This is My Son[1]
We have two occurrences in Scripture where Yahweh directly spoke from heaven about Yeshua, and people heard His voice. In these cases we read that Yahweh said Yeshua was His beloved Son, He was well-pleased in him, and the people needed to listen to His Son, because Yeshua was the chosen one that Yahweh had sent.
Matthew 3:16-17 Yeshua, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Yeshua was on the earth being baptized, while Yahweh was up in heaven. Yahweh was pleased in what Yeshua was doing, for Yeshua was fulfilling all righteousness (Matthew 3:14-15).[2] Yahweh loved Yeshua very much that day, and He has loved him ever since. Yahweh has always been well pleased with Yeshua, because Yeshua always does that which pleases His Father (John 8:29). He is a faithful Son to his Father, never veering from His instructions.[3]
So at Yeshua's baptism, we have Yahweh the Father telling us about Yeshua, "This is My Son." What better witness or testimony could we have than the Father in heaven? Why would we want to believe less or more than what the Father said?
The other time that Yahweh directly spoke from heaven about who Yeshua is, was on what is called the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, John, and James went up on a mountain to pray with Yeshua, and as Yeshua was praying his appearance and clothing changed. He was transfigured before them, and they beheld a vision of Yeshua, Moses, and Elijah. As Peter began to speak to Yeshua, a cloud covered them all.
Luke 9:34-35 ...and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"
Here again we read about Yahweh, saying of Yeshua, "This is My Son." Yahweh really does have a Son, and Peter and the men with him heard the voice of Yahweh speak about His Son that day (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Yahweh spoke from heaven, towards earth, about Yeshua, twice. Both times He said, "This is My Son." Yahweh is not playing mind games with anybody. He was speaking the complete truth about who Yeshua is.
Why then do people want to believe that Yeshua is really Yahweh the Father? Why do people push so strongly that Yeshua is Almighty God? I believe we should listen to the voice of Yahweh (with childlike faith) that speaks authoritatively: "This is My beloved Son."
People say that those of us who do not believe Yeshua is Yahweh are "taking away from Yeshua." I would admonish these people to listen to Yahweh's voice from heaven, by opening the bible and reading these two texts again. Yahweh is the One who said, "This is My Son." To say more than Yahweh is to add to the words of Yahweh. Adding to Yahweh's words is just as wrong as taking away from Yahweh's words. I believe we would be much better off believing exactly what Yahweh said about Yeshua in these monumental occasions of Yeshua's life.
Matthew 3:16-17 Yeshua, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Yeshua was on the earth being baptized, while Yahweh was up in heaven. Yahweh was pleased in what Yeshua was doing, for Yeshua was fulfilling all righteousness (Matthew 3:14-15).[2] Yahweh loved Yeshua very much that day, and He has loved him ever since. Yahweh has always been well pleased with Yeshua, because Yeshua always does that which pleases His Father (John 8:29). He is a faithful Son to his Father, never veering from His instructions.[3]
So at Yeshua's baptism, we have Yahweh the Father telling us about Yeshua, "This is My Son." What better witness or testimony could we have than the Father in heaven? Why would we want to believe less or more than what the Father said?
The other time that Yahweh directly spoke from heaven about who Yeshua is, was on what is called the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, John, and James went up on a mountain to pray with Yeshua, and as Yeshua was praying his appearance and clothing changed. He was transfigured before them, and they beheld a vision of Yeshua, Moses, and Elijah. As Peter began to speak to Yeshua, a cloud covered them all.
Luke 9:34-35 ...and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"
Here again we read about Yahweh, saying of Yeshua, "This is My Son." Yahweh really does have a Son, and Peter and the men with him heard the voice of Yahweh speak about His Son that day (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Yahweh spoke from heaven, towards earth, about Yeshua, twice. Both times He said, "This is My Son." Yahweh is not playing mind games with anybody. He was speaking the complete truth about who Yeshua is.
Why then do people want to believe that Yeshua is really Yahweh the Father? Why do people push so strongly that Yeshua is Almighty God? I believe we should listen to the voice of Yahweh (with childlike faith) that speaks authoritatively: "This is My beloved Son."
People say that those of us who do not believe Yeshua is Yahweh are "taking away from Yeshua." I would admonish these people to listen to Yahweh's voice from heaven, by opening the bible and reading these two texts again. Yahweh is the One who said, "This is My Son." To say more than Yahweh is to add to the words of Yahweh. Adding to Yahweh's words is just as wrong as taking away from Yahweh's words. I believe we would be much better off believing exactly what Yahweh said about Yeshua in these monumental occasions of Yeshua's life.
End Notes
[1] Although I will touch on this here and there throughout the book, my intention is not to go into great detail about whether or not Yeshua literally pre-existed his human existence. I take the position that his pre-existence was notional rather than literal, but I do see how a person can believe in literal pre-existence and still believe that Yeshua is Yahweh's Son, separate from Yahweh. A good discussion about this can be viewed in a debate (April, 2016) held at the Atlanta Bible College between Dr. Dustin Smith and Mr. David Barron. Search YouTube for the debate titled: "Debate on Jesus' Preexistence."
[2] Think about this in relation to how you feel, if you are a parent and you see one of your children walking in righteousness. There is no greater joy than to see my sons or daughters praising Yahweh, reading His Word, and following in His commands. That joy and emotion you feel when your children do this is a glimpse into the joy and emotion that overwhelmed Yahweh when He watched Yeshua be baptized that day. He loved it so much that He had to announce it from heaven to earth!
[3] Even in Yeshua's darkest hour, as he began to experience the cup of wrath for the sins of the world, he prayed like this: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39b) Notice that there are two wills present, but Yeshua resisted his own will in favor of the Father's will. He was hurting, but he still submitted to the will of his Father.
[2] Think about this in relation to how you feel, if you are a parent and you see one of your children walking in righteousness. There is no greater joy than to see my sons or daughters praising Yahweh, reading His Word, and following in His commands. That joy and emotion you feel when your children do this is a glimpse into the joy and emotion that overwhelmed Yahweh when He watched Yeshua be baptized that day. He loved it so much that He had to announce it from heaven to earth!
[3] Even in Yeshua's darkest hour, as he began to experience the cup of wrath for the sins of the world, he prayed like this: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39b) Notice that there are two wills present, but Yeshua resisted his own will in favor of the Father's will. He was hurting, but he still submitted to the will of his Father.