Brit Chadashah - Yochanan

 

This morning as I sat down to read one of the Brit Chadashah passages for Nasso, the compassion of our God and of Yeshua brought tears to my eyes.

    The reading starts at the end of Chapter 7 of the Book of Yochanan, Verse 52 & 53:

"They replied, 'You aren't from the Galil too, are you? Study the Tanakh, and see for yourself that no prophet comes from the Galil!'* Then they all left, each one to his own home." So cheeky!

    For some context, Yeshua had just cried out at the Temple on the last day and greatest of the Festival of Sukkot (Hoshannah Rabbah): "If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to Me and drinking! Whoever puts his trust in Me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!"

    When He said this, there was a mixed reaction from the crowd. Some said surely He is the Messiah, and some asked how the Messiah could come from the Galil.

    The P'rushim (Pharisees - a certain sect of the Pharisees: There were about 22 at that time) wanted to arrest Yeshua but couldn't. Nakdimon, the leader of Israel at that time, and a believer in Yeshua, said: "Our Torah doesn't condemn a man - does it? - until after hearing from him and finding out what he's doing." This is when they replied with Verse 52: "You aren't from the Galil too, are you? Study the Tanakh and see for yourself that no prophet comes from the Galil!"

    Before we move on to Chapter 8 and the moving story of Yeshua's compassion, just a quick note from my Complete Jewish Bible on John 7:53 - 8:11*:

    *Most scholars believe that 7:53-8:11 is not from the pen of Yochanan. Many are of the opinion that it is a true story about Yeshua written by another of his talmidim.

    Background to Chapter 8 is that Yeshua had gone up to the Mount of Olives to pray and at daybreak, came back to the Temple to teach Torah. The same group of P'rushim mentioned above now brought a woman caught in adultery before Yeshua for judgment. He remained silent and wrote in the dust of the Temple floor with his finger, while they continued to question and hound Him. Eventually, He stood up and said to them: "The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Then he went back to writing in the dust of the Temple floor. Upon hearing His words, the accusers began to leave, one by one, the older ones (with more wisdom!) first, until he was left alone.

    Here comes the tearjerker, for me, anyway!

John Chapter 8 v 10 & 11:

"Standing up, Yeshua said to her, 'Where are they? Has no-one condemned you?' She said, 'No-one sir.' Yeshua said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don't sin any more."

    This is the Yeshua who saved me from my sin so many years ago and brought me into the House of Israel, to follow Him and the ways of His Father. God is One, there is no doubt. Yeshua Himself repeatedly said that He and the Father are One. The Ein Sof, the First Cause, Creator of the Universe, is too vast to appear before us. He has to contract Himself, or send a part of Himself, His Nefesh, to us to show us the way.

What a morning! So blessed and grateful am I!