Are Jesus And Yeshua The Same?
I have a friend who came to know Jesus several years ago. Now after getting some information off the internet will only call Jesus “Yashua”. He tells me that “Jesus” is a false name with pagan origins and therefore Jesus and Yashua are two different people.
Q. I have a friend who came to know Jesus several years ago. Now after getting some information off the internet will only call Jesus “Yashua”. He tells me that “Jesus” is a false name with pagan origins and therefore Jesus and Yashua are two different people, Jesus a false name originating from the Catholic Church and Yeshua the true name. He claims that people who worship “Jesus” are worshiping a false Messiah and are deceived. While those worshiping Yashua worship the true Messiah of the Bible. What are the origins of “Jesus” so I can explain to him that Jesus IS His name and Yeshua is the Jewish way to say it.
A. Jesus is English for the Greek word Iesous (pronounced E-a-soos). Although a Greek word, Iesous has a Hebrew origin where it’s pronounced Jehoshua, or Yehoshua. Yehoshua is composed of two other Hebrew words, one whose initials are YHVH and stand for the name of God, and yasha, which means to save. Jehoshua means “God saves” and is the name the angel told Mary to give her Son in Luke 1:31. Since Luke wrote his gospel in Greek, he used Iesous, or Jesus in English.
Sometimes the Lord’s Hebrew name is shortened into Y’shua, which is pronounced Yeshua or Yahsua depending on whether you believe God’s name is Jehovah or Yahweh. Next to Jesus, it’s the most popular way to say His name.
Apparently the pagan connection actually comes from the Greek word Christos (Christ), a title also applied to Greek gods. Christos means anointed one and has its parallel in the Hebrew Mashiach, (Messiah), which also means anointed one.
Those who complain that using Christ in connection with Jesus makes Him a pagan god are apparently unaware that God called King Cyrus of Persia His anointed in Isaiah 45:1 using the Hebrew word Mashiach. Did that make Cyrus the Messiah? Of course not. The title has no importance of its own but derives its status from the name associated with it. Your friend is mistaken.
