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(Originally
given by Arthur Glass,
and expanded upon by Rabbi Loren Jacobs)
Yeshua is the most special and most important
human being who ever lived. Our relationship to
God, our destiny, our salvation, our eternal life,
all depend on understanding who He is.
His
Name Is Wonderful!
In
the Holy Scriptures a person's name is significant.
It often tells us about their character, their
nature, their essential qualities. Sometimes that
name tells us about the purpose that God has for
them to accomplish. One of Messiah's many names
is "Peleh". It is a Hebrew word meaning
"something wonderful or amazing, a miracle,
a wonder". It is found in Isaiah 9:6-7: For
a child will be born to us, a son will be given
to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders;
and His name will be called Wonderful (Peleh),
Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince
of Peace. There will be no end to the increase
of His government or of peace, on the throne of
David and over his kingdom, to establish it and
uphold it with justice and righteousness from
then on and forevermore. Messiah Yeshua is
wondrous, miraculous, amazing, astounding, and
everything about Him is full of wonder.
He
is wonderful because of His unique nature.
He is El Gibor, the Mighty God and yet
at the same time He is a yeled yulad lanu,
and a ben nee-tan lanu - a child born to
us and a son given to us. The Mighty God,
who created the entire vast universe, somehow
became a child, and took on a human nature and
forever joined himself to human nature. That the
Mighty God would become a weak infant, and be
held in one of Joseph’s hands, is absolutely amazing
to me. Messiah Yeshua is forever and fully God,
and forever and fully Man. There is no one like
Him in this respect. His Divine and human natures
are an eternal mystery worth wondering about.
He
is wonderful because of His very special birth.
The prophet Micah tells us that Messiah,
unlike the rest of us, existed before His birth:
But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little
to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will
go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings
forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.
Yeshua existed before He was born on Earth, and
was the only person who could choose how and where
to be born, and He chose to be born not into a
rich and influential family, but into a poor Jewish
family. The One who experienced all the glories
of Heaven didn't choose to be born in a palace
but born in the most humble of circumstances,
and then placed in a manger - a feeding trough
where animals ate. He did not choose to be born
into a free people, but into a nation that was
living under occupation.
In spite
of this, Yeshua has become the most famous Jewish
man who ever lived; more famous than Abraham,
Moses, or David; more famous than Freud or Einstein.
Prophets predicted His birth. Righteous people
were given visions, dreams, and prophetic utterances
about His birth. A virgin miraculously conceived
to bring forth His birth. Heavenly signs attended
His birth, guiding wise men from far away lands
to worship Him. Angels announced His birth. Jewish
shepherds praised God at His birth.
There
are eternal consequences to His birth. Someone
observed that ever since the Incarnation, no one
can ever say to God, “Creator of the universe,
You can't possibly understand us. You are perfect,
eternal, distant, far removed from humanity."
No, He does know. He does understand us. Because
of Yeshua's birth as a human being, God knows
very well. He knows us from the inside. And, because
of our faith in our great Kinsman Redeemer, we
have been joined to the Son of Man, and our Elder
Brother, and are now and forever bone of His bone
and flesh of His flesh!
He
is wonderful due to His place in the Word of God.
He Himself is the author of the written Word
of God. He Himself is the living Word of God.
He is the Ultimate Revealer of God. He is the
ultimate communicator of truth, the final Prophet,
God’s Messenger and the Message in living form.
He is the personification of all that God wants
to say to mankind. Yeshua is the final communication
of God to mankind. What God wants to communicate
to mankind comes to us through Yeshua. He Himself
is an essential part of the message that God wants
us to understand. He is the main subject of the
Word of God.
He is
the focus of the prophecies, from the first prophecy
in Genesis when Eve was told that a descendant
of hers would crush the head of the serpent, to
the last book of the Bible where it is written
that the testimony of Yeshua is the spirit
of prophecy.
So many
of the ancient prophecies witness to humanity
about Yeshua. In fulfillment of the prophecies
of Isaiah, Jeremiah and David, Messiah was Immanuel,
God with us, born into humanity. In fulfillment
of the prophecy of Daniel, Messiah came before
70 A.D. In fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah,
He was born in Bethlehem and yet originated from
the days of eternity. In fulfillment of the prophecy
of Zechariah, He is Israel’s king who entered
Jerusalem triumphantly, yet humbly on a donkey.
In fulfillment
of the prophecy of Isaiah, He was rejected by
the majority of Israel, especially the leaders.
He was silent before His accusers. He was tried
and condemned even though He was innocent.
In fulfillment
of the prophecies of Micah and Isaiah, Messiah
Yeshua was beaten and spit on. In fulfillment
of the prophecies of the Psalms, He was mocked
and taunted, lots were cast for His garments,
and He died by crucifixion.
In fulfillment
of the prophecies of Isaiah and David, Messiah
rose from the dead. In fulfillment of the prophecy
of Jeremiah, He brought in a New Covenant, unlike
the one made at Sinai, which we broke and is in
ruins.
He is
Israel’s long predicted, long-awaited, long expected
Messiah, the Anointed Ruler that God sent to save
us, who in Himself fulfills the three offices
of prophet, priest and king.
He is
the greatest Prophet, who most clearly heard from
God and told us the truth, whose teachings are
supremely authoritative. He is our chief rabbi,
our Teacher who guides us into all truth, our
Wonderful Counselor who gives miraculous advice
- unfailing in the depths of its wisdom - to everyone
who asks Him for it.
He is
our High Priest whose priesthood is superior to
that of Aaron. He is the one and only Mediator
between God and Mankind. He is Jacob’s Ladder,
connecting Earth and Heaven. He is our High Priest
who offers sacrifice for us, atones for us, reconciles
us to God, continues to intercede for us, and
who even now prays for us, and forever saves us
because of His eternal life.
Not only
is He our High Priest, but He is also the Final
Sacrifice, enabling us to be reconciled to the
Creator from whom the whole world is estranged.
He is our sin offering that atones for us, our
burnt offering that enables us to be dedicated
to God, the peace offering that brings us wholeness,
completeness, well-being and peace with God.
He is
the Son of Abraham, the Lion of Judah, and the
final King of David’s royal line, who will save
Israel, gather Israel, protect Israel, rule over
Israel and restore true worship to Israel. He
will establish peace and righteousness and salvation
and the knowledge of God to Israel and the other
nations of the world. He will usher in the fullness
of the New and Eternal Covenant that will bless
Israel and all the families of the Earth.
Not only
does Yeshua fulfill the direct prophecies about
the Messiah, but also the types, symbols that
point us to the Messiah. He is the true Israel,
who succeeded where Israel failed. Like Israel,
He is God’s Son, but unlike Israel, God’s firstborn
son among the nations, the Son of God was always
faithful to His Father.
He is
our Sabbath Rest, the One who brings true rest
to the weary human soul. He is our Passover Lamb
who enables God to passover all of our sins forever,
saving us from our Egypts of sin and eternal death.
He is our Matzah - the Unleavened Bread, our Sinless
One, who was victorious over sin and who can break
the cycle of sin transmitted from generation to
generation. He is our Firstfruits, the First One
to be raised from the dead, thereby giving hope
that all who believe in Him will likewise be raised
from the dead. He is our coming King, who arrival
will be heralded by great shofars, who will soon
rule over Israel and the nations, and our Yom
Kippur Scape-Goat, who brings perfect and final
atonement. He is our Sukkah, our Tabernacle into
which we are harvested into God’s eternal Kingdom.
He is
the true Temple, in which God lives. He is our
Aron Kodesh, our Holy Ark, in which the Word of
God dwelt, over which the presence of God hovered,
and our bronze Mizbeach, our altar which atones
for us, our Washbasin which cleans us so we can
serve God, our golden Menorah which sheds the
light on us, our Bread of the Presence which feeds
us, our Golden Altar which enables our prayers
and praises to ascend and be accepted by God.
He is
the Seed of the Woman who will destroy the serpent,
and undo all the damage done by the adversary.
He is the Rock that was smitten, providing us
with the mayim chaim - the living water of everlasting
life, so that our thirst for God, for life, for
meaning, is forever quenched. He is the Bread
of Life that came down out of Heaven, giving life
to the world, infinitely better than the mannah
that our fathers ate in the wilderness, since
they died.
He is
the Star that arises from Jacob, shining the light
of Heaven on those living in darkness, confusion
and the shadow of death; He is the Branch that
brings forth the fruit of everlasting life, so
that believing in Him is like eating from the
Tree of Life. He is the Stone that the builders
rejected, but the Stone that God set firmly in
place to be the foundation of all that God is
building: the Cornerstone which will support our
lives eternally.
He is
the Messenger of the New Covenant, announcing
the formation of a new and better relationship
with God, and is Himself the One who made that
new agreement between God and man possible.
In Genesis
He is Noah’s Ark which saves us from destruction.
He is the Seed of Abraham through whom the whole
world will be blessed. In Exodus He is the Passover
Lamb. In Leviticus He is the Yom Kippur Atonement,
and our ultimate High Priest. He fulfills the
Ark of the Covenant, the Temple, the Sacrifices
and the Holidays. In Numbers, He is the rock that
was smitten that provided water for us to drink,
and the star to arise from Jacob. In Deuteronomy,
He is the prophet greater than Moses. In Joshua,
He is the Captain of the Lord of Hosts. In Judges,
He is the Angel of the Lord. In the book of Ruth,
He is the kinsman redeemer. In Samuel, Kings and
Chronicles He is the ultimate King of David's
line. Throughout the Psalms, Proverbs and other
wisdom literature, He is the wisdom of God. Throughout
the prophets He is the coming Messiah, the Savior,
the Branch, the Stone that the builders rejected
and Adonai Tzidkaynu (the Lord who makes us righteous).
In Hebrew,
final letters are always at the end of words.
But in a unique instance, a final letter (mem
sofit) is at the beginning of the word "increase"
(marbay in Isaiah 9:7)! This indicates that
when He begins to rule on the throne of David,
His rule will increase and never end. When Messiah
Yeshua is involved, even the grammatical rules
of Scripture do wonderful things!
Yeshua
is wonderful because of His unparalleled power.
John declared of Him: In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God (two Persons - equal in nature,
and yet separate and distinct as to their Person).
He was in the beginning with God. All things came
into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing
came into being that has come into being.
Also
writing about Him, Rabbi Paul asserted: By
Him, all things were created both in the Heavens
and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things
have been created by Yeshua and for Yeshua. Yeshua
is the Creator of the host of angelic beings,
the billions of galaxies with their trillions
of stars, this planet and everything on it, including
this city and all its people.
If the
creation of living things been left to me, maybe
I would have created a cow, a sheep, a tree, a
plant or two, and that would have been it. It
is estimated that there are close to an amazing
two millions species of life on Earth. There are
more than 287,655 kinds of plants, 74,000-120,000
fungi; 10,000 lichens; 1,250,000 species of animals.
This number of living species does not include
bacteria which alone may number in the millions.
Yeshua created this amazing variety of life!
If you
ever get a sense of awe when you experience the
greatness and magnificence of nature, or are amazed
when you consider anything from the smallest subatomic
particle to the most distant galaxies, you are
getting a glimmer of the power and wonder of its
Creator - Messiah Yeshua.
Not only
is Yeshua the Creator, but He is the Sustainer
of everything that exists. He is before all
things, and in Him all things hold together. He
upholds all things by the word of His power.
Yeshua's power is literally holding together the
all the atoms and subatomic particles of the universe
and everything in it! He is sustaining the entire
universe right now.
Every
moment that you exist, every breath that you breathe,
every beat of your heart, depends on Him! Foolish
mortal! How dare you resist Him, deny Him, speak
ill of Him, refuse to believe in Him or obey Him
or serve Him!
Yeshua
is wonderful because of His extraordinary teachings.
He taught with beauty, with simplicity and
with originality. He rejected the world’s values,
and turned the world's values upside down, saying
"blessed are the poor," not "blessed
are the rich;" "blessed are the gentle"
not "blessed are the aggressive and the powerful;"
"blessed are the merciful" not
"blessed are the conquerors;" and “blessed
are those who mourn” over their own sins, who
grieve that humanity is so broken, who are saddened
by our alienation from God, and our loss of eternal
life - not blessed are those who seek their own
personal happiness.
Yeshua
is wonderful because of the way He taught. He
taught with unusual authority. He never quoted
other rabbis. Instead He said, "I say to
you" because there was no higher authority
to which He could refer! The multitudes
were amazed at His teaching, for He taught
them as one having authority, and not as their
scribes who quote some other rabbi who quoted
some other rabbi. His teaching was so wonderful
that one time those sent to arrest Him came back
and announced that they couldn't arrest Him, for
"never did a man speak the way this man
speaks."
He
is wonderful because of the incredible claims
He made about Himself. He claimed to be the
promised Messiah. He claimed that anyone who had
seen Him had seen God. He claimed to have existed
before Abraham. He claimed to have life within
Himself - the same kind of self-existing, eternal
life that God the Father has. He claimed that
He and His Father were one. He claimed divine
authority to forgive humanity’s sins. He claimed
that He would be the final Judge of mankind. He
claimed that apart from people trusting Him and
believing Him, they would not experience salvation,
and that no human being could come to God apart
from Him. He claimed that He could give eternal
life to other human beings. And, He claimed that
God would prove the truth of His assertions by
raising Him from the dead on the third day!
When
confronted by claims of this magnitude, we have
three choices: either to conclude that Yeshua
was a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. C. S. Lewis
put it this way: "Either Jesus is a mad man,
on a par with a man who claims to be a poached
egg - out of his mind, uttering meaningless, garbled,
rambling, megalomaniacal statements - or He is
telling the truth. And if He is telling the truth
He is the most important Being in the universe”.
He
is wonderful in His sinless life. He is the
only human being who ever perfectly kept God’s
Law. Every other human being has, at times, yielded
to the temptations of the world, the flesh and
the devil; the lust of the eyes, the lust of the
flesh and the sinful pride of life; only Messiah
Yeshua resisted them all! He was tested in all
ways as we are, yet He never sinned. He always
did what was right. His sinless life and victory
over sin and over all temptation is amazing and
it is wonderful to contemplate.
He
is wonderful in His ability to forgive sin,
and sin is our greatest problem. It is a bigger
problem than politics or economics or war or terrorism
or the environment or anything else you can think
of. Once a paralyzed man was brought before Him,
and Yeshua dared to pronounce that the man's sins
were forgiven. The Jewish leaders who were present
knew that only God can forgive sins, and that
atonement was a complicated procedure involving
a Levitical priest who shed the blood of an innocent
animal sacrificed at the Jerusalem Temple. But
Yeshua simply and on His own authority forgave
the man's sins. He went on to prove that He had
the authority to forgive sin, by saying to the
paralyzed man, "rise, take up your mat and
go home." The man rose, picked up his mat
and went out in the sight of all; demonstrating
that, as God in the flesh, Yeshua had the authority
to forgive mankind's sins. The Jewish people witnessing
Yeshua's claim to forgive sin and His attesting
miracle, were amazed and glorified God saying,
"we have never seen anything like this."
And they
were right! Under the Mosaic covenant, with its
constantly repeated sacrifices by the Levitical
priests, there was no ultimate and final forgiveness
for sin - only a temporary covering. Aaron and
all the priests that descended from him stood
before the bronze altar to repeat the same sacrifices,
year after year, which could not fully atone for
our sins. If they had completely atoned for our
sins, they would have stopped offering them, because
they would have done the job. From the time of
Moses until 70 AD, when the sacrifices stopped,
there was a continual shedding of the blood of
bulls, goats, lambs and rams, day after day, Sabbath
after Sabbath, month after month, holiday after
holiday, year after year - millions upon millions
of animals (I once calculated it and the total
is astounding: 171,000 bulls, 48,000 goats, 55,500
rams, 301,639,500 lambs), rivers and rivers of
blood that did not permanently take away our sins.
Israel could never say, “It is finished!”
Why couldn’t
the blood of bulls, goats, lambs, and rams fully
take away our sins? They are animals - not made
in the image of God, and they are worth less than
a human being. On the Scale of Being, with God
being the most valuable, followed by man, then
the animals, then plants, followed by the inorganic,
one man is more valuable than all the animals
in the world.
Adolph
Saphir, a gifted Messianic Jew and teacher from
Europe who lived many years ago, informs us that
the sacrifice of Yeshua is better because Messiah
is a man - far more valuable than all the animals
ever slaughtered. And, not only is He fully man,
He is also fully God. So, the one sacrifice which
the One who is fully God and fully Man brought
was of infinite value and delight to His Father.
Also, the sacrifices of the animals wasn’t voluntary.
The sacrificed animals were killed against their
wills to obtain their blood. But the sacrifice
offered by the Messiah was a willing sacrifice.
Yeshua died willingly and voluntarily. The One
who was perfect, and needed no sacrifice for Himself,
was willing to give His life that we might live
- live with Him, live with His Father, live forever!
His one
sacrifice was infinitely superior to all the combined
millions of sacrifices that came before. His one
sacrifice is eternally powerful. His one sacrifice
possesses absolute perfection, and never ceasing
effectiveness. His one sacrifice accomplished
infinite redemption, perfect and full and final
and eternal atonement. His one sacrifice is sufficient
for all human beings. Therefore, it never needs
to be repeated.
And,
what about the non-Messianic Judaisms of today
that are based on a broken covenant, with no Temple
and no sacrifices? At least the Sinai covenant,
while it was in effect, brought a measure of atonement?
Today’s bloodless Judaisms provide no atonement
whatsoever. Let everyone know that through this
Man, Yeshua of Nazareth, is offered to us the
forgiveness of all of our sins: and because of
Him and by means of Him everyone that believes
are made righteous from all things, from which
we could not be made righteous by the provisions
of the Sinai Covenant. God made His Son who knew
no sin, to be a sin offering for us, so that we
might become the very righteousness of God when
we are join to Messiah, when we place our faith
in Him. He is the only Savior from sin. His atonement
is so powerful, so wonderful, that He is the atonement
not only for our sins, but also for the sins of
the whole world! Where sin increases, His amazing
ability to forgive sin and overcome sin abounds
all the more!
Yeshua
is wonderful because of the way He won His victory
over our greatest enemies - sin and death.
While others have conquered by the sword, Messiah
conquered through self-sacrifice and love and
grace. The following poem contrasts Yeshua and
Alexander the Great, both of whom greatly affected
the world:
Jesus
and Alexander both died at 33. One lived and died
for self, One died for you and me. The Greek died
on a throne, the Jew died on a cross. One's life
a triumphed seemed, the other but a loss. One
led vast armies forth, the Other walked alone.
One shed a whole world's blood, the Other gave
His own. Jesus and Alexander both died at 33.
One died in Babylon, the Other on Calvary. One
gained all for himself, and One Himself He gave.
One conquered every throne, the Other every grave.
The one made himself a god, but God made Himself
less. The one lived to kill, the other lived to
bless. Jesus and Alexander both died at 33. The
Greek made men slaves, the Jew made men free.
One built a throne on blood, the Other built on
love. The one was born of Earth, the Other from
above. The Greek forever died, the Jew forever
lives. He loses all who gets, and wins all things
who gives (author unknown).
He single-handedly
won the battle against Satan, and the fallen angels,
and the forces of sin and death that are dominating
fallen humanity who are made in God’s image and
exceedingly valuable and precious to Him, not
by exerting overwhelming force or power - which
He could have done - but by leaving the glories
of Heaven, limiting His almighty power, humbling
Himself, and becoming a man, so that He could
identify with fallen, sinful human beings who
are headed to death and Hell and destruction.
He became a human being - frail, weak, and subject
to suffering and death. He won the greatest of
all victories not by exerting overwhelming power,
but overwhelming weakness; allowing Himself to
be arrested, judged, humiliated, beaten, spit
upon, and nailed naked onto two pieces of wood.
Messiah
is wonderful because of His grace. Many people
think that if there is a God, He is harsh, judgmental
and perhaps even a little cruel. Yet Messiah Yeshua,
who has and reveals God’s very nature, is the
epitome of grace, unmerited favor, undeserved
mercy, kindness, love, and understanding. Yeshua
is full of grace, and we have all received from
His fullness, grace heaped upon grace. When one
undeserved good thing that Yeshua does runs out,
another one is right there to take its place!
Truly His grace is amazing!
He
is wonderful because of His relationships with
people. He befriended social outcasts; He
touched a leper, ate with tax collectors, redeemed
prostitutes. He was willing to teach a Samaritan
women. Few, if any of rabbis of His day would
do these things. Even though He is the Righteous
One, throughout the centuries He has been known
as the Friend of Sinners. He does not treat us
as mere creatures, although dayenu - that should
be enough for us! He does not regard us as mere
servants (what an honor just to serve Him!), but
He actually calls us His friends, even His brothers
and sisters! He make makes us joint-heirs with
Him of the New Heavens and the New Earth, and
will allow us to sit with Him on His throne! His
friendship is something amazing and which we should
never take for granted.
He
is wonderful in His miracles. Few prophets
in Israel's long history ever performed miracles
- Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and a few
others, but Yeshua's miracles exceeded them all.
He turned water into wine, walked on water, healed
the sick, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, brought
sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, fed five
thousand men from a few loaves of bread and some
fish, raised the dead and stilled the winds and
waves with just a word. He is the greatest miracle-worker
of all time!
Yeshua
is wonderful in His death. His death was
the most important event in human history. Humans
beings may be willing to die for their family,
or for a dear friend, but Yeshua didn’t die for
those who loved Him, but for His enemies. While
we were His enemies, Messiah died for us. Even
during His horrible and painful and humiliating
death, He was willing to forgive those human beings
who were crucifying Him. While being nailed to
a cross, He could pray, “Father, forgive them
- they don't know what they are doing." Though
He was innocent and unjustly killed, He died with
love and forgiveness on His lips.
The events
surrounding His death were marvelous. There was
an eclipse of the sun, an earthquake, the veil
in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, the
Earth shook, rocks were split and tombs opened.
Even a tough Roman centurion, when he saw the
earthquake and the things that were happening,
became very frightened and said, "Truly this
was the Son of God!" Many of the Jewish saints
who had died were raised and, coming out of the
tombs after His resurrection, entered Jerusalem
and appeared to many.
He
is wonderful in His resurrection. Yeshua's
resurrection validates His claims, His ministry
and His message. It declares that He is Lord.
It declares that He is God in the flesh. It declares
that He is sinless. Yeshua’s resurrection is God's
seal of approval on everything that Yeshua did
and taught. It declares that He is perfect, flawless
blameless in all He ever did and said. He means
that He only spoke the truth, since God would
not allow a sinner, a liar, a false prophet or
Messiah to be resurrected. It means that Yeshua’s
words are more trustworthy and more enduring than
even this entire physical universe. "Heaven
and Earth will pass away" He claimed, "but
My words will never pass away!" Imagine a
Jewish carpenter saying that! And yet His words
have endured for 2,000 years. His words are more
often quoted, studied, discussed, and sung than
the words of any other man who has ever lived.
You can build your life in this world and your
life in the World to Come on Yeshua's words.
His resurrection
makes Him absolutely unique in the history of
the world, putting Him on a level far higher than
any of the prophets of Israel or the leaders of
any other religion. It sets Christianity and Messianic
Judaism apart from all other religions, philosophies
or ideologies. Buddha is still in his tomb, as
are Mohammed and Confucius. Charles Darwin is
dead and is not evolving! Marx, Lenin, Freud and
Einstein are still dead and buried. Only Yeshua,
of all human beings, has overcome death and is
alive now. Therefore we ought to listen more
carefully to Him than to any other human being
who has ever existed. We must pay very careful
attention to every word He ever uttered.
Messiah's
resurrection guarantees our resurrection. When
He rose from the dead, He defeated Satan and all
his demonic hosts. He conquered sin. He even defeated
death! If you will only confess with your mouth
that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved - and you will be raised with Him and experience
eternal life.
Yeshua
once said to a Jewish woman named Martha, "I
am the resurrection and the life; he who believes
in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone
who lives and believes in Me shall never die -
the Second Death. Do you believe this?"
Do you?
Some
sixty-five years later, the Resurrected One appeared
to His beloved disciple John for the last time
as recorded in the New Testament. Yeshua said
to him: "I am the first and the last,
and the living One; and I was dead, and behold,
I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of
death and Sheol." Yeshua was saying,
"I am the beginning of history, the end of
history and the very meaning of history. I have
authority over life and death. In order to live
forever, you need to join Me." Have you?
He
is wonderful in regards to His return. General
Douglas MacArthur directed the defense of the
Philippines during World War Two. Though hopelessly
outnumbered by the Japanese, his troops put up
a gallant defense. Under orders from President
Roosevelt, he left the Philippines, but before
he left he made a promise and declared, "I
shall return." General MacArthur kept his
promise and did return two years later as the
commander at the head of his troops. He fulfilled
his promise and returned in triumph to the Philippines
and liberated the people.
Before
He left, Messiah also declared, "I will return."
He too went away for a time but He too will keep
His promise to return. MacArthur's return will
be dwarfed by comparison to Yeshua's glorious
return from Heaven to Earth in complete triumph
at the head of His armies, liberating His people!
Yeshua
is wonderful in His ability to wage war.
Most people think of the young rabbi from Nazareth
as "nice," meek, mild, the gentle shepherd
who holds the lambs close to His breast. That
is true, but He also is the Mighty God and the
Captain of the Lord of Hosts, the Supreme Commander
of Heaven's troops. He will lead them and defeat
all the armies of the Earth, destroying them and
all of their sophisticated and powerful weapons
of war as if they were children’s toys, inconsequential
and nothing.
The Holy
One will trod down the peoples in His anger and
destroy all the forces of the anti-Christ. With
His sword He will smite the nations. With His
rod of iron He will shatter them like earthenware.
He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath
of God Almighty. People on Earth will be amazed
by His ability to make war and say, "Who
is able to withstand the great day of the wrath
of the Lamb?" A Lamb having wrath? A Lamb
being so utterly powerful and dangerous? It seems
contradictory, but it’s not! It’s wonderful! Accept
Yeshua now, and embrace His sacrificial death,
and become His ally and friend, or find Him one
day to be the most dangerous and deadly enemy.
He
is wonderful in His impact on the world.
The young rabbi from Nazareth never wrote a book,
and yet the libraries in the world are full of
books that have been written about Him. As far
as we know, He never wrote a song, and yet more
songs have been written about Him than anyone
else. He never founded a college, yet all the
schools put together can't compare to the number
of all His students. He never led an army, and
yet no leader ever had more volunteers. He never
studied psychology, and yet He has healed more
broken hearts than all the psychiatrists and psychologists
the world has ever produced.
He was
born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant
woman. He grew up in another obscure village,
where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was
thirty. Then for three or four years He was an
itinerant preacher. He never had a family or owned
a home. He never traveled more than two hundred
miles from His birthplace. He never wrote a book,
or held an office. He did none of the things that
usually accompany greatness.
At His
death, His friends deserted Him. He was betrayed
to His enemies, and went through a mockery of
a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two
thieves. While He was dying, His executioners
gambled for the only piece of property He had
- His coat. When He was dead, His body was taken
down and place in a borrowed grave.
Twenty
centuries have come and gone, and yet today Yeshua
is the central figure for much of the human race.
All the armies that have ever marched, all the
navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments
that have ever sat and all the kings that have
ever reigned have not affected the lives of men
as powerfully as this "One Solitary Life."
The names
of the past leaders of Greece and Rome have come
and gone, yet this man's reputation multiplies
more and more. If people throughout the world
know about much about Israel, or pray to the God
of Israel, or read Israel's Holy Scriptures, it
is in large part because of Yeshua.
Rabbi
Hyman Enelow, who was not a Messianic rabbi, observed
that Yeshua “has become the most renowned, most
studied and most influential figure in the history
of mankind. The love He has inspired, the comfort
He has given, the good He has engendered, the
hope and joy He has kindled are unequaled in human
history. No Jewish person should be indifferent
to the fact that this one Jewish man has had such
a tremendous part in the religious history of
mankind”.
He is
so important that much of the world measures time
because of Him. We are now in the year 2007, which
means that nearly 2,000 years have passed since
Immanuel came to Earth and clothed Himself with
humanity.
Yeshua
is wonderful in His exaltation. He is high
and lifted up, and greatly exalted. He is higher
than Abraham, more exalted than Moses. He is higher
than the great cherubim and burning seraphim.
He is higher than the Highest Heavens! Even now
He is seated at the right hand of the Most High.
There He is equally worshiped along with God the
Father. Every created thing which is in Heaven
and on the Earth are heard equally worshiping
the One on the Throne - God the Father, and the
Lamb - the Son of God who sacrificed Himself and
died for us, saying: “blessing and honor and glory
and dominion forever and ever, to Him who sits
on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Yeshua
has a name that is above every name. One day every
knee will bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua
the Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Throughout eternity all redeemed people will have
perfect, glorified bodies (I'm certainly looking
forward to mine - more and more each year). Everyone
will have a perfect body - except the Glorified
One, who will forever bear the marks of His earthly
suffering.
He
is wonderful in His eternal, glorious rule.
He is the ruler of the thousand year golden age
of that is coming to Earth. He is the ruler of
the eternal age for which mankind has longed;
the age of peace, prosperity, justice, righteousness,
an end to suffering and victory over death. In
His day the knowledge of the Lord will cover the
Earth as the waters cover the sea. We will enter
His Kingdom and reign with Him forever and ever!
He
is wonderful in judgment. All judgment has
been given to Him. He alone will judge the living
and the dead, those who are alive at His coming,
and those who have died. He will judge Israel
and the nations. He will judge the Messianic Community
and those who have ignored God and disobeyed His
ways.
He will
be the One sitting on His great white throne,
so great, so powerful, so pure, that Earth and
Heaven flee from the presence of the One on that
throne! One day all will give to Him an account
of their lives, for all the things that they have
done, good and bad, and the things that they should
have done, but didn’t do. They will give an account
for every word, every thought, and the motive
behind every word and action.
He
is wonderful because He is the goal of all things.
Rabbi Paul reveals us mystery to us. Writing
to Messiah’s Holy Community of Believers in Ephesus,
the inspired rabbi from Tarsus writes: In all
wisdom and insight He (God the Father) made known
to us the mystery of His will...which is the summing
up of all things in Messiah, things in the heavens
and things on the Earth.
The Creator,
who is full of unfathomable wisdom and infinite
insight, to please Himself, and because of the
kindness that He feels toward us, chose not to
keep us in the dark, but to reveal crucial information
about the ultimate meaning of life, and the ultimate
future of the universe. To the generations who
lived before the coming of Messiah, these things
were not clear. But the Father decided to clearly
give us clear information about these great issues
of existence.
So, here
is what the all-wise and all-good God is intent
on doing: The Creator has a plan to take human
beings - not just the original Chosen People,
but individuals from many nations, and unite us
with Israel’s Messiah. The Son of God, who is
eternal, and is forever and fully divine, would
come from Heaven to Earth, and become a man. He
would unite Himself to humanity. Then certain
Jews and Gentiles would be enabled to come to
know who He is, and have the grace given by God
to place their faith in Messiah. They would then
receive the Spirit of God and Messiah, and be
united to the Messiah, who is united to God the
Father.
Jews
and Gentiles who are united to the Messiah form
a very special community that is to lovingly support
each other, and with Yeshua as the leader of the
community. Jews and Gentiles who are united to
the Messiah form a very special family, with God
as our Father and Messiah as our eldest brother.
Jews and Gentiles who are joined to the Messiah
are like a body with various parts that all work
together, with Messiah as the head of this body.
Ultimately
all of these human beings, who are united to the
Messiah, and who are united to each other, and
who are indwelt by the Spirit of God, will come
under the good and wise and beneficial leadership
of the glorious Son of God! Every creature will
be able to reach its full God-endowed potential.
Messiah
will perfectly, justly, righteously, completely
and eternally rule over all forces and powers,
over all creatures, over men and angels, over
everything and over everyone, for ever and ever!
And then God the Father will rule over the Messiah
who will rule over all. Messiah, ruling with perfect
and good and wise leadership, leading us with
wisdom and righteous, will bring eternal peace
and everlasting harmony, bliss and joy and happiness
to a whole new universe. There will be a new heavens
and a new Earth and a new Jerusalem as its capital.
That
is the mystery that has been reveal to us by the
coming of the Messiah. That is the plan. That
is the meaning of the universe, and the meaning
of life, and if you cooperate, and have faith
in God and Messiah, the meaning of your life.
Don’t you want to be part of it?
He
is wonderful because He is everything to us.
He is the Messiah, the God-sent, God-appointed,
God-ordained, Holy Spirit Anointed Prophet, Priest
and King.
God has
many sons, some good and some bad, some angels
and some men, but Yeshua is God’s unique and Only
Begotten Son. He is also the ultimate Son of Abraham.
He is Abraham’s unique seed, through whom Israel
and the nations of the world are blessed. He is
also the Son of David, the final Heir of Israel’s
royal family who will sit on David’s throne ruling
over Israel and the nations. He is the King of
Israel and the King of the Jews.
He is
the Son Of God and the Son of Man, fully God and
fully Man. He is the Man, and yet also Immanuel
(God with us), and the eternal "I Am"
who was before Abraham, who is the source of being,
the source of life. He is Adonai, the Lord. He
is the Servant, yet also the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. He is the very image of the invisible
God. He is God's great Mystery that has finally
been revealed and made known to us. He is the
Firstborn of all Creation, having preeminence
over all of Creation, and He is the Firstborn
from the Dead. He is the first human being to
die and overcome death. He is preeminent over
the rest of the dead who will be raised, having
the right to rule over all those who have died.
He is Beginning of the Creation of God, who was
in the beginning with God and preceded the creation
of the universe; and He is the Last Adam - the
spiritual, the heavenly, the victorious, the eternal
Man that dying humanity must join if they want
to live. He is the Alpha and Omega, the First
and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He is
the beginning of history, the end of history,
the middle of history and the meaning of history.
He is
the Word, and the Word of God (God’s Message to
us) and the Word of Life (the Message that brings
life, God’s life, eternal life, not this poor,
pale, pathetic life that non-born-agains experience).
He is our highest Rabbi, the supremely authoritative
teacher of all of mankind, whose words will outlast
this universe! He is our Lord and our King we
must obey and serve, our Savior we must believe
in, our Friend who is close to us, sticks with
us, enjoys being with us. He is our Brother who
is joined to us with the bonds of family love.
He is our Advocate who comes along side to help
us, like a good lawyer who intervenes to successfully
defend us; He is our Apostle sent to us by God,
and the ultimate authority in His New Covenant
Community; He is the Head of the Body.
He is
the one and only Mediator between God and Man,
our great and merciful High Priest, constantly
interceding for us and helping us, and perfectly
bringing us into the presence of God who because
of Him now accepts us, and bringing the eternal
blessings of almighty God to us. He is the Author
of our faith and the Perfecter of our faith.
We are
foolish, and He is the source of our wisdom. We
are corrupt and sinners, and He is our righteousness
and our holiness. We were sold into the satanic
slave market of sin and death and He is our redemption.
We are lost and He is the Way. We are confused,
in deep darkness and surrounded by lies, and He
is Truth that sets us free. We are dead in our
trespasses and sins and He is the Life. He is
the Deliverer, the Savior of the World, and the
Savior of all men. He is the Holy One, the Righteous
One who always did what is right, the Living One
and the Chosen One.
He is
the Door that opens the way to God’s eternal city,
the New Jerusalem; He is the Faithful Witness
who always and perfectly testified to what is
true. He is the Faithful and True One and the
Amen who is utterly reliable.
He is
the Prince, and the Head over all things, and
the Prince of Life, who creates life, gives life,
even eternal life, and rules over everything that
has life. He is the Judge of the Living and the
Dead. He is the Stone, rock solid and reliable,
and the Chief Cornerstone, the support, the foundation
of the new universe God is designing. He is the
Bread of life, the Bread of God and the Bread
out of Heaven, able to physically and spiritually
nourish and sustain this entire world. He is the
Good Shepherd who leads, guards and provides for
us, the Chief Shepherd and the Shepherd and Guardian
of our Souls.
He is
also the Lamb, the Lamb of God, and our Passover
Lamb who willingly offered Himself as the perfect
and final sacrifice to make everlasting atonement.
He is also the great Lion of Judah and the Horn
of Salvation - who is powerfully able to provide
lost and dying humanity with God’s salvation.
He is
the Light of the World giving truth to a world
in deep darkness, and the Sunrise from on High,
bringing hope that a new day of truth and salvation
and victory and justice and righteousness is dawning
- God’s day, the day of the Lord; and He is the
Bright Morning Star that shines even during the
darkest nights. Saving truth is emanating from
Messiah Yeshua right now - day and night!
He is
the Resurrection and the Life, so that if we join
ourselves to Him, we will be raised from death,
and live forever! He is the True Vine in whom
we must abide if we are to produce any worthwhile,
lasting results.
We are
created by Him, kept by Him, forgiven by Him,
redeemed by Him, saved by Him, judged by Him and
glorified by Him. We are fabulously wealth joint
heirs with Him.
Yeshua
gives us His joy, His peace, His strength, His
Spirit and His Life. He will allow us to sit on
His throne. In Him all the promises of God are
yes and amen. Joined to Him we possess all spiritual
blessings. Believing in Him, we have peace with
God. Faithful to Him, we are set free and live
forever. In Him we are complete, lacking nothing,
not the least little things. He is our all in
all!
All
things have been created by Messiah and for Messiah.
One day all things will be summed up in Messiah,
things in the heavens and things upon the Earth.
Men and women, Jews and Gentiles, each one of
us, you and I, will be forever with Him... or
forever without Him. Are you with Him? He is the
Heir of all Things. Do you belong to Him?
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