The Creators promised salvation sent in flesh & bone.

Pencil drawings courtesy of Ken, my pop!

What I am coming to understand is, that it's not as much about using the translated name Jesus for the Hebrew name Yod Sheen Vav Ayin, the Creators Torah, the Way who was sent to tabernacle in flesh and bone with his people... but its more about the understanding behind the name.

Word meanings are very important and when each letter has meaning it creates a larger picture, a word picture. In Hebrew, even each letter has a meaning. Each letter can stand alone as a word. In English we don't have this phenomenon. Letters have no intrinsic value of their own, they must come together to form meaning. So when we say in English, Jesus, what does that mean? Well, for most of the world, it creates the visual of a fair skinned brunette man nailed to a "t" shaped cross. This figure is broken and beaten, bloodied and tortured, dying or already dead with a horrified expression on his face. For others they may picture the risen version of this person in glowing white clothes, clean & strong but yet scarred and leaving the us and the physical world behind after conquering death. Maybe once a year everyone visualizes him as an infant swaddled and resting in a manger made for animals in a barn. What seems to happen is that his life lived, where he lived it and his heritage of being an Israelite is missing completely or swept under the proverbial rug for a host of different reasons.

This man Jesus, hanging dying or dead on a cross provokes guilt and sadness.  His life a mystery, lost to the majority of people who know him or at least believe that he's not a fictional character.  His miracles, fantasy. He has become a tool used to tell others that they have it wrong, just look a all of the horrible pain he went through for us, we owe it to him to have faith that he did it all for us.  A political tool.  His mother Mary, a virgin at the time of his conception or maybe a perpetual virgin despite having other children with her husband Joseph, receives honor for her life lived more than her sons life receives honor. 

On the other hand, the man who's name is spelled Yod Sheen Vav Ayin pronounced Y'shoah... is but a figment of historical imagination.  Because so few know anything about him. All they know are the visual depictions splattered all over everything, everywhere in churches across the world, when you speak the Hebrew name, his given name, the look of the face of the person you're talking with might look similar to this little guy here....

Then what happens is there is a battle between people who have gained understanding about his given name and want to honor it verses those who only know his Greek or as its come to be known as his English name and want to honor it.  Granted, many who use the English name have an understanding of him being an Israelite but it's limited to him being born there and that's as deep as its taken. There is scripture regarding his name.. Exodus 20:7 in the KJV says Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord the God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  Oddly enough this has become about not swearing and that is completely misleading.  Vain here means bringing it to nothing, taking the Creator or his sent Ones name and making it worthless.  And in context, this makes so much sense because the Hebrew name Yod Sheen Vav Ayin means something specific.  For instance, we have all heard about how Native American Indians names relate to circumstances surrounding the child's birth? Hebrew is very similar, but often prophetic.  I'm not going to do a word study on his name here, there are plenty of those all over the internet.

What I am looking at though is that even though his name means something specific in Hebrew, there is grace about his name as there is about all of life for those who have him, the Torah (even if its just the 10) written on their hearts and where the heart is, regard resides.  We can't know even our own hearts or trust them, but we know One who does and who can know them and we can trust him.  As we search out our own salvation with fear and trembling learning as we go, the Creator will call us like a good shepherd does.  We can allow the new understanding of his Hebrew name to bless us and hold it close or we can throw it around thinking that we can know each others hearts and point fingers.  This is not to say that I will use the name Jesus over the Hebrew name Yod Sheen Vav Ayin, Y'shoah, but it changes my reaction when I hear each name now.  Before realizing that it's not my work to point fingers but at myself, I would hear that name and anger would stir in my spirit.  Now, I consider my audience when listening and/or speaking. I realize that anger is as a blinking light on my cars dashboard.. warning me of something that I need to look into before reacting.   

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