Those who believe in the resurrection of Christ Jesus, should accept that at first he was dead. When he would not have died, his standing up from his position in the grave would not be so spectacular or so important for humankind.
God can not die because He is an eternal spirit, which mean He did not have a beginning, no mother where He came from, and has no end, shall never die.
Some centuries ago God His Voice came down from heaven and said about the Nazarene man Jesus, who was been baptised by his nephew John the Baptist: "This is my beloved son."
And having been immersed, יהושע (Jehsua) went up immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight.”
(Matthew 3:16-17 The Scriptures 1998+)
“See, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My being did delight. I shall put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall declare right-ruling to the nations. “He shall not strive nor cry out, nor shall anyone hear His voice in the streets. “A crushed reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench, till He brings forth right-ruling forever.1 Footnote: 1This is according to the Shem-Tob Hebrew text. However, this passage is a quote from Isa. 42:1-3 where it reads right-ruling unto truth. “And the nations shall trust in His Name.”We should trust in the name of Jesus, the son of man and son of David, who said he could do nothing without his Father, who is greater than him.
(Matthew 12:18-21 The Scriptures 1998+)
But יהושע {Jeshua}answered them, “My Father works until now, and I work.” Because of this, then, the Yehudwere seeking all the more to kill Him, ‘because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He also called Elohim His own Father, making Himself equal with Elohim.’ Therefore יהושע {Jeshua} responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He Himself does. And greater works than these He is going to show Him, in order that you marvel. “For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son makes alive whom He wishes. “For the Father judges no one, but has given all the judgment to the Son, that all should value the Son even as they value the Father. He who does not value the Son does not value the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me possesses everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Elohim. And those having heard shall live. “For as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to possess life in Himself, and He has given Him authority also to do judgment, because He is the Son of Aḏam.Wherever you may live, whichever language you may speak and in which culture you were brought up shall determine how you shall pronounce the name of that Nazarene man יהושע : Jeshua, Jehushua, Issoua, Issou, Jesus (in different tongues with different sounds), Jezus, Chesu, Isi, etc..
(John 5:17-27 The Scriptures 1998+)
What is most important, though we know that the name "Jesus" comes from "Hail Zeus" and was not the proper name of the Messiah, though we still use it know because it is the most common known form to indicate that man who is called son of God who is the promised Messiah.
This Messiah bit is very important. Accepting that the Nazarene, born in Bethlehem, from the tribe of David, is the promised Saviour, the Christos (Christus) or Christ.
When Jesus was alive he gave already the task to go out and preach in his name. After his death, he was resurrected by God and was some time again with his disciples.
And the eleven taught ones went away into Galil, to the mountain which יהושע {Jeshua} had appointed for them. And when they saw Him, they bowed to Him, but some doubted. And יהושע {Jeshua} came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Therefore, go and make taught ones of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-apart Spirit, teaching them to guard all that I have commanded you. And see, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” AmThose who would like to follow יהושע {Jeshua}and share his love with each other should feel as brethren and sisters. They should get to know the teachings of Jeshua or Jesus Christ and keep to them.
(Matthew 28:16-20 The Scriptures 1998+)
Getting to know those teachings comprehends also getting to know the Torah or the Law of God, because to Jesus this Law was sanctified. Also for us this Law should be set-apart or holy. the Word of God should be what we want to follow like Jesus followed the Word of God and did not want to do something different than the Will of God.
When you follow the Messiah or you then a Messianic? a Messianic Jew or a Messianic Christian?
Are you following main Christianism? Are we following main Christianism?
Brethren and sisters in Christ do want to 'be in Christ'; Carry the armour of Christ. They do not want to accept the Holy Trinity and other dogmatic teachings of many Christian denominations.
It may look like those small groups of fraternal Christians do want to reform the traditional teachings. (?)
The Christadelphians dare to challenge the idea’s of their present reality in light of the ancient paths. For we are to restore the ancient paths. We are truly seeking a restoration of the ancient paths. We are not truly intending to Reform “Christianity” or “Catholicism.”
In case our goal would be Reformation we will fail by remaining connected to those institutions that refuse to change or jeopardize their mission, message or money trail. To see the Restoration of the Kingdom of David and help usher in the Millenial Kingdom, we must Repair the breach, Rebuild that which is fallen, and Restore that which is lost. Our goal should be to keep Covenant Fidelity. That way we may usher in the Messianic Redemption.
As such some may consider us as "messianic people" and we should say that we believe strongly in the messianic message and the return of Christ to install the Kingdom of God. Our eyes are directed to that return of Christ, in which we have put our hopes.
Mankind wants freedom from oppression Our goal should be liberation with respect and co-operation with willing parties. We must engage in healthy and academic dialogue but never to the demise of doctrine or tenant of this intended revolution. Christadelphians do not love doctrinal teachings. We are liberated by Christ, so we should not look for boundaries by people in this world today.
We must not make doctrines out of our frustration with the reality of this world which loves traditions or out of pressure from these institutions. We should not close our eyes for them or do if they do not exist any more. No, they are a everyday reality, which we have to consider. All the gentiles we have to try to reach, and we better do that in a language they understand. But that does not mean that we may not try to open their eyes for other languages and other traditions. By showing how we understand the world and understand the Words in the Holy Scriptures, we can get them also to learn new names, terms and let them see what is really written in the Bible and what the Will of God is.
We have to embrace that we are all together different, but also that our mission is different. There mission is the simple message of salvation, the entry point of the discussion. We seek to teach the full journey into discipleship under the Messiah Christ Jesus (Jeshua) as well as the study of sacred text in a scholarly fashion.
We seek unity in identity and fellowship with like-minded believers who accept Jesus for what he is. We also want to follow those things the Jew Jesus thought were important to do, had to and have to be done.
Those living in a country where we have contacts with many Jews, like in Belgium and Holland, should open their arm to them and dare to use the words Jesus spoke and the Jews today still use as well. Having several nationalities with different languages we should be prepared to offer the Bible in their language and use words which are commonly understood by many of them.
For that reason it is also often better not to translate names of persons and places into your own language but use the name of the person or the place how he or she is really called.
In Belgium we do have to encounter so many languages that sometimes we prefer to use the most common name for the different languages, which may mean that we do not use the English word, because out of English their are many more languages spoken by our brethren and sisters. In our country we do have to come to consensus and try to use also names which can be understood by those we do want to reach, no Christians and the many Muslims (25% of the population). Offering writings which names which are also familiar for them can bring them to know more about those persons and to see them in a different light than their own traditional Islamic teachings.
When we use the Islamic names or the Jewish names that does not mean we are Muslim or Jew, but we cannot detract from the roots many of our inhabitants have. Language is a means to communicate and we should try to communicate with as much people as possible, bringing over the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
As lovers of Jesus and lovers of God, we should be lovers of all those around us, no matter from which origin they may be, or whatever language they may speak. We have to go to them and reach them in a language they might understand and could be able to learn to talk about the same things with others.
We should make room for the process in love, or charity and grace.
Is there is an expression of faith in the Jewish Mashiach or Messiah, unconnected to Jewish expression, do we endorse it or allow it? Of course we allow it, we can’t stop it. We should seek to set up our own revolution in uniqueness and covenant fidelity while engaging the realities in our lives in ministries.
We should avoid the ostrich with its head in the ground mindsets. We should watch the News with bible in hand as the saying goes. We are living in this world, so we can not avoid being elements in this world who have to take in consideration what happens.
To others we may let them see we are ordinary citizens, people like 'you and me'. People who have their ups and downs, but who are willing to help each other to make the best of this life in the world we do have to live in.
As long as Jesus did not return we should take care of all around us so that they can come to get to know Jesus the Messiah and his Father, the Only One God, Jehovah the Elohim.
The Jews are the chosen people by God. They shall inherit the Land of God. By the death of Christ all people from all sorts, cultures, countries, became partakers of the Grace and can become partakers of the promise made to Abraham, looking forward to the Kingdom of God.
That we all make sure that we shall be able to enter that small gate, as brethren and sisters in Christ.
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