Critical thinking part 1: Does Jesus = God?

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John used the word “Word” in dual form intentionally, to the Hebrew this meant the same as the Books of Moses “In the beginning YHVH created”.

This is further expounded in Colossians 1:15-17 “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

When you continue in John’s gospel this concept is solidified.

John 1:2-3 “The same (Yeshua/Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

This was considered common and completely acceptable for the Hebrew listening/reading. The rub would then come from the other major society of the era, the Greeks and Romans, the thinkers and philosophers.

The word “Word”, in John’s mind, would be taken by them in their understanding as “Logos”, or the rational principle of the universe. The listener “gaining the knowledge of another human through conversation to exceed over appearance only.“

The entire point in Hebrews Chapter 1 is to witness this same belief. “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

Jesus, the commonly accepted Greek name, loses much of the depth and perspective when compared to His prophesied Hebrew name. Yeshua: [of Hebrew origin (H3442 as the shortened form of H3091)]

H3442 יֵשׁוַּע Yeshuwa` (yay-shoo’-ah) n/l. he will save.

H3091 יְהוֹשׁוּעַ YhowShuw`a (yeh-ho-shoo’-ah) n/p. Yahweh-saved.

All of this fits perfectly in the plan of Salvation from Creation to Revelation.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning* God created the heaven and the earth.

*H7225 רֵאשִׁית Be-re’shiyth (Bet ray-sheeth’) n-f. 1. the first, in place, time, order or rank. The word “beginning” or Be-re’shyit contains the Hebrew letters Bet, Resh, Aleph, Shin, Yod and Tav.

These were pictographic letters with each creating their own word. These words are often compared to our compound words like “goodhearted” or “soft-spoken” only a little more complex.

The word ‘beginning’ here is translated by the individual Hebrew letters thusly; Bet is Tent/house, Resh is head/father, Aleph means leader, Shin is a set of fangs/teeth meaning piercing, Yod is a hand/arm and Tav is a set of Crossed sticks.

The full understanding of the word ‘beginning’ is now, “The head of the house of the Father, pierced by the hand, on a cross, to bring the covenant.”

Isaiah 45:18-19 “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.”

As John’s gospel presses onward, he delivers a power packed statement in verse fourteen, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

This too is a duality of meaning. The expressed will of YHVH was spoken into existence both as the Scriptures and as a human being. The human form (Yeshua) lived out/exampled the actual words of Scripture, while the recorded book would be use as a reminder by mankind.

Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy [eliminate] the law [Books of Moses], or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.*”

*G4137 πληρόω pleroo (plee-ro’-ō) v. fully preach, perfect, supply.

This is a heated topic of discussion and actually has a name – dispensationalism. Dispensationalism teaches a disconnect from the ancient “laws” given to Moses at Mt. Saini. This directly opposes the words of just spoken by Yeshua.

We have just exampled a cornerstone of faith…. Yeshua IS God. The dispensationalist will now try to tell you that God has changed His mind about His own instructions. What does God say about changing?

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

The latter portion of this verse is more concerning to me than most. The reason the sons of Jacob are not consumed is because of the salvation and grace inherent to the Word. [both natural born and those adopted – Numbers 9:14]

YHVH goes to a great length to warn us against mixing, mingling or changing His instructions. All of the prophets are warning the people against this behavior.

Proverbs 24:21 “My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:”

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 Abominable Practices

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.”

This warning is echoed by Paul: Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

It is now more than apparent that:

1. Yeshua is God in the flesh.
2. Yeshua and God are consistent in their expectations for mankind.
3. God does not want us to mix false religions, worldly concepts or have man-made ideas incorporated into the faith He established at the creation.