So, you may be asking, “What does Yeshua mean?” The name “Jesus” is not His factual name. Surprise! Jesus was a Hebrew and as such, He had a Hebrew name! “Jesus” is the Greek anglicized name for Yeshua. Yeshua, short for “Yehoshua” means, YHWH is salvation (Roth, 2012, p. 2). So, when you see or hear a reference to “Yeshua”, you will know who is being mentioned. I love saying Yeshua because it is so authentic. Growing up, my family and I called Him, “Jesus”. However, I was blown away when I learned that “Jesus” is actually not what Gaberial told Mary to name the Messiah in Luke 1:26-31 (New King James Version). If you think about it, it does make sense, though. The Hebrews do not even have the letter “J” in their language. So, why would the Messiah have a name that begins with the letter “J”? Consequently, our Anglicized Bibles have taken on the Greek version by translating “Yeshua” into “Jesus”. I’m not saying calling Him “Jesus” is wrong, it is just not authentic. I like what Beckah Shae, a Christian songwriter and singer, said in an interview regarding “Jesus” vs. “Yeshua”. According to the interview done by the Holy Language Institute, Beckah Shae says, “when I say, “Jesus it is like wearing a nice necklace, but when I say “Yeshua” it is like wearing a real gold necklace.” Additionally, Shae says, “it feels like it’s the real thing. It is like the real gold. It’s the real thing and it’s just more rich. It’s…more meaningful, more precious. It is more of a precious thing”. In conclusion, by knowing the Messiah’s given name, I feel like it will help to bring us into a closer walk with our Creator while we strive to know Him better on this journey called life.

Citations:

Holy Bible: The New King James Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments. Nashville, T. Nelson, 1982.

Holy Language Institute: Following Yeshua Together. “Beckah Shae: “Why I Use Hebrew in My Songs.”” YouTube, 13 July 2011, www.youtube.com/watch. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

Roth, A. G. Aramaic English New Testament. Fifth ed., Netzari Press, 2012, pp. i–1069.