Yeshua Ben Yosef

YESHUA BEN YOSEF (JESUS SON OF JOSEPH).

The purpose of this small study is to show the indisputable Jewishness of Jesus. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew and finally died a Jew. We shall now look at each of these three points in detail.

Born a Jew.

Although Joseph was not Yeshua’s real father the Scriptures show that he accepted the child born to his wife as his own. In the flesh he wanted to quietly divorce his virgin betrothed wife until he was spoken to in a dream. Secondly, both parents were Jewish and both lineage’s in Matthew and Luke show their ancestral lines back to Abraham and the House of David from which the Messiah had to come. Next we have the gentile Magi asking where He born King of the Jews was! Then our Lord tells us that salvation is from the Jews in John chapter 4. Anyone denying the Jewishness of Yeshua is being rather selective in their thinking as well as ignoring the plain teaching of the Holy Bible which is inerrant! Perhaps the medical evidence that a baby derives from its mother certain bodily fluids not forgetting the embryo growth genes will change the mind of doubters! The umbilical cord between mother and child contains two arteries and one vein and so any doctor would again attest to the humanity of our Messiah, even though Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God. (Please note the blood of mother and child does not mix through the umbilical cord).

Lived as a Jew.

Once again it is the Scriptures that we look to and they confirm His circumcision on the 8th day as directed under the Law of Moses from God (Luke 2:21-23). This above all other things is the covenant given by God to His people to show they are of the Hebrew race. If our Lord did not have to show His humanity in being a Jew then God via an Angel would have instructed the parents not to bother! ! Not only did the parents of Yeshua take their son to have his britmilah (circumcision) but also under the Law given to Israel, Mary gave sacrifice to obey the first son principle of the Mosaic Law (Luke 2:24).

In His manhood as an observant Jew we see Jesus wearing the tzitzit (fringes) on His outer garment and this is what the woman with an issue of blood touches in faith to receive her healing. Once again we see obedience to the Law that all males of the covenant are to wear the fringes as a sign. Only Jewish males are allowed to wear these.

One more example, time and again we see Yeshua celebrating and observing Jewish Festivals ordained by God for the Nation of Israel. (see Luke 2:41-42; John 2:13; John 6:4; Matthew 26:19). Any independent and unbiased reader of the Gospels could come to no other conclusion than that Jesus the Jew lived a Jewish cultural and observant religious life.

Died a Jew.

We may now look at and understand the title of this Bible Study – Yeshua Ben Yosef. Our Lord Jesus has four sonships that the Holy Scriptures show us.

1. Son of God. 2. Son of Man. 3. Son of Joseph. 4. Son of David.

Although He is the Son of David in Heaven and in our hearts He will be the Son of David in type when He rules from Jerusalem for a 1,000 years. Again why rule from Jerusalem if you are not a Jew, He could easily have several palaces and temples around the world so as not to show favouritism! Let us recognise here and now and also understand that God does not have favourites, He has a chosen people or nation.

In coming as the Son of God (Deity) and the Son of Man (Humanity) we look at the first of two scriptural names given by the sages of old. (see Psalm 2, Proverbs 30:4 and then Daniel 7:13-14). The Messiah had to suffer before He reigns and rules as the Son of David. So in His first coming the Messiah as The Son of Joseph is a Suffering Servant. (see Isaiah chapter 53 and Zechariah 12:10)

To fulfil the Scriptures He was hung on a tree (Galatians 3:13), fashioned into a cross by the Romans. In death they (the Romans) would have thrown His body into the fires of the City dump but His physical body had to be raised, resplendent with the wounds! He was therefore under Jewish custom and practice buried in a tomb. The Gentile Nations were in the habit of burning bodies but after Christianity (or The Messianic Movement) swept across the world, bodies of believers were buried like their Messiah.

We trust this small study has clearly shown the physical aspects of our Lord as a Jew.

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