Subject: When did Yeshua know he was Messiah? |
Bible Note: Shalom Hank; Of course I was holding something back :-). While your explanation of the passage is very good it is missing the key ingredient. The term "my father" is a messianic claim in itself. Too often we read a passage and explain it the best way we can, but without the proper context and resources, the actual meaning can never be found. Jews very rarely call God "my father" and when they do it is significant. The Jews will always use the term "our father" such as what Yeshua taught in the "Lord's prayer" - our father who is in heaven. The Jewish Sidur (prayer book) also uses the term "our father" extensively even to this very day. Long before the birth of Yeshua the Rabbis/Pharisees went through the entire Tenach/Old Testament looking for passages that are talking about the coming Messiah. The Rabbis took 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalms 2:7 and Psalms 89:26 and formulated the belief that when the messiah comes he will call God "my father" and God will call him "my son". Throughout the New Testament we see God calling Yeshua "my son" such as in Mat 3:17 and 17:5 and Yeshua calls God "my father" such as in Mat 17:5 and 10:32. Yeshua and his disciples were all Jews who were very familiar with Jewish customs, traditions and lifestyles. By understanding their culture, the New Testament can be opened up in new and exciting ways. When someone says that we only need the Bible to interpret itself, the richness and spirit of the writings are lost. Shalom Simchat Torah |