Let’s Talk Messianic and Messianic Judaism – Part 3 | Discovering the Jewish Messiah

Discovering the Jewish Messiah

By Rev. Dr. Sanette Fleming, DMin (ABD), MDiv
President, I Was Just Thinking Ministries Inc.

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Introduction: Rediscovering the Real Yeshua

Was Jesus Jewish? This question, while seemingly simple, opens the door to a profound theological recovery of the Gospel’s original context. The name “Jesus” is a transliteration from the Greek Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), meaning salvation. His name reveals His mission: to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

“You are to name Him Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, TLV)

This article builds upon the previous installments ( Let’s Talk Messianic and Messianic Judaism – Part 1 and Messianic Judaism and The Jewish Roots of Christianity | Let’s Talk Messianic and Messianic Judaism – Part 2) of this series by exploring in greater depth the Jewish identity of Yeshua, how His life was embedded in Torah-observant Judaism, and what this means for believers today. Understanding Yeshua within His Jewish framework is not optional—it is essential for rightly interpreting the Scriptures and walking in faithful discipleship.

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Salvation Is from the Jews

Yeshua said to the Samaritan woman:

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22, TLV)

This assertion is loaded with theological weight. It affirms the Jewish origin of the Messiah, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the promises. The Apostle Paul echoes this when he writes:

“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Torah, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah.” (Romans 9:4-5, TLV)

God chose Israel not only to receive the Law but to bring forth the Redeemer (Isaiah 11:1; Micah 5:2). To detach Jesus from His Jewish roots is to detach the Gospel from its Scriptural foundation.

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The Jewish Life and Torah Observance of Yeshua

Yeshua was born into a Torah-observant Jewish household (Luke 2:21-24), circumcised on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3), and presented in the Temple according to the Law of Moses. He regularly observed the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23):

• Passover/Pesach (Luke 22:7-8)
• Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot (John 7:2, 10)
• Shavuot/Pentecost (Acts 2:1)

Yeshua kept the Shabbat (Luke 4:16), honored His parents (Exodus 20:12), and taught others to keep the Torah:

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17, TLV)

The Greek word for Law, nomos (νόμος), corresponds to the Hebrew Torah (תּוֹרָה), which means instruction or direction. The Torah was not a burden to Yeshua; it was His way of life.

Paul also testifies to Yeshua’s sinlessness in relation to the Law:

“For we do not have a kohen gadol who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all the same ways—yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, TLV)

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Rabbi Yeshua: A Torah Teacher

Yeshua was consistently called Rabbi by His disciples and contemporaries (John 1:38, 3:2). A rabbi in the first century was not simply a teacher, but one trained in and devoted to the study of Torah and the Oral Traditions of Jewish interpretation.

“He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on Shabbat, and He stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16, TLV)

His interpretations often aligned with Pharisaic methods of teaching, yet He taught with divine authority:

“You have heard it said… but I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21-48)

Rather than rejecting the Torah, Yeshua clarified its deeper, internal meaning, in line with the prophetic call for heart transformation (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:27).

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Yeshua and the Patriarchs: Fulfillment of the Promise

Yeshua’s identity was foretold through the patriarchs and prophets. He revealed this to the religious leaders:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was thrilled… Amen, amen I tell you, before Abraham was, I am!” (John 8:56, 58, TLV)

This is a clear reference to Exodus 3:14, where God reveals Himself as Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh (אשׁׂר אקה אקה) — “I AM THAT I AM.” Yeshua identifies Himself as the Eternal One, a claim of divinity and fulfillment.

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The Western De-Judaizing of the Messiah

In post-apostolic Christianity, especially after the 2nd century AD, the Church began to de-Judaize Jesus. This included removing Him from the context of Jewish life, customs, language, and covenant. Paintings portrayed a European Christ. The Torah was labeled “obsolete.”

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you—being a wild olive—were grafted in among them… do not boast against the branches.” (Romans 11:17-18, TLV)

This theological “color blindness” to Yeshua’s Jewishness has led to misunderstanding the New Testament, which presumes intimate knowledge of the Old. As scholar Dr. Brad Young affirms:

“The teachings of Jesus are rooted in the Jewish soil of the first century. To divorce Him from Judaism is to distort the Gospel.” (Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, 1995)

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Messianic Implications: Why It Matters

Rediscovering the Jewish Messiah is not about culture or nostalgia—it is about truth. Yeshua did not start a new religion. He came to restore and fulfill the promises of God to Israel and extend them to the nations (Isaiah 49:6; Romans 15:8-9).

• The Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) reveal God’s prophetic calendar and point directly to Yeshua.
• The Torah is not replaced but written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).
• The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for the Jew first, and also for the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

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Conclusion: The Jewish Messiah, the Savior of the World

To know Yeshua rightly, we must return to the foundation laid by the prophets, the Torah, and the Messiah Himself. He is:

• The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)
• The Torah made flesh (John 1:14)
• The Promised Seed (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16)
• The Jewish King who will reign from Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:9)

“For out of Zion will go forth the Torah, and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3, TLV)

Yeshua is not the founder of a religion, but the fulfilment of God’s covenantal promise to Israel and the nations. Let us proclaim His name—Yeshua—with reverence, truth, and joy.

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Suggested Reading (Turabian Style)

1. Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
2. Stern, David H. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998.
3. Skarsaune, Oskar. In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002.
4. Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989.
5. Juster, Daniel. Jewish Roots: Understanding Your Jewish Faith. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1995.

Stay tuned for Part 4: Messiah in the Biblical Feasts: How the Moedim Reveal Yeshua’s First and Second Coming.