Elisha Vision – Commentary

You will call Him Yeshua because He will Yasha His people from their sins. You will call Him Salvation because He will save His people from their sins. You will call Him Savior because He will save His people from their sins. You will call His name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.

“She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Yeshua, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21 HNV

Most Bible translations of Jesus’ name manage to completely obscure the root meaning. Names always carried real meaning in Israel’s culture. Language translations have “dumbed down” the name of Jesus. Most Christians and all unsaved people think it is only a name. Yet, there is a great revelation in the etymology of the name. It comes directly from the Hebrew word for salvation: Yeshua or Yehoshua. Early manuscripts of Matthew were written in Hebrew where the logic of calling Him Yeshua is immediately clear in the context: “for He will Yasha (save) His people from their sins.” Yeshua and Yasha are from the same Hebrew root “to save.” Jesus is “salvation” because He will “save!”

Finally, there is one more profound point here. Those of us who were born as unsaved Gentiles are so grateful that the previously limited national promise to Israel came to us through Jesus. But we must not forget that the original promise to Israel is eternal. Yeshua is His name because He will save HIS PEOPLE from their sins. They will turn back to Yehovah God and see that Yeshua is indeed Yeshua ben Yehovah, Jesus, Son of God! God will save them, not because they deserve salvation, any more than we do, but because God is faithful! He made unconditional promises to the forefathers of Israel and He will keep those promises.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yehovah: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am Yehovah,” says the Lord Yehovah, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”  Ezekiel 36:22-28

During this Christmas season may Jesus the Light of the World, become the Salvation of Israel! Pray for the real peace of Jerusalem.

Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists                   (Read more)

This post is reprinted from my blog ten years ago on December 17th 2013