declared, especially to Jews everywhere, for incorporated in that name is Salvation. In that Name is health and prosperity and all the good things of redemption.

You may ask: But where, in the Scripture, do we find that God has commanded us to declare the Name "Jesus" to our people Israel? We read of this in the sixty-second chapter of Isaiah, the eleventh verse:

"Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh: Behold His reward is with Him, and His work before Him."

In this verse, the "daughter of Zion" refers to the Jewish people. The word, "salvation" is the Name of a Person who comes to them with His reward and work. The "end of the world" refers to believers in Messiah Jesus who live all over the world. They are to proclaim to my Fellow-Jews that their Messiah is coming to them, and His Name is "Jesus" or "Salvation."

God asks a question about His Name and the Name of Messiah in the book of Proverbs:

"Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? ...Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name...". (Proverbs 30:4)

We know the answer to this last question. We know that it is God who has created the ends of the earth. We will continue reading this verse:

"...and what is His Son's Name, if thou canst tell?"

"Who has ascended up into heaven, or descended?" In these verses He is called God's Son! There is only one who came down to this earth from Heaven and who has ascended back into Heaven! God predicted, through His prophets, that this One would also come again! We read of Him, who is not only called "Son of God," but in the Tenach He is also called "Son of Man". One day He will return from Heaven where He ascended after His death and resurrection.

The prophet Daniel told us this: "I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven...and there was given Him dominion...and all nations shall serve Him...and His Kingdom shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13,14, portions of)

Here, the everlasting King-Messiah is called "The Son of Man." He had been on earth as a part of humanity. This is pointed out in the title, "Son of MAN," yet here He is in Heaven, returning to earth to receive an everlasting Kingdom!

Two thousand years ago there was an announcement by the Angel to the Shepherds keeping watch over their flock at night. The great and wonderful day had arrived for the fulfillment of God coming to live among His people on earth. The day had come for the Incarnation, that is, God-manifested-in-the-flesh, the day of "Immanuel," "God-With-Us."

This was foretold by the prophets in the Tenach, and was then fulfilled! "And the angel said unto them (the shepherds),...unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ (or Messiah), the Lord."(Luke 2:10,11, portions of)

In other words, the angel was saying that this Child who was born in Bethlehem (the City of David), was the promised Son of God, The Son of Man, the Saviour or "Salvation" which is "Yeshua." He is "Immanuel," "God-With-Us," God, manifest in the flesh! God, Who became a Man!

This Child was born into this world of ours, was called the Messiah and LORD by the Angel who announced it to the shepherds. GOD CAME TO EARTH and was manifested in the flesh, to dwell among His people Israel as had been predicted throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. His Name means "Salvation" or "Yeshua," that is, "Jesus."

It is written in God's Word that at the Name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is LORD. Now is the time to acknowledge that Name above every name, and to bow before Him, for He is truly Salvation to everyone who believes - to Jews as well as Gentiles. Won't you confess Him as your Lord today?