Yeshua is everything to us: our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible. We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible. It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah. This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the first article in the series, Yeshua is the Seed.
In Genesis, we learn that Yeshua is the Seed of the Woman. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen 3:15). (See also 1 John 3:8 and Gal 4:4) Why is this important? It is because we are humans and we have sinned. It is humankind that owes a tremendous debt, a debt that we cannot pay collectively, let alone individually. Only a human who is totally righteous, takes on the sin and weakness of everyone and who willingly gives up His life can pay the price. Among all of humankind, there is no one else besides Yeshua who fits the requirements. “Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord God (Jer 2:22).
What would it take to pay this enormous debt and reconcile with Yehovah? It would take the sacrifice of a human who is totally free from blemish, from any hint of sin. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22). The animals who were sacrificed in the place of the guilty humans were innocent and were supposed to be without blemish. Do not present an animal with defects, because the LORD will not accept it on your behalf (Lev 22:20).
A woman was the first to sin, but Yehovah in His infinite mercy and provision, had already provided a way for the woman and all her descendants to be saved. It would be through the seed of a woman, that Yeshua (salvation) would come and sacrifice Himself so that we could be reunited to Yehovah and so that we could share in all that had been planned for us from the beginning. What was planned for us? Each one of us is designed to be an integral part of His kingdom. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jer 29:11). We are part of something much greater than any of us individually, yet as individuals each one of us is loved and valued.
Yeshua came to establish the Kingdom of Yehovah on earth. [Yeshua] was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people (Matt 4:23).
How do each of us participate in the Kingdom? Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And truly I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20) We are called to spread the word of His glorious plan. When we share this message with others, we are scattering seed, the seed that comes from the Seed. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives (John 12:24)
In the parable of the sower (Matt 13:1-9), Yeshua tells us that when we spread the word (sow the seed) that some of the seed will fall onto poor soil or wither under challenging conditions. This is not necessarily failure on our part. After all, Yeshua died for all of us, yet not all of us will accept His precious gift of salvation. When a farmer sows seeds, only some of the seeds will germinate. Of the seed that germinates, only some will produce a good crop. Plants can get too much rain, not enough rain, not enough sun, or pests can come and weaken or kill the plant. And yet, the farmer continues to sow seed year after year. It is the same with us. We must continue to sow seed (the word of Yehovah) even though we cannot control the outcome of each seed. It will require sacrifice on our part, perhaps even our very lives, to carry out our assignment.
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” (Matt 13:3-9)
“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matt 13:18-23) Yeshua is the original Seed as explained in Genesis. When Yeshua is put to death, new life springs from Him and many seeds are now available. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:24). The seeds produced by Yeshua’s death were first planted in His followers. They then produced fruit that bore more seeds which they then sowed in others. It is that seed which was planted in each of us who are led to accept Him as our Lord and Redeemer. We are then to bear fruit which produces seed (the good news of the Kingdom) and it is that seed that we are to sow in others in order to increase the Kingdom.
Missing Pieces 