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Enoch submission
Number 3
Setting the Record Straight
Most people think they know Jesus – a gentle-faced figure from familiar paintings, often imagined as a Western man with a first and last name. The reality, however, is far different. The man we call “Jesus” was known in his own language as Yeshua, and he was thoroughly Hebrew in identity and culture. Even the term “Christ” is not a surname but a title meaning Anointed One(derived from Greek Christos, equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah). Yeshua of Nazareth lived and taught as a Jew in first-century Judea – not as the fair-skinned, pork-eating figure that later tradition conjured. In truth, he was a melanated Jewish man from the lineage of Israel, immersed in the Scriptures and traditions of his people.
It is time to strip away the Western filters and encounter the authentic Yeshua. In this exploration, we will reclaim the true essence of Yeshua – the real person behind the name – and see how far modern practice has drifted from his original path. Some of what follows may challenge long-held notions and comfort zones. If you find yourself uncomfortable or provoked, take it as a sign that we are approaching deeper truth.
Yeshua: The Man Behind the Name
Let us begin with the very name Yeshua. This was the actual name of the man we call Jesus, spoken in his native Hebrew and Aramaic tongue. Yeshua (a shortened form of Yehoshua, or Joshua in English) literally means “Yahweh saves.” Every time someone called out to him byname, it was a reminder of his mission of salvation. He was not addressed as “Jesus Christ” as though Christ were a last name; Christ is a title meaning Anointed One, the Greek rendering of Messiah. In his own time, he would have been known as Yeshua ben Yosef (meaning “Yeshua, son of Joseph”) or Yeshua of Nazareth, identifying him by his family and hometown.
Understanding Yeshua’s real name and the meaning of his title is far more than a trivial point of language—it reconnects us with his authentic identity. It reminds us that he was a Jewish man born into a Jewish world, raised on the Torah (God’s Law) and the words of the prophets. He was not a European founding a new religion, but a son of Israel fulfilling the ancient faith of his people. Remove the layers of later culture and you find a charismatic teacher from Nazareth who spoke in Aramaic and Hebrew, not in English. He did not come to establish a new institution called “Christianity” as a brand; he came as the promised Jewish Messiah, to deepen and transform the faith of his forefathers.
When we recognize that Christ is a title and Yeshua is his name, familiar scriptures start to resonate differently. For example, when the disciple Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), he was not bestowing a surname on Jesus—he was proclaiming Yeshua to be the Anointed Messiah. This was a momentous declaration in context: it affirmed that Yeshua truly was the long-awaited deliverer in the Jewish tradition, rather than an outsider starting some new “Western” creed.
If we profess to love Jesus, we owe it to ourselves to know who we are really talking about. We are speaking of a melanated Jewish teacher from Galilee named Yeshua, recognized as the Messiah. Grasping this reality is foundational for everything that follows.
The Kingdom Within: Yeshua’s Core Teaching
One of Yeshua’s most revolutionary teachings was that the true spiritual life begins within. He taught that the real battlefield and the true temple of God are in the heart and soul of each person. “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) is one of his defining sayings. He was not introducing a complicated new religion or a system of empty rituals; he was pointing people inward, toward personal transformation and a direct relationship with the Almighty. In the early Christian text known as the Gospel of Thomas, Yeshua is quoted in a similar vein: “The Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will be known.” These words emphasize self-awareness and the indwelling divine presence. Yeshua’s message consistently urged listeners to look beyond external observances and discover the truth written in their own hearts.
He spoke of being born again in spirit (John 3:3), of the pure in heart being the ones who will see God (Matthew 5:8), and of love and mercy taking precedence over rigid law. In one profound teaching, he said: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” This striking statement (preserved in the Gospel of Thomas) insists that salvation is fundamentally an inner work. In other words, the transformation and deliverance of the soul come from awakening to the power of God within oneself, not from belonging to a particular sector obeying human traditions. Yeshua often criticized the religious leaders for cleaning the outside of the cup while leaving the inside filthy – but taught that if one cleanses the inner self, the outer life will naturally become pure (Matthew 23:25–26). The Kingdom of God he preached was not a political regime or a temple built of stone; it is a state of enlightenment and righteousness in the soul. He declared that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–40) – a call for an internal alignment of the heart with God’s love, which then manifests outwardly in compassion toward others.
This intense focus on inner transformation resonated with currents of spiritual thought in his era that we now call gnosis – meaning deep, experiential knowledge of God. Yeshua wanted people to awaken to the divine spark within themselves. “You are the light of the world,” he told his followers, urging them to let that inner light shine (Matthew 5:14–16). Early Christian writings reflect this theme: for instance, the Gospel of Mary (a text rediscovered in modern times after long suppression) depicts Yeshua teaching that true vision and understanding come from within, through a direct personal connection to the divine. Unlike those who demand blind adherence to dogma, Yeshua offered understanding. He said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32), promising liberation through knowing God’s reality, not merely performing religion.
This message is pure spiritual empowerment. It declares that every person has access to God’s presence and truth without needing a human mediator to control that access. It is no surprise that such teaching threatened the powers of his day – and of later generations. If the presence of God is found within you, then no hierarchy or ritual monopoly can stand between you and the Most High. Yeshua taught that each soul can approach God directly; indeed, at the moment of his death, the veil of the Temple was torn open, symbolizing that access to God was now available to all (Matthew 27:51). The kingdom within is the very heart of Yeshua’s teaching, a facet that many in modern Christianity have lost sight of amid the focus on externals and institutions.
Gnosis Under Attack: The Hidden Gospels
After Yeshua returned to the Father, his early followers did not all interpret or preserve his message in the same way. In the first few centuries, there were diverse groups of believers spreading his teachings. Some of these groups—later labeled “Gnostics” (seekers of gnosis, inner spiritual knowledge)—held fast to the idea of the divine light and truth within. They produced profound writings of their own: alternative gospels attributed to figures like Thomas, Mary Magdalene, Philip, and others, filled with Yeshua’s secret sayings and mystical insights. These texts circulated in the early Christian world. By around 180 A.D., we find leaders of the emerging institutional Church, such as Irenaeus, complaining that the “heretics” had “more gospels than there really are.” He mentioned titles like the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth as examples of writings he considered false. In response to this proliferation of spiritual writings, the establishment struck back. The bishops of what came to be known as the “orthodox” Church—the faction whose views eventually won out—condemned the mystically inclined Christians as heretics. They insisted there could be only one authorized Church an done approved narrative of Yeshua’s life and teaching. One Church father declared bluntly that outside of their Church there was no salvation. The spiritual books cherished by the Gnostics were branded as dangerous or even satanic, and a concerted effort began to eradicate them.
Over the next centuries, especially once Christianity gained the backing of the Roman Empire, a campaign unfolded to standardize Christian doctrine and eliminate the strain of gnosis. By the late 4th century, councils of church leaders had defined a strict canon of Scripture—and any textor teaching outside those boundaries was banned. Followers of Yeshua who emphasized personal enlightenment and the “divine spark” in each soul were increasingly marginalized or persecuted by fellow Christians who saw such ideas as a threat to the Church’s authority. Many of the alternative gospels and writings were destroyed or lost in this purge. But, in a remarkable twist of history, some devotees who treasured these teachings hid them away for future generations.
Fast-forward to 1945: in the desert of Upper Egypt near a place called Nag Hammadi, a local farmer digging in the earth uncovered a sealed clay jar. Inside it was an entire library of ancient papyrus books. These books—fifty-two texts in total—included many of the very gospels and writings that the early orthodox authorities tried to snuff out. There, bound within the collection, was the Gospel of Thomas, fully intact. There too were the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, the Secret Book of John, and other texts that had lain buried for almost sixteen centuries, likely hidden by monks or believers who could not bear to see them destroyed.
The Nag Hammadi library, as this collection is now known, contains fourth-century Coptic copies of those “lost” gospels. Their discovery revolutionized our understanding of early Christianity. It turns out that the followers of Yeshua were far more diverse in thought than history books had indicated. The Gnostic writings portray a Yeshua who emphasizes enlightenment and the awakening of the soul. In these texts we find dialogues where he imparts mystical wisdom to his disciples—often privately to figures like Thomas or Mary—wisdom that goes beyond what the later New Testament recorded. The very fact that these books had been buried in jars tells a story: their owners likely feared that if the writings were found, they would be burned by the religious authorities of the time. And indeed, history shows that after Christianity became alliedwith imperial power, any teaching or scripture that strayed from the official line was declared heresy and suppressed. In 367 A.D., for example, Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria wrote an Easter letter to his churches in which he listed the now-familiar 27 books of the New Testament, declaring those alone to be authoritative and ordering that all other books be thrown out. We can imagine that faithful souls, unwilling to destroy their precious books of wisdom, chose instead to hide them in the wilderness. Thanks to their foresight, we today can read the Gospel of Thomas and encounter Yeshua the mystic. We can study the Gospel of Mary and discover that Mary Magdalene was revered in some circles as a foremost disciple who grasped her Teacher’s message (much to the dismay of some male apostles, according to that text).
These discoveries confirm that Yeshua’s original message carried a powerful current of inner transformation and direct experience of God—elements that the later institutional Church downplayed or even erased. This history is more than just a curious side note; it is a wake-upcall. It suggests that some aspects of Christianity as traditionally practiced owe more to the agendas of later authorities than to the intentions of its Founder. The early mystics sought the “key of knowledge” within (Luke 11:52), and they were harshly rebuked for it. Yeshua himself warned the religious lawyers of his day, “Woe to you… for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering” (Luke11:52). How apt that rebuke sounds in hindsight. The orthodox leaders indeed hid the keys of deeper understanding from ordinary believers, demanding allegiance to church authority above personal insight. But truth has a way of resurfacing. Those gospel texts once consigned to the ground have risen, and they shine a light on the real Yeshua—a teacher who empowered individuals to seek God directly, not a figurehead used to erect an empire of earthly power.
Yeshua’s Way of Life vs. Modern Christianity
It is one thing to preach about God; it is another to live in alignment with God’s will. Yeshua did both. If we could travel back to 1st-century Galilee and meet Yeshua on the street, we would encounter a Torah-observant Jewish man through and through. He did not label himself a “Christian” – that term arose later, originally as a nickname in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Yeshua simply lived by the holy Scriptures of his people. He kept the Sabbath every week as a day of rest and worship, from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, exactly as the Torah commands(Luke 4:16). He participated in the Jewish communal prayers in the synagogue on Sabbath. He also wore the fringes (tzitzit) on his garments as instructed in the Law of Moses – recall the Gospel story of a woman finding healing by touching the hem of his cloak (Matthew 9:20–22);most likely she was grasping those tassels that symbolized God’s commandments. Yeshua observed the biblical festivals such as Passover – in fact, the Last Supper was a Passover meal he shared with his disciples. He followed the dietary laws set out in Leviticus 11, meaning he ate no pork, shellfish, or any food considered unclean. We would never have found Yeshua eating bacon or shrimp; such foods were simply not part of the culture of holiness in which he was raised. When he healed those suffering from diseases like leprosy, he often instructed them to “show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices Moses commanded” (Luke 5:14), upholding the Torah’s process for ritual purification. Yeshua prayed regularly, often withdrawing to secluded places to commune with God (Luke 5:16). He likely recited the Shema (“Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One”), a core Jewish prayer, every morning and evening as devout Jews did. He fasted when led by the Spirit (Matthew 4:2). He gave to the poor quietly and sincerely. In summary, Yeshua “walked the walk” of a devout Jew, fulfilling the Law in every aspect of daily life. His piety was sincere, disciplined, and rooted in obedience to God’s commandments.
Now compare this with the habits of many who claim to follow him today. A great number of Christians have been taught that these Old Testament ways were “nailed to the cross” or are no longer relevant. The average Christian might never keep a true Sabbath rest – Sunday has become the customary day of gathering, but even then it is often a one-hour service followed by business as usual, not a full day set apart as Yeshua observed. The biblical holy days like Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles are generally forgotten, replaced by later holidays such as Christmas or Easter (celebrations which, historically speaking, incorporated many cultural and even pagan elements absent from Yeshua’s time). Dietary guidance from Scripture is usually dismissed; church potlucks proudly serve ham or shellfish without a thought. Acts that were second nature to Yeshua – refraining from unclean foods, observing sacred days of rest and remembrance – have largely vanished from Christian life. If Yeshua were to walk into a typical church today, he might scarcely recognize the practice of the faith as anything related to the way he himself lived and worshiped. This is not to say that Christians today are insincere or ill-intentioned, but it highlights a profound disconnect. Yeshua explicitly taught, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets… not a single letter will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17–18). Yet many who revere him have effectively abolished large portions of that Law in their own way of life. They may say, “We follow Jesus, not the law,” forgetting that Jesus himself followed the law diligently. This divergence did not happen overnight – it began as non-Jewish believers increasingly separated the faith from its Hebrew roots, gradually developing a new religious culture that Yeshua and his early disciples would find foreign.
To be clear, Yeshua was not a rigid legalist, nor did he delight in empty rule-keeping. He constantly taught about the spirit of the Law: he scolded the religious leaders who kept minute regulations but neglected justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23). He exemplified balance –fulfilling the righteous requirements of God’s Law while rejecting any hypocrisy or man-made add-ons that obscured its purpose. In fact, he told his followers to respect the teachings of Moses (which the scribes and Pharisees expounded) but not to imitate those leaders’ hypocritical actions (Matthew 23:2–3). Yeshua endorsed living by God’s commandments with sincerity, and he condemned only the misuse of those commandments as tools of pride or oppression. Consider the irony: today, if someone strives to keep the Sabbath or eat kosher out of love for God, they might be accused by some churches of being “legalistic” – yet these were precisely aspects of Yeshua’s own way of life. In effect, certain modern Christians might fault Yeshua’s practices as “too Jewish.” This reveals how far the pendulum has swung.
Even in matters of appearance and demeanor, the contrast is striking. Yeshua likely dressed in modest, simple clothing like other common people of Judea. He did not seek to stand out with luxurious religious garb – indeed, he criticized those who made an ostentatious show of piety(Mark 12:38–40). Yet he carried himself with dignity and respect for sacred customs (for example, covering one’s head during prayer). Today, in some congregations, one finds either elaborate vestments and high ceremony or, at the opposite extreme, a very casual approach to worship attire. The sense of reverent modesty that characterized Yeshua and his disciples is often hard to find.
Perhaps the most glaring inconsistency is the treatment of the Sabbath. The Gospel of Luke notes that it was Yeshua’s regular practice to honor the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16), and he taught that “the Sabbath was made for man” – a gift of rest and communion with God (Mark 2:27). In our modern age of ceaseless busyness, one might think Yeshua’s example of taking a day to unplug, worship, and be with family would be more relevant than ever. Yet many Christians set the Sabbath principle aside entirely, viewing it as “legalism” or as a Jewish peculiarity, all the while suffering the spiritual and physical exhaustion of never pausing in their weekly grind.
In short, Yeshua’s personal observance – his diet, his holy days, his prayer rhythms, his ethical and charitable practices – would look quite foreign in many Christian circles today. His way was deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of Israel, not in European or American culture. The earliest followers of Yeshua (such as James, John, and Peter) continued to live as observant Jews, praying in the Temple and keeping the dietary laws and festivals. Only decades later, as Gentile believers became the majority, did these practices begin to fade or be deemed unnecessary. But one must ask: when those traditions were discarded, was something vital lost? If we claim to follow Christ, does it not make sense to understand and respect the way He lived? This is not to suggest that every Christian must adopt all Jewish customs to attain salvation – Yeshua’s message of redemption is for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, through faith. However, it would be naïve to assume that Yeshua does not care about the lifestyle he himself exemplified. At the very least, we should approach it with respect and humility. Yeshua’s path was one of discipline, devotion, and continuity with God’s ancient covenant – brought to its fullness in love and truth, yes, but never abolished. His life invites us not to a careless freedom, but to a meaningful obedience grounded in love.
Confronting Hypocrisy: Yeshua as a Righteous Rebel
Do not mistake Yeshua’s faithfulness to God’s Law for compliance with human corruption. In fact, he proved to be a rebel against the religious establishment whenever they strayed from God’s intent. He kept the commandments of God perfectly, but he had no patience for the hypocrisy and power-abuses of certain priests and Pharisees. When faced with religious frauds, Yeshua did not mince words. He confronted them publicly and fearlessly. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” he thundered in the temple courts. “You are like whitewashed tombs– beautiful on the outside but inside full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew23:27). To these leaders he also proclaimed, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of Gehenna?” (Matthew 23:33). This was exceptionally strong language for the time. In essence, Yeshua told them: You may appear pious and pure outwardly, but inside you are spiritually dead and corrupt. He called certain respected teachers “blind guides” and “fools” to their faces (Matthew 23:16–17). Why such severity? Because they were making a mockery of God’s truth. These leaders imposed heavy religious burdens on ordinary people yet failed to live up to those standards themselves (Matthew 23:3–4). They loved money, titles, and public honor more than justice and mercy (Matthew 23:5–7, 23). In Yeshua’s eyes, this hypocrisy was a grave offense.
On another occasion, he accused them directly: “You set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your own tradition… thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down” (Mark 7:8, 13). Telling the highest religious authorities that they were voiding God’s word in favor of man-made rules was a bold and dangerous charge. But Yeshua never hesitated to speak truth to power. He did not fear losing popularity or provoking the wrath of influential men. When the priestly elite turned the Jerusalem Temple into a marketplace to profiteer off worshipers, Yeshua took dramatic action. He fashioned a whip of cords and drove the money-changers and merchants out, overturning their tables (John 2:14–16). “Take these things away; stop turning my Father’s house into a den of thieves!” he shouted (Matthew 21:13).This was no mild protest—it was righteous anger in action, the roar of the Lion of Judah against those desecrating holy things.
Importantly, Yeshua’s “rebellion” was never for rebellion’s sake or personal gain; it was always on behalf of divine justice and spiritual integrity. He broke human rules (like healing on the Sabbath when necessary) to uphold higher laws of compassion and love. When religious authorities objected to his healing on the day of rest, he exposed their twisted priorities: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). They had no answer. In another confrontation, he told a paralyzed man “Your sins are forgiven,” knowing the experts of the Law would silently accuse him of blasphemy for speaking as if with God’s authority. To confirm that authority, he then commanded the man to stand up and walk – and the man was instantly healed (Mark 2:5–12). Yeshua consistently demonstrated that his authority flowed directly from God, not from any human institution or approval. This independence infuriated the guardians of the status quo. They eventually conspired to have him killed, precisely because they could not control him or refute the power of his words and deeds. Yeshua foresaw their murderous intentions, but he refused to compromise or silence the truth to save himself.
Think of the courage that took. He was, in human terms, a young man (likely in his early thirties)virtually alone against an entrenched religious hierarchy that had the backing of the Roman Empire. Yet he stood in the temple courts and declared to the faces of the most eminent priests and scholars that God was not impressed by their show of piety. He told them they were breaking God’s law even as they pretended to keep it. “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition,” he said (Mark 7:9). He warned the crowds not to be fooled by the leaders’ public image: “Do and observe whatever they tell you(when they teach Moses’ law), but do not do as they do – for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3). He exposed how they made a display of long prayers, demanded seats of honor, and tithed the tiniest herbs while neglecting “the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith” (Matthew 23:23). Yeshua was uncompromising and direct. He cared nothing for social politeness when truth was on the line. Indeed, his words often made the outwardly devout gasp in offense. But he spoke them out of zeal for God’s honor and love for the people who were being misled.
Now, let us bring this challenge closer to home. If Yeshua walked into our churches today, what might he see and say? This is not a comfortable question, but it is a necessary one. Churches claim to represent him—yet would he recognize them as reflecting his Father’s will? He might indeed find much to praise: acts of genuine charity, communities worshiping in spirit and truth, individuals striving to live out faith sincerely. But surely he would also call out many things that have gone off course. Commercialization of faith? In his own day, he physically cast out those who turned worship into a money-making venture; one can imagine his indignation at seeing the multi-million-dollar Christian marketing industries, or preachers who live in extravagance (even private jets) while some in their congregations struggle in poverty. Religious hypocrisy? We have seen scandal after scandal—leaders caught in adultery, abuse, or greed even as they preach holiness. Yeshua would not gloss over such corruption; he would denounce it publicly. Empty ritualism? If some worship services today have become lifeless formalities or mere social gatherings devoid of genuine reverence and repentance, he would point that out just as he did in Galilee and Jerusalem.
Many Christians honor him outwardly—offering songs and prayers on Sunday—but are their hearts truly near to God? In many cases, Yeshua’s critique of the religious people of his time still applies: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines” (Mark 7:6–7, quoting Isaiah 29:13).Consider how human traditions have sometimes overshadowed God’s commands. Yeshua taught his followers to pray in secret with humility (Matthew 6:5–6), yet in some places prayer has become a platform for show or political posturing. Yeshua never instructed us to build lavish cathedrals or to create celebrity pastors—those are products of our culture. None of these things are inherently evil, but when they replace or obscure the core of his teaching, they become “commandments of men” elevated to undue importance. We must be prepared to hear his correction today, no less than those in the first century.
The crucial difference between a sincere disciple and a modern-day Pharisee is how we respond when confronted with uncomfortable truth. The hypocritical Pharisees of Yeshua’s time became defensive and plotted his demise; a true follower, by contrast, even if initially stung by rebuke, will humble himself and repent. We all have traditions or comforts we hold dear. Will we cling to them if Yeshua himself challenges them? This is why we so desperately need the real Yeshua rather than a watered-down version. The real Yeshua will always push us toward authenticity and away from self-deception. As the New Testament reminds us, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Yeshua wielded that sword of truth with perfect skill. He was not “nice” in the sense of being mild and indulgent toward wrongdoing. He was compassionate and gentle with the humble and hurting, yes—but he was a consuming fire toward the arrogant and hypocritical. That is the true role of a divine prophet and Messiah: love, in its fullness, sometimes comforts the afflicted, and sometimes afflicts the comfortable. Yeshua embodied both aspects of righteous love.
Would We Recognize Yeshua Today? (The “Muslim” in the Pew)
Let us imagine a provocative scenario: Yeshua of Nazareth, in his first-century appearance, walks into a typical church on a Sunday morning. Would the congregation even recognize him? The uncomfortable truth is that many might not. In fact, they might perceive him as a stranger –perhaps even assume this brown-skinned, bearded visitor is a Muslim or otherwise “not one of us” – rather than realizing they are in the presence of their Lord.
Consider how Yeshua would present himself outwardly. He was a Semitic man – likely of olive or brown complexion, with West Asian features and a full beard. He would not be wearing a suit and tie, or jeans and a t-shirt. More likely he’d have on simple robes and sandals as he did in his time, perhaps with a head covering or prayer shawl. Devout Jewish men of his era (and even today, during prayer) covered their heads out of reverence; Yeshua might do the same. If he did keep his head covered upon entering, ironically some churches might regard that as a breach of decorum (misapplying a line from Paul’s letters about men uncovering their heads).He would not remove such a covering if it were part of his devotion to the Father.
What about Yeshua’s eating and prayer habits? We’ve noted that he would decline any pork or non-kosher food – so imagine him at a church fellowship lunch where ham is served. If he quietly abstained or asked for different food, someone might jovially tease, “Brother, you don’t like our cooking?” He would have to explain that he honors the dietary instructions God gave Israel. The likely response? Perhaps puzzlement, or a well-meaning lecture that “we’re not under those old laws now.” The irony of correcting Jesus on how he should practice faith would be astonishing, yet it could easily happen. Before the service, Yeshua might seek a quiet corner to pray. And how would he pray? In the Gospels we see him sometimes fall on his face in deep prayer (Matthew 26:39). Picture that in a modern church: a Middle Eastern man prostrating himself on the ground in earnest prayer to God. In a mosque, such full prostration is routine; inmost Western churches, it is quite rare. People might stare or even feel alarmed at such intensity.
Even Yeshua’s way of speaking could raise eyebrows. He might greet people with “Shalom aleikhem” (Aramaic for “Peace be upon you”), which is essentially the same greeting that many Muslims use in Arabic (As-salamu alaykum). He would refer to God as Abba (Father) or by Hebrew names like Adonai. To the average churchgoer, his language and accent would sound foreign. Instead of speaking polished English from a pulpit, he might stand and read from the Hebrew Scriptures in their original tongue. Imagine the shock of some who expect the Lord to speak King James English, yet here is this short, Middle Eastern Jewish man passionately reciting the Torah in Hebrew and then explaining its fulfillment. Some might whisper among themselves, uncertain whether this stranger is “saved” or why he seems so enthusiastic about Jewish customs.
The tragic reality is that the Western Church has so refashioned Jesus in art and culture – often depicting him as a fair-skinned European and embedding him in our own norms – that the real Yeshua of Nazareth would indeed seem “other” in many Christian gatherings. We have unconsciously internalized an image of Christ that is tailored to our comfort and majority culture. This should humble us. The very people who worship Jesus might not welcome Yeshua if he appeared among them incognito.
The point of this thought exercise is not to accuse for the sake of provocation, but to illuminate how far perception can drift from reality. We must confront the biases that might cause us to reject the very Messiah we claim to adore, simply because he doesn’t fit our cultural expectations. It also challenges us to re-examine what truly matters to God.
Terms like “Muslim” and “Christian” are human labels that carry a lot of historical and emotional baggage. But strip them away for a moment and ask: what kind of person does God regard as faithful? A “Muslim” in the basic sense is one who submits to God (the Arabic word muslim means “submitter”). A “Christian,” in its original meaning, is one who follows Christ and seeks to be like him. Yeshua is not coming back to check our membership cards or denominational credentials. He declared that when the Son of Man comes, he will be looking for genuine faith on the earth (Luke 18:8). He taught plainly that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). In other words, he values obedience to God’s will and authenticity of life far above any religious label.
Imagine two individuals in that church. One is labeled a Christian, attends every week, wears across, but outside of Sunday his life is devoid of prayer, filled with the pursuit of money, and marked by an unrepentant lack of charity. Another person present is labeled a Muslim, visiting perhaps out of curiosity or with a friend – he lives simply, prays daily with sincerity, gives generously to the needy, and seeks to honor God as he understands Him. Which of these two reflects the heart that Yeshua taught we must have? We know what Yeshua would say, because he said it many times during his ministry: what counts is the fruit of one’s life (Matthew 7:20). He even warned that at the judgment, many who confidently bore the name “Christian” – who said “Lord, Lord” – would hear him say, “I never knew you,” because their actions denied him, while some outsiders would be welcomed based on their humble works of love (Matthew 7:22–23;25:34–40).
This is not to make a simplistic claim that “all religions are the same” or that personal belief in Christ is unimportant. Yeshua clearly taught that he is the Son of God and the Way to the Father(John 14:6). Rather, it is to remind us that calling oneself a follower of Christ means little unless one actually follows his teachings. Yeshua did not come to establish a superficial, exclusive club. He came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37) and to offer salvation to all who would truly believe and obey. The New Testament reveals that people from outside the Jewish community – Roman centurions, Samaritan villagers, Greek seekers – who showed faith we recommended by Jesus, whereas many religious insiders who lacked faith were rebuked.
It is telling that even the Qur’an – the holy text of Islam – speaks respectfully of Jesus (known as Isa in Arabic) as a prophet and even calls him Messiah. Muslims, while not accepting the Christian understanding of Jesus’ divinity, nevertheless honor him and await his return. Many habits of devout Muslims (abstaining from pork, praying with prostration, observing regular fasting, and giving alms) resemble the piety Yeshua himself practiced. Of course, there are critical differences in theology – above all, recognizing Yeshua as the Son of God and Savior is essential – but culturally and devotionally, Yeshua aligns more closely with a first-century Jew or an observant Middle Eastern worshiper than with a modern Western consumer. The sobering truth is that neither claiming to be Christian nor Muslim is what will matter in the end. What matters is whether we truly know Yeshua and do the will of God.
Yeshua once pointed to those around him and said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). Those who truly belong to him are defined not by outward labels but by an inward reality: obedience to God, love for others, humility and faith. If seeing Jesus portrayed as a man of Middle Eastern descent or likened in appearance to a Muslim upsets someone, it may reveal an attachment to a comfortable cultural idol of “Jesus” rather than the reality of Yeshua. The real Messiah transcends our narrow categories.
This realization should break down the walls of prejudice. It should prompt Christians to ensure that the Jesus they worship is not an icon of Western civilization, but the living Yeshua of history and eternity. It should also remind us that God is not partial to one ethnicity or nation – every “nation, tribe, people, and language” will be represented among the redeemed (Revelation 7:9). The family of Christ is wonderfully diverse. Yeshua’s allegiance is to the Kingdom of God alone, not to East or West.
So, would we recognize Yeshua today? We will, if we have taken to heart what he actually taught about integrity, compassion, and the presence of God within. We will recognize him not by the color of his skin or the style of his dress, but by the Spirit that flows from him – the Spirit of truth and love. And he, in turn, will recognize his own not by our outward identity but by our living reflection of his teachings.
Beyond Labels: The Essence of True Faith
All of this leads to a fundamental question: What does it really mean to follow the real Yeshua? It certainly is not about clinging to a label or belonging to an exclusive club. To follow Yeshua means to pursue truth and righteousness relentlessly, even when that quest overturns some of our cherished traditions or assumptions. It means internalizing his teachings in our character, rather than merely wearing a religious identity on the surface.
Yeshua himself consistently pointed to the essence of faith over the externals. He cared about an intimate connection with God, sincere love for others, genuine humility, and the courage todo what is right. Whether one calls themselves Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or anything else, the real question is: Are you actually living in alignment with the divine values that Yeshua embodied and taught? Do you carry the “kingdom within” mindset – an awareness of God’s presence inside you and around you, guiding your conscience and actions (Luke 17:21)? Do you recognize every human being as bearing the potential image of God, and therefore treat them with dignity and compassion? That recognition is at the heart of loving your neighbor as yourself.
Throughout his ministry, Yeshua made a point of looking beyond societal and religious boundaries. He reached out to the despised and the outcast. He dined with tax collectors and sinners – not to condone their sins, but to show God’s mercy was available to all who would repent. He praised the faith of a Roman centurion and of a Canaanite woman, foreigners outside the religious “in-crowd,” saying their trust in God was great (Matthew 8:10; 15:28).Meanwhile, he lamented the lack of faith among many of the religious elite of Israel. In modern terms, Yeshua might find deep faith in a humble person of another background who sincerely seeks God, and find spiritual emptiness in a self-righteous churchgoer whose religiosity is closed-minded and loveless.
One of his most famous parables, the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37), was deliberately crafted to shatter religious prejudice. In that story, a man from Samaria – a people whom Judeans considered heretical – turned out to be the true neighbor who showed mercy, whereas the pious priest and Levite passed by the wounded traveler. Yeshua made the “outsider” the hero, teaching that what counts is action grounded in love, not the badge of one’s group. This lesson is timeless. The person who pleases God is the one who does what is right and loves generously, regardless of what group they belong to.
When Yeshua returns as King, the Book of Revelation tells us that there will be a great multitude of his followers “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9). The family of God will be incredibly diverse. Yeshua is not coming to take sides in our human divisions; he is coming to claim lordship over all. His allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, not to any particular ethnicity, nation, or faction. He affirmed that “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22) –acknowledging the special role of the Jewish people in God’s plan – yet his mission immediately reached across cultural lines to Samaritans and Romans. He built his community (the ekklesia, or Church) on Jewish disciples, yet sent them out to make disciples of all nations (Matthew28:19). He cannot be owned by any one race or culture. The Western world, the Eastern world, and all the world must bow to Him, not remake him in our image.
The truth is, Yeshua did not come to invent a new religion named after himself; he came to fulfill the deepest truths of the faith of Israel and open the way for all peoples to be reconciled with God. The movement he started was originally just called “the Way” (Acts 9:2) – meaning a way of life in communion with God through Christ. Over time, institutional Christianity grew and developed many traditions, some beautiful and some questionable. But in the end, what Yeshua taught us to seek was not a religion of empty form, but a relationship with God evidenced by a transformed life.
The Apostle James, who was Yeshua’s own brother and a leader of the early believers in Jerusalem, wrote these telling words: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27). In other words, true devotion to God is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable and by our personal integrity, not by what title we claim. How many of us major in those very things – sacrificial love and purity of heart? That’s what matters to God. Not whether we call ourselves the right name or maintain a perfect checklist of doctrines. Don’t misunderstand – knowing the truth about God and Yeshua is important. Sound doctrine and right belief have their place. But even the most accurate theology is dead if it is not enlivened by a life that mirrors Christ. If our lives do not reflect his teachings, the label “Christian” will not save us.
Yeshua said that in the Kingdom of Heaven, “the greatest among you shall be your servant” and that those who obey God’s commandments and teach others to do so will be called great(Matthew 23:11; 5:19). He declared that the defining mark by which the world would recognize his disciples is their love for one another (John 13:35). These are concrete indicators of genuine faith. The substance of our devotion matters infinitely more than the surface. Are we surrendered to God’s will (recall that the word “Islam” literally means submission to God’s will)?Do we truly accept Yeshua as Lord – meaning we strive to obey his voice, not merely admire him from afar? These questions cut through the fog of religiosity and bring us back to the heart of faith.
Here is a startling fact: Yeshua of Nazareth never instructed his followers to create a new, separate religion centered on himself, complete with elaborate institutions and man-made hierarchies. He never said, “Form denominations and build majestic cathedrals and develop centuries of bureaucracy.” Those things arose from human initiatives. What Yeshua did command was simple and profound: “Believe in me.” “Follow me.” “Take up your cross.” “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Keep my teachings.” “Go and make disciples of all nations.” “Watch and be ready for my return.” The earliest believers understood themselves not as adherents of a novel religion, but as disciples walking in the fulfilled path of Israel’s Messiah—a path now opened to all peoples. The name “Christian” (meaning “little Christ”) came later, and while it is a badge of honor to bear the name of Christ, it can also become a hollow label if divorced from Christ-like living. Perhaps Yeshua would prefer we think of ourselves simply as his students (disciples) and God’s servants, rather than members of a religious club. What will matter when he returns is not our membership but our relationship.
When the day comes that we stand before Yeshua, he will not ask which church we belonged to or what we called ourselves. He will look into our eyes and our hearts. He will seek that spark of recognition – does this person truly know me? In the Gospel of Matthew, Yeshua paints the scene of the final judgment: many will say to him, “Lord, Lord, we did all these things in Your name,” but he will reply, “I never knew you,” to those who failed to actually do God’s will(Matthew 7:22–23). Conversely, in another vision of judgment (Matthew 25:31–46), those who served the least of God’s children – feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned – will be welcomed, even if they did not realize they were serving Christ by those deeds. Yeshua makes it abundantly clear: it is by our actions and the condition of our heart that he will evaluate us, not merely by our words or affiliations.
In sum, the essence of true faith in Yeshua is active love and obedience. It is a heart that remains humble and a life that reflects his goodness. Everything else – our ceremonies, our terminologies, our customs – is secondary. The real Yeshua cares about whether we have built our life on the solid rock of his words or on the sand of human pretense (Matthew 7:24–27). Let us choose the rock.
Embracing the Real Yeshua (Even If It Challenges You)
