Yeshua MiNatzeret

Author: Dwight A. Pryor

Jesus apostles and Jewish disciples came to know him first as a Rabbi and only later as
the risen Savior. For second-eneration and subse!uent believers" however" the process
was reversed. First they encountered in faith the risen and reinin Son of #od" and only
later $ if at all $ did they come to learn in any depth about the man" Yeshua MiNatzeret
%Jesus of &a'areth(.
So it is with many )hristians today. *he centrality of +eshuas death and the radiance of
his resurrection" emphasi'ed in the &ew *estament epistles" can overshadow the
importance of the historical Jesus as a ifted Jewish Rabbi. &otice" for e,ample" how
most sermons preached in evanelical churches draw upon the epistles of -aul" -eter and
James far more than the synoptic ospels of .athew" .ark and /uke.
*his is not a new phenomenon. )onsider the Apostles )reed" which stresses that Jesus"
0#ods only Son" was conceived by the 1oly Spirit 2 suffered under -ontius -ilate" was
crucified and died.3 *his classic formulation of faith" which served as a paradim for
subse!uent creeds and a standard for believers throuh the centuries" skips riht from
Jesus supernatural conception to his sacrificial crucifi,ion. 4hat happened to his life5 6s
not his life as foundational to our faith as his death and resurrection5
*his is not to minimi'e the consistent witness of the &* scriptures to the atonin efficacy
of +eshuas death and resurrection as the Son of .an lifted up. 01e was delivered over
to death for our sins and was raised to life for our 7ustification3 %Romans 8:9:(. ;ut what
about the three years of his devout life and rabbinic-style teachin ministry prior to
)alvary5 Should not they be e!ually important to us5
6 suest they are $ indeed must be $ if we desire to be authentically )hrist-like. *he
;ible bids us to a balanced view in this: ;oth faith in the Son of .an as well as the
faithfulness of the man" Jesus. &either aspect of our salvation should be inored or
minimi'ed.
+es" we should confidently confess that" 0in accordance with the Scriptures" .essiah
died for our sins3 %< )orinthians <::=(. ;ut let us also viorously affirm that prior to his
death" Jesus devoted his life to teachin" illuminatin and fillin-full those very
Scriptures $ the *orah" the -rophets and the -salms %/uke 98:88(.
*wo millenia ao the Roman prefect -ontius -ilate derisively declared" Ecce Homo
Behold the Man! *oday the Spirit of #od is !uickenin )hristians around the world to
look afresh at the Jewish Sae" Jesus of &a'areth. 6n fact we are a blessed eneration"
iven the unparalleled privilee to truly 0;ehold the .an>3 with new eyes and
appreciative hearts. 4ith the restoration of 6srael" the remarkable advances in
archaeoloical discoveries and biblical studies" and the unprecedented cooperation of
Jewish and )hristian scholars investiatin the 1ebraic backrounds to the life and
teachins of Jesus $ all this ives us fresh and impressive limpses into the life our /ord.
4e see a man who was thorouhly Jewish and operated comfortably and creatively
within the culture" traditions and worldview of Second *emple Judaism. *he Scriptures
of 6srael defined his identity" chartered the course of his ministry" and served as the
inspired source for his teachins. *he Saes of 6srael be!ueathed to him a rich leacy of
learnin and wisdom and interpretative tools with which to e,plicate and illuminate the
Scriptures for us.
*o 0;ehold the .an>3 anew is to take his redemptive life as seriously as we take his
redeemin death. 6t means at the very least to seriously study his teachins and follow his
walk. +eshua wants to be our Rabbi and .entor as well as our .essiah and Savior. 1is
mission as the Son of .an was to be lifted up on a cross for the sake of the world? his
mission as a man was to 0raise up many disciples.3 6n our oin" therefore" we must
imitate him by makin disciples of the nations.
*o behold anew the man Jesus in the fullness of his incarnation will reconnect us to the
nourishin sap of the @live *ree $ the faith of Abraham" 6saac and Jacob. 6t will restore
to us a deep affection for the *orah and a new appreciation of the -rophets. 6t will unite
us in an abidin love for 6srael" the land of our /ord" and a covenantal commitment to
respect and support his brethren" the Jewish people. Achoin the words of Ruth to
&aomi" we will say to +eshua: 0+our #od will be our #od" and your people" our
people.3 *his is our privilee? this is our responsibility. 6n the end it will be to the praise
of our Fathers lory.
B 9C<8 *he )enter for Judaic-)hristian Studies.
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