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Y’SHUA.  IS THIS A NEW WORD TO YOU?

If it is, my friend, then let me assure you it is a very important word. It is the Name of a Person, and it means, "Ever-living Saviour."

(The strange letters shown above are rather unique. They are the Hebrew characters, Y SH W A, and they make up the name Y'shua  (pronounced Ye-shu-wa). These Hebrew letters are an exact copy of the name which was engraved on a container in the first century AD – a burial urn that was discovered more recently, near Jerusalem).

Y'shua was a Man who lived in ancient Is­rael; but He is more than a man. He was a Man of history, but He is more than history. He lived on earth, but He belongs to Heaven. He lived as a Man, but they who saw Him, saw the Heavenly Father.

They who heard His words said, "No man ever spoke like this." They who saw His deeds asked, "What manner of man is this?" One who saw Him die, said, "Surely this is the Son of God."

Some people will say, "But He died! He may have been great - but He's gone!"

Reader, let me tell you more! Y'shua could easily have escaped death, if He had chosen to do so. But He came to this earth for the express purpose or dying; for by His death He could reconcile countless millions of lost souls to the Heavenly Father.

Y'shua died as a sacrifice. By shedding His blood, by giving His life, He paid the penalty that had long since condemned man­kind to eternal misery. He paid the penalty - the death penalty - for the sins of the whole world. He died in your place and mine, and thus provided a pardon for each one of us.

But Y'shua did not stay dead! He rose from the dead! He lived again; and He did not die a second time! By His resurrection, Y'shua broke the power of death which had held men in a constant state of fear; and He also broke the power of the evil one which had held man­kind captive for so long.

By rising triumphantly from the tomb, Y'shua made it possible for every one who receives Him as Saviour, to live for ever - not on a perishing planet, but in the new heavens that are to come.

During His ministry, Y'shua claimed, "I am the Resurrection and the Life," and, "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free in­deed." These were not empty boasts. The truth of His statements has been proved absolutely true, both by His resurrection, and by the impact His Sacrifice has made on the lives of people all over the world.

Reader, you may be now asking, "Aren't you talking about Jesus Christ?"

Yes, that's right! "Jesus Christ" is the Name generally used in English, for the Person we're talking about - Y'shua.

In Telugu, we say Yesu Christu; in Hindi, Yisu Masih; in Ti­betan, Yeshu Mashika; in Khasi, Jisu Khrist; in Mizo, Isua Krista; in Greek lesous Christos; in German, Jesus Christus; and in Hebrew it is Y'shua Ha Mashiach.

Why so many variations in His Name? Actu­ally, a very close transliteration of the origi­nal Hebrew Name should have been used in all languages. But some languages did not have a 'Y', and so they used an ‘I’ or a 'J' instead. Most translators used a variation of the Name that seemed to fit into their own languages.

The various forms of the Saviour's Name have been accepted without too much prob­lem, and we all agree that they refer to the Person who was born in Bethlehem and brought up in Galilee, who was crucified at Mt Calvary, and who rose from the tomb just outside the walls of Jerusalem - the Person of Y'shua.

But many of us have come to love His origi­nal Hebrew Name more than the varia­tions, for two main reasons:

1. Because it is the original. We love the Name of Y'shua our Saviour - the very Name spoken by the Angel of the Lord to Joseph, in Hebrew (Joseph didn't understand English, you know!). The angel said:

"You shall call His Name Y'shua, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."  (Matthew 1:21)

2.            We love this Name also because of what the Name means. (None of the trans­lations give the full meaning).

Y'SHUA

The letter Y in the Name stands for "YAH", the short form of the Heavenly Father's Name, YHWH, (Yahweh - which may be pronounced Yahuweh). The meaning of this Name is, "the eternally existing One." It is similar to "the eternal I AM,"   or,   "the Alpha and Omega." 

("YAH" is used in the word "HalleluYAH" which means, "Praise Yah", or "Praise Yahweh-Y'shua.")

"SHUA" comes from a Hebrew word mean­ing "Salvation." Y'SHUA, then, means, "Yahwah the eternally-existing One saves."

The rest of Y'shua's Name - HA MA-SHIACH is actually a title. It can be trans­lated as, "the Anointed One." ("Messiah" is a transliteration of Mashiach.)

Yes, Y'shua Ha Mashiach (or, Y'shua the Messiah), is the divinely-anointed, ever-liv­ing Saviour. And He's my Saviour. I love Him from the depths of my heart. And I love His beautiful and mighty Name.

Friend, He will be your Saviour too, if you simply call upon His Name. The Bible says:

"By the Name of Y'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) . . . whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . . there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:10,12)

"But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His Name." (John 1:12)

"The blood of Y'shua, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

If you want to receive Y'shua (Jesus) as YOUR Saviour, why don't you pray right now and call upon His Name? The following prayer may help you.

PRAYER

Y'shua, Lord Jesus, I believe You are the ever-living Saviour, sent from the Heavenly Father, to save the world from sin. Saviour, I am a sin­ner. 1 believe You died for me, and that You rose from the dead. I ask You to forgive me for my sins, and to come into my life, to be my ever-living Saviour.

I give myself to You, and by Your power, I will seek to follow You with all my heart, from this moment on. I ask this prayer in the Name of Y'shua the Messiah. Thank You Saviour, for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank You, my Master, Y'shua, my ever-living Saviour. Thank You. Amen.