What Does It Mean To "Know Yeshua"?
Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) is our Messiah who came to deliver His chosen people, Israel, and all the nations of the earth. He came, like Moses, to bring us out of our spiritual bondage (Exodus). But He has some requirements. When Moses explained the way of God’s deliverance from Egypt, the children of Israel needed to listen and act as God required. They needed to apply the lamb’s blood to the doorposts of their homes (Exodus 12:23).
In the same way today, both Jew and Gentile must meet the requirements of Yeshua who was sent by God to deliver us. But what does He require? Some think that nothing short of a perfect obedience to the Torah will satisfy Him. Others think it is good enough to be just good enough.
It’s clear from the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament) that God expects us to be perfect. After all, the Torah says, “Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 27:26 NET). But this is also clear from the Tanakh − while He may expect perfection, He knows it is not possible. Messiah knows perfection is an impossible standard to attain on our own:
“None of them does what is right, not even one!” (Psalms 14:3 NET).
“For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NET)
“And all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6 ESV)
We all fail to reach God’s expectation of perfection. We all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This is the reason Messiah came – to provide spiritual salvation for us. Yeshua came to deliver us from our own sinfulness, rebelliousness and imperfections, and to provide us with the perfection, or “sin-less-ness” which the Father requires – Messiah’s righteousness.
“By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:6 ESV)
This is why Paul wrote, “God made the one [Yeshua] who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NET). Yeshua is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NET). Yeshua says about Himself, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
And so, what does Messiah Yeshua require? He says, simply,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry…” (Matthew 11:28-30 NET)
Messiah Yeshua requires only one thing – not that you do any work of righteousness, but that you receive the work of righteousness that is from God. If you will recognize your sin and trust in Yeshua as your Messiah, then:
You have applied the blood of the Lamb of God (Yeshua) to the doorposts of your heart,
You have received Messiah’s salvation,
You have been forgiven of your sins; and
The Spirit of the Lord Yeshua has come into your heart to guide and direct you in His path.
“For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NET).
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