The following four facts were proved in the lessons titled "The Birth and Childhood of YAHshua." Because they are so extremely important to know and remember, they will be displayed at the beginning of each lesson in this series.

#1: YAHshua's name means YAH saves. It can also mean YAH'S salvation.

#2: YAH is short for YAHWEH which is our Heavenly FATHER'S name forever. (Exodus 3:15)

#3: YAHshua was also to be called: Messiah, Emmanuel, EL, Elohim, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty El, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Son of the Highest, and The Son of YAHWEH.

#4: YAHshua's name is the only name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and every knee will bow to that exalted name. (Acts 4:10-12 and Philippians 2:9-11)

In these next few verses in Matthew, YAHshua was criticizing the people that lived in various places because they refused to accept Him and repent of their evil ways. (He did this criticizing after He had done much preaching and performing of so many miracles and good works of YAHWEH in their presence.)

Matthew 11 (20) Then began He [YAHshua] to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not: (21) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (22) But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. (23) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to hell [grave]: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (24) But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

As YAHshua continues, He pauses to thank YAHWEH for revealing HIMSELF through Him to the Babes (innocent ones) rather than to the wise and prudent according to the wisdom of this world and its ways.

Matthew 11 (25) At that time YAHshua began to speak and said, I thank thee, O FATHER, Sovereign of Heaven and Earth, because THOU hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, FATHER: for so it seemed good in THY sight.

In this next verse, YAHshua explains that only He knows YAHWEH our Heavenly FATHER and He has been given the power to reveal HIM to whomsoever He will.

Matthew 11 (27) All things are delivered unto Me of My FATHER: and no man knoweth the Son, but the FATHER; neither knoweth any man the FATHER, save the Son, and HE to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

YAHshua continues speaking to the people.

Matthew 11 (28) Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls [lives]. [Jer. 6:16] (30) For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Most people do not understand why YAHshua said what is stated in the above three verses. To understand, one must be aware the heavy burdens that the people were under at that time. Let us look at the following three things.

# One: They were under heavy taxation to support the Roman government and their officials who usually lived a very lavish lifestyle.

# Two: They had to support the Temple and Temple services.

# Three: They had to support the lavish lifestyle of their religious leaders. (Is it not true today too?)

Those burdens are called a yoke. A literal yoke was usually a wooden harness that goes around the neck of a team of oxen or horses to which a plow, cart, wagon, or whatever was attached. When they walked forward the burden of whatever they were pulling was moved forward. YAHshua was using the yoke as a symbol of the physical and mental burden that they were under with all the taxation that was exacted upon them at that time.

Now, if whenever new leaders or rulers took over they lowered the tax burden by not living so lavishly as their predecessors the people would like them better and give them more support. On the other hand, if they increased the tax burden they were hated and the people did not give their support without being forced. (Such was the case in I Kings 12:1-16.)

YAHshua told them that His yoke was easy. He wasn't going to add to their already too burdensome physical and mental load. This verse in John shows that He didn't come to make life more burdensome for them, He came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10 (10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In these next two verses, YAHshua is accused by the Pharisees of breaking the Sabbath Day laws.

Matthew 12 (I) At that time YAHshua went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. (2) But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

There are two reasons why the pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath Day laws. The first reason was they were trying to find fault with Him because they hated Him as He exposed their evil hypocritical ways. The other reason was because they added many burdensome laws and regulations in order to protect the Sabbath as though YAHWEH'S laws and regulations were not good enough. (Nowhere in the Torah, did YAHWEH object to anyone who was hungry walking through a field of grain or an orchard or vineyard and pick something to eat as they walked along on the Sabbath Day. However, it was surely unlawful to harvest a field, orchard or vineyard on the Sabbath Day.) Exodus 20: & Exodus 34:21)

In the last verse below, YAHshua made it very clear that He was the Sovereign of the Sabbath Day. Therefore, He knew what was lawful to do and what was not lawful to do on the Sabbath Day.

Matthew 12 (3) But He [YAHshua] said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; (4) How he entered into the House of YAHWEH, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? (5) Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? (6) But I say unto you, That in this place is one [YAHshua] greater than the temple. (7) But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice [Hos. 6:16], ye would not have condemned the guiltless. (8) For the Son of man is Sovereign even of the Sabbath Day.

Shalom until next week.

HalleluYAH!!!

The following four facts were proved in the lessons titled "The Birth and Childhood of YAHshua." Because they are so extremely important to know and remember, they will be displayed at the beginning of each lesson in this series.

#1: YAHshua's name means YAH saves. It can also mean YAH'S salvation.

#2: YAH is short for YAHWEH which is our Heavenly FATHER'S name forever. (Exodus 3:15)

#3: YAHshua was also to be called: Messiah, Emmanuel, EL, Elohim, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty El, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Son of the Highest, and The Son of YAHWEH.

#4: YAHshua's name is the only name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and every knee will bow to that exalted name. (Acts 4:10-12 and Philippians 2:9-11)

In last week's lesson, it was shown that the Pharisees accused YAHshua and His Disciples of breaking the Sabbath Day laws. In the first few verses of this week's lesson, the scripture shows that they are trying to continue to find fault with YAHshua concerning healing on the Sabbath.

Matthew 12 (9) And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: (10) And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That they might accuse Him.

YAHshua knew what they were trying to do. Therefore, He shamed them by showing that they would show compassion and do good for their animals on the Sabbath, but then they wanted to question Him for showing compassion and do good for their fellow man on the Sabbath.

Matthew 12 (11) And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? (12) How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.

After shaming them, YAHshua then healed the man. This made the Pharisees angry and they went off to figure some way to destroy YAHshua.

Matthew 12 (13) Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. (14) Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Instead of staying and fighting with them YAHshua peacefully moved on. This was also fulfillment of a prophesy through the Prophet Isaiah.

Matthew 12 (15) But when YAHshua knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; (16) And charged them that they should not make Him known: (17) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying, (18) Behold MY servant, Whom I have chosen; MY beloved, in Whom MY soul is well pleased: I will put MY spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. (19) He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. (20) A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. (21) And in His name shall the Gentiles trust [Isaiah 42:1-3].

We discussed the subject found Matthew 12:22-37 in two earlier lessons. Therefore, we will pick back up at verse 38. Certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees ask YAHshua for a sign (of His Messiahship).

Matthew 12 (38) Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Instructor, we would see a sign from Thee. (39) But He answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas [Jonah]: (40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly [Jonah 1:17]; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

YAHshua goes on to compare the people of Nineveh who heard the Prophet Jonah with the people of Israel who heard Him. The people of Nineveh repented, but the evil people in Israel did not repent when YAHshua preached to them and YAHshua was greater than Jonas.

Matthew 12 (41) The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

The queen of Sheba from Ethiopia came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. The evil people in Israel didn't seek wisdom from YAHshua and He was much greater that Solomon. (See I Kings 10:1-10.)

Matthew 12 (42) The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Now, let us go back to verse 40. YAHshua was telling them that the only sign that He would give them was that He would be three days and three nights in His grave before He would be resurrected from the dead.

Matthew 12 (40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man [YAHshua] be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Most people are taught that YAHshua was buried just before sunset on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday morning at sunup. My dear children, how can you count 3 days and 3 nights from sundown on Friday evening until sunrise on Sunday morning? That totals only 1 day and 2 nights! Should you believe YAHshua or should you believe what people teach concerning how long He was in the grave?

For those who want to see a detailed account of when YAHshua was buried and when He rose from the grave, ask for my article "When was the Resurrection of YAHshua the Messiah?") In that article you will find the following scenario is the only one that will harmonize with all the Scriptures.

He was buried in the end of the forth day of the week at sunset (late Wednesday evening).

Wednesday night………..(1^st full night)
Thursday………………….…….…..…(1^st full day)
Thursday night………….(2^nd full night)
Friday………………………………....(2^nd full day)
Friday night…………….(3^rd full night)
Sabbath day…………………………..(3^rd full day)

Total = 3 full days & 3 full nights

Therefore, YAHshua rose at the end of the third day that He was in the grave and that third full day ended at sunset on the Sabbath. That is why He was not there when they came to the grave on the first day of the week.

Until Next week, shalom!

HalleluYAH!!!