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Who is the Messiah? Part 7
Reviewing Who is the Messiah?
In the first 6 episodes of Who is the Messiah we learnt the following:
Messiah is Yahweh’s salvation, our Yahshua. “…you are to give him the name Yahshua, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)” He is ‘Our salvation that we’ve cried out for.’ The multitudes cried “Hoshanna!” which is yasha (“deliver, save”) and anna (we “beg, beseech”).
He is the Offshoot Branch that has risen from the stump of Jesse, our hope that has emerged from the thinned out linage of David. (Isaiah 11:1)
He is the embodiment of the Torah, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)
He was the hidden one, growing up in relative secrecy, initially being taken into hiding in Egypt. “…take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:13b)
He is the Anointed One, the Messiah, Moshiach ben Yoseph (the suffering servant), who will soon be Moshiach ben David (the warrior king of Israel). “The Ruach of Yahweh is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim the basar בָּשַׂר (the full message that brings the ultimate joy) to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Luke 4:18 quoting Isaiah 61:1)”
He is our High Priest. He took over from Yochannan, the rightful High Priest exiled in the wilderness. Yahshua’s suffering was critical to this role as it says, “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to Elohim, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)”
Is He the Adam Kadmon, the express image of the invisible Elohim that sits at the right hand of the Father on High? “The Son is the radiance of Elohim's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3a)”
He and the Father are Echad. We saw how this is especially evident in the sharing of language when Yahweh refers to both Messiah and the Children of Israel as being the son called out of Egypt. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1)” “(Yahshua and his parents) stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what Yahweh had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’ (Matthew 2:15)”
He is the Father’s right hand. “Elohim exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. (Acts 5:31)”
He is the son of man (Hebrews 2:6). He was fully human, knowing our hardships and suffering. The son of man in Hebrew as בן–אדם, ben-'adam. This expression appear 107 in the TaNaK and it’s mostly used in reference to Ezekiel.
(Slide) He is the Rock of our Salvation. “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 62:6)”He is our banner. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (John 12:32)”
He is the Rose of Sharon. “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. (Solomon 2:1)”
He is our deliverer. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Ya’akov. (Romans 11:26 quoting Isiah 59:20)”
He is El Shaddai. Messiah is El Shaddai אל שׁדי (Mighty One over all Spirits). “‘I am the Aleph and the Tauv,’ says the Sovereign Elohim, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the El Shaddai (also translated as ‘One who holds sway over all things’). (Revelation 1:8)’”
He came to fulfil the great Messianic expectations, which are:
- Coming from the Tribe of Judah
- Being the anointed King of Israel.
- Returning Israel back to the Promised Land
- He will restore the Temple in Jerusalem (on the heels of an imposter).
- He will bring peace to the world and end all war.
- And he will bring knowledge of Elohim to the whole world.
Thus he came to fulfil what the prophets foretold, not cancel them or contradict them. He came to “fill” as opposed to “empty out.”
So that’s sixteen faces of who Messiah is. How many of you could have rattled of more than four if asked on the spot by someone, who the Messiah is? Most people struggle after two.
(Slide) Those that have been following this series, this is what we know so far of who Messiah is. Most people, if asked who Messiah is will simply say he is my saviour or deliverer or redeemer and that’s about where it ends. This isn’t wrong, but it’s strange. Why is this strange? Well, imagine you had a father who you loved very much, you grew up with him as your mentor, teacher, playmate, and protector. One evening after a movie finished particularly late in the city, you and a friend are followed along a quiet dimly lit street by a gang of youths. They draw nearer and nearer looking as they’re going to definitely mug you both or worse. Out of nowhere and in the nick of time your father appears in his 57 Chevy and opens the door, yelling get in, and you are saved. Imagine being ask about your father and referring to this event as the only thing you can say about him. Weird.
(Slide) The big question is, why focus on the different names of Messiah, when the subject is about who he is, not what his names are? A name denotes a person’s character. By finding out a person’s name, you find out who they are. A name is a memorial that outlasts a person’s earthly body and stands throughout the generations as a testimony to the mission that exceeds individual lifetimes.
“Elohim said to Moshe, "Say to the Israelites, ‘Yahweh, the Elohim of your fathers--the Elohim of Avraham, the Elohim of Yitzhak and the Elohim of Ya’akov --has sent me to you.' "This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:15)”
Messiah has one name, but there are many faces to that name, we would otherwise call titles. This is because his mission is multifaceted. He’s always been more than a Messiah who came once as a suffering servant, died and resurrected and promised to return as a conquered king with a mighty host.
A name is description of a purpose, a mission. Each malakim (angelic messenger) is named according to its mission. Usually this is one name, such as רָפָאֵל, Rāfāʾēl, “It is El who heals,” גַּבְרִיאֵל, Gaḇrîʼēl ‘EL is my strength’ or מִיכָאֵל Micha'el, “Who is Like El.”
Messiah Name is Messiah’s Mission
(Slide) Messiah’s name is his mission: Yahshua ‘to rescue.’ What was his mission specification? “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)” and in Luke 19:10; “…the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Note, that the text rendered in Luke is ‘to save what was lost,’ rather than carrying the general reference, ‘to save the lost.’
What’s acutely interesting about Yahshua’s declaration is that his ministry was a rescue mission to a lost people, a particular people, rather than an aimless meander through the countryside doing miracles and reforming an old religion. “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. (Matthew 10:6)” Yahshua is telling his talmidim, if there’s no lost sheep of Israel in a particular Gentile or Samaritan city, don’t even go there.
(Slide) Even Sha’ul went to Netzarim synagogues and places that would generally accept him when he went to preach to the Gentiles as we see in the following array of verses:
“At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Yahshua is the Son of Elohim.” (Acts 9:20)
“When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of Elohim in the Jewish synagogues” (Acts 13:5a)
“From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.” (Acts 13:14) “Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18:4)
“At Iconium Sha’ul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.” (Acts 14:1)
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the Elohim-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17)
Even when a town had no synagogue, he went to the next most obvious location to find Netzarim, a river. Why because Nazarene women would be found there attending family purity laws. “From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.” (Acts 16:12)
(Slide) The world would have us believe by the cleaver twisting of certain passages that Moshiach came to bring peace and good will ‘to all men,’ which is a wrongly espoused view based on Luke 2:14; “Glory to Elohim in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Note here, the clear stipulation, “among those with whom he is pleased!”
The scattering of Israel can be likened to a flock of sheep that split into two different groups. The shepherd departs and one flock leaves the territory, while the other flock remain, still going through the daily routine as if the Shepherd was still there. The Shepherd returns and most of the remaining flock don’t recognise him. While he’s not completely rejected with some hating him and many simply not knowing how to take him, there is a small minority who accept him, albeit in secret given the current status-quo. The Shepherd then goes to search out the flock that had departed. “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16)”
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the World to Come. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the World to Come. (Matthew 5:17-19)”
(Slide) Messiah came to support what the prophets had said by coming in the manner, acting in the manner and exiting in the manner of their verbal forecasts, which were written down. ‘Fulful’ is to fill something up, whereas to cancel is to empty out or abort something’s use.
Today, more people have fascinating fixation over what HaSatan is doing, rather than what Yahshua is doing. You’ve often heard the expression, “the devil goes by man names” and most people are aware of a few, the Dragon, the Adversary, the anti-Messiah, the Beast, the Deceiver, the Accuser, the False Prophet, the Evil One, King of Babylon, the Man of Sin, little Horn, and Beelzebub to name a few. These describe all facets of his character and mission.
How well we know somebody is weighed against how well we know the variety of roles and purposes a person has. Messiah knows who he is, what his mission is, and who we are and he loves us more than we could ever fathom.
So what about Yahshua? Here is a concluding list of the major names, thus roles of Messiah:
(Slide) Messiah is the 2nd Adam: “So it is written [in Genesis 2:7]: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Avenger of Adam’s Seed: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. (Genesis 3:15)”
(Slide) Messiah is our Advocate: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Messiah YahShua, the Tzaddik (Righteous One). (1 John 2:1)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Amein: “These are the words of the Amien, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of Yahweh's creation. (Revelation 3:14)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Ancient of Days: "As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. (Daniel 7:9)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Angel of Yahweh’s Presence: “In all their distress He too was distressed, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Apostle and High Priest of our Faith: “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on YahShua, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (Hebrews 3:1)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Author of Eternal Salvation: “He became the Author (or source) of eternal salvation for all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).”
(Slide) Messiah is the Bread of Life: “Then Rebbe Yahshua declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)”
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)"
"Another explanation (Ruth 2:14): -- He is speaking of king Messiah; `Come hither,' draw near to the throne; `and eat of the bread,' that is, the bread of the kingdom; `and dip thy morsel in the vinegar,' this refers to his chastisements, as it is said, `But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities'" (Midrash Ruth Rabbah)
(Slide) Messiah is the Bright and Morning Star: "I, YahShua, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the congregations. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. (Revelation 22:16)"
(Slide) Messiah is the Rosh Pinnah (the Head of the Corner) Stone of our Altar: “Yahshua is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. (Acts 4:11)’” “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; Yahweh has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22,23)”
(Slide) Messiah is our Counsellor: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Dayspring or the Rising Sun: “… Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our Elohim, by which the Dayspring (rising sun) will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:67-79)"
(Slide) Messiah is the Door: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)”
(Slide) Messiah is Emmanuel: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, El with us. (Matthew 1:23)”
(Slide) Messiah is Faithful and True: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Revelation 19:11)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Faithful Witness: “…Messiah YahShua, who is the Faithful Witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto Yahweh, his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amein (Revelation 1:5,6).”
(Slide) Messiah is the First Begotten or First Born: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, ‘Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?’ And again, when he brings in the First Begotten into the world, he saith, ‘And let all the angels of Yahweh worship him.’ (Hebrews 1:5,6)”
(Slide) Messiah is the First Fruits – the Bikkerim: “…Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Messiah, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the Kingdom to Yahweh the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet. (Psalm 8:6)" Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include Yahweh himself, who put everything under Messiah. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that Yahweh may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)”
(Slide) Messiah is the First and the Last – the End All: “I am the Aleph and the Tauv, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:13)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Glorious manifestation of Yahweh: “…there the glorious Yahweh will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 33:21)” “The Son is the radiance of Elohim's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3a)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Great High Priest: “Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Messiah the Son of Yahweh, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Head of the Assembly – the Body: “…He is the head of the body, the Assembly: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. (Colossians 1:18)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Judge of Israel: “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. (Micah 5:1)”
(Slide) Messiah is King: “Then I remembered what the King had said: ‘Rav Yochannan immersed with water, but you will be immersed with the Holy Spirit.' So if Yahweh gave them the same gift as He gave us, who believed in King Messiah YahShua, who was I to think that I could oppose Yahweh?" When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised Yahweh, saying, "So then, Yahweh has granted even the nations repentance unto life." (Acts 11:16-18)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Lamb: “The next day Rav Yochannan saw Rebbe YahShua coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of Yahweh, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)”
“Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of Yahweh sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. (Revelation 5:5-7)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Light of the World: “When Rebbe YahShua spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)”
(Slide) Messiah was a Man of Sorrows: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. (Isaiah 53:3)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Mighty One of Jacob: “You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 60:16)”
(Slide) Messiah is the personification of Passover: “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)”
(Slide) Messiah is a Sure Foundation: “Therefore thus says the Yahweh Elohim, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away [in sudden panic]. (Isaiah 28:16)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Truth, the Life, and the Way: “Rebbe YahShua answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. (John 14:6,7)’”
(Slide) Messiah is the Good Shepherd "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11) The most fitting imagery imaginable that depicts Messiah and his followers is that of a shepherd tending his flocks.
(Slide) Messiah is our Comforter. “Praise be to the Elohim and Father of our Yahshua HaMoshiach, the Father of compassion and the Elohim of all comfort (Menachem). (2 Corinthians 1:3)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Unchanging One. “Yahshua HaMoshiach is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)”
(Slide) Messiah is the great Physician. “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. (Psalm 107:20)”
(Slide) Messiah is the Purifier: “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto Yahweh an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)”
(Slide) Messiah is called the Most Holy: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy. (Daniel 9:24)”
(Slide) Messiah is changed to Yahweh Tzaddiknu: “In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: Yahweh Tzaddiknu (Yahweh Our Righteousness). (Jeremiah 23:6)”
So next time someone asks you, ‘Who do you think Messiah is?’ hit ‘em. ‘He’s the Alef and the Tov, the Rose of Sharon, our Deliverer, our High Priest, the Anointed One, the Good Shepherd, the Branch, Our Passover Lamb, he’s our Emmanuel…’ ‘Okay, okay, buddy fine. You sure know you’re Messiah!’ And you say ‘Sure do brother!’