Yochanan & Zekharyah

 "Sing, daughter of Tziyon; Rejoice! for, here, I am coming; and I will live among you," says ADONAI. - Zekharyah 2:14.

    What wonderful words to wake up to! And we know it's for a time still coming, when the Messiah will return to Jerusalem and gather us under His wings!

    This verse begins the Haftorah portion for this week. Verse 15 continues with more good news:

"When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to ADONAI. 'They will be My people, and I will live among you'."

    One of the Brit Chadasshah portions for this Torah parashah is Yochanan (John) Chapter 19, starting at Verse 37, but I read a bit before and a bit after the suggested verses, because this passage of Scripture is so rich.

    Chapter 19 starts with Yeshua being sentenced by Pilate. Verse 17 says:

"Carrying the stake Himself He went out to the place called Skull."

    In my Hebrew-English New Testament, the Hebrew word for "stake" is צלב - which, according to my Hebrew dictionary, means "cross". I wondered where this word had first appeared, so I went to check on Sefaria. It doesn't appear in the Torah nor in the Tanakh, but is first used in the Talmud and other Jewish extra-Tanakh books, related to the Tanakh, of course. Among the books it appears in is: Rambam's Guide for the Perplexed, Sanhedrin, Mishneh Torah, Bereshiyt Rabbah, Mishnah Shabbat, Shmot Rabbah, Mishnah Yevamot, Tosefta Sanhedrin, Ester Rabbah, Ramban on Exodus, Shulkhan Arukh, Kuzari, etc - a total of 761 occurrences.

    This makes me wonder if the word is Hebrew, or Aramaic, or Mishnaic Hebrew...

    In any case, there is a comparison to be made with Yeshua carrying the wood to be used for His execution on his back. Isaac also carried the wood to Mount Moriah, being a type and shadow of the Messiah.

    Verse 18: "There they nailed Him to the stake along with two others, one on either side, with Yeshua in the middle."

    We know from elsewhere in the Gospels that one of the men reviled Yeshua and the other one was welcomed into the Kingdom. This left, right and centre of the placing of the 3 to be crucified represents the Sefirot. Left is Gevurah (Strength, Judgment), the Right is Chesed (kindness, Mercy) - these relate to the 2 men either side of our Saviour. The middle line is Tiferet (Beauty, Splendour, Balance) - perfectly represented by Yeshua.

Verse 19 has Pilate placing the sign above Yeshua's head, which aptly and correctly names Him: "YESHUA OF NATZERET, KING OF THE JEWS".

    

    And that was the truth then, is the truth now and will be the truth forever. Take a moment to think of the true meaning of those words. Yeshua (Jesus) is the King of the Jews. How can we not align ourselves with the Jews, with the House of Israel? We have to be grafted in, attach ourselves to the House of Israel, to the Jewish people, the Keepers of the Oracles of God. Yeshua will not be dividing Himself in two when He comes.

    Verses 23-24 speak of the Roman soldiers dividing His outer garments between them but casting lots for his undergarment, as spoken of in the Psalms: "They divided my clothes among themselves and gambled for my robe." - Psalm 22:19, Exodus 12:46 & Numbers 9:12.

    So, just a few more interesting parallels between Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah and the Jewish Scriptures. He was born Jewish, lived like a Jew, died like a Jew, continues to live as the Jewish Messiah at the Right Hand of the Father and will return as the King of the Jews. The Jewish people are our family if we believe in Yeshua. We should not distance ourselves from them.

May your day be filled with Shalom!