The Saviour

Reading: John chapter 1

1. His Name

Question:

Proverbs 30:4

Who hath ascended up in to heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou canst tell?

Answer: Yahweh is His name and Yeshua is His Son's name.
For more information see Sacred Names.

Matthew 1:21	Thou shalt call his name YESHUA: for he shall save* his people from their sins.* The Hebrew word for salvation is 'Yeshua' and this calls to mind the Saviour's main purpose for coming to this earth - to save mankind from sin, from disobedience.
Acts 2:38	Baptised in his Name. (Acts 8:16, 22:16)
Acts 3:6	In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.
16	And his name* and through faith in his name hath made this man strong.*
4:12	Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name* under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.*
Philippians 2:9-10	Wherefore God also hath highlu exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
1 Peter 4:14	If ye be reproached for the name* of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you, on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.*
Matthew 24:9	...Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

We can see from the above passages that the name of the Saviour - Jesus (written variously in SBS literature as Yeshua, Yahshua, or Yahoshua) is important. But in view of the fact that the Master has answered many millions of prayers in the past when called by the name of 'Jesus' we do not make an issue about the correct pronunciation or spelling.

2. His Past Performance - The Creation

Though the Father was the architect of the universe, the builder was His Son, the Word, the Logos.

John 1:1-4	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Genesis 1:26	Let us make man in our image.

Note that word 'us.' It implies that there was another person with the Almighty when the universe was being created. That other person was the Son, the Word, the Logos, the Spokesman, the actual builder who implemented the Father's plans. This fact is repeated in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

3. His Present Work - Salvation

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Father's Part

Yahweh's love for humanity. God so loved ...

His gift, His Son. The very best He had. He could give nothing more valuable!
Yahweh is not in the business of condemning the world. He is in the business of saving it.

Man's Part

We must believe in and accept Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) if we want eternal life.
If we believe we escape condemnation.
If we do not believe, we are already condemned.

4. Messiah's Position

Our High Priest

Hebrews 3:1	Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 7:17-24	The Lord sware and will not repent. 'Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec.

The Melchisedec Priesthood

Melchisedec was a priest of the Most High God. Unlike the Aaronic Priesthood, in which which the High Priest's position passed from father to son, membership and position in the Melchisedec Priesthood is by divine appointment. Jesus Christ is the divinely appointed High Priest of the Melchisedec Priesthood. He officiates at the very throne of YHVH (Yahovah) on behalf of us believers on earth. The Melchisedec Priesthood will continue throughout eternity.

Our Sacrifice - The Lamb of God

Revelation 5:12

Saying with a loud voice: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing ...' Read to verse 14.

Our Solicitor

1 John 2:1

...If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Our Friend

Luke 12:4	I say unto you my friends!
James 2:23	...Abraham believed God and it (his belief) was counted unto him as righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God!
John 15:14	Ye are my friends if ye do* whatsoever I command you.*

Our King

Revelation 17:14	... For he (the Lamb) is Lord of lords, King of kings.
19:16	And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Our Guest

Revelation 3:20

Behold I stand at the door and knock ...

5. His Power

Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Note: It is quite impossible to properly appreciate the significance of the words all power. Yes, Yeshua is omnipotent. He has unlimited power of every kind. All power! Just pause and think awhile about that staggering statement. Also remember that it extends to heaven, and earth and all creatures under the earth.. At best we can only begin to understand what he is talking about; but one day we shall really know the detail!

6. Yeshua's Objective - To Produce Holy and obedient Believers

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Saviour came to earth not merely to pay the price for our past sins, extremely important though that step in our salvation is; but to condemn and conquer sin in the flesh. In other words to slay sin in us, to utterly demolish in the human mind and body the very urge to sin and in its place to put a hunger and a thirst for righteousness (obedience). The Saviour's ultimate objective is 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.' Believers must, therefore, constantly examine themselves to see whether or not this purpose is being fulfilled in their lives. Is sin being replaced by righteousness?

Here are questions we should constantly ask ourselves.

Has Messiah subdued, overcome and deprived sin of its power in my life?
Am I allowing him to fulfil his purpose in my life? Or am I resisting him?
Does righteousness now appeal to me as once sin did?

MLC Sermon Notes More sermons about Yeshua

July 1999
MatanYah Learning Centre, Duiwelskloof, South Africa