The Name of Jesus (or Y’shua)

2000 years ago, in the village of Nazareth, Israel, a small boy was playing outside his house when his mother called him to come & eat. His mother’s name was Miryam & the language she spoke was Hebrew. When she called her son, she used his informal name of Y’shua.

“Y’shua” is a Hebrew word which means “salvation of God”. It is a contraction of the formal name Yehoshua. When it is translated into Greek, it becomes Iesous & from Greek to English, we know it as Jesus.

It is actually the same name used in the Old Covenant (Tenach) for Joshua (Yehoshua), Moses’ right-hand man. (Strong’s Concordance Hebrew#3091) You see, there is no Hebrew letter that is equivalent to a “J” in English. The name of Jesus (Y’shua) has been translated into many languages around the world. Spanish is “Jesus”, but the J is pronounced like the English H. In German the J is pronounced like Y. So we have a choice in our global society as to which languages we want to speak or pray. Of course, G-d understands them all & no matter which language we choose, we have an open prayer to the King of Kings. But, wouldn’t it be nice if we called Him the Hebrew Name that was given Him by His Father. “And you shall call his name Y’shua*, for he shall save His People from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 It’s your choice.

*Many times you will see Y’shua spelled Yeshua. It’s the same name. The Hebrew letters are yod, shin, vav, ayin.

Lura Maiman, Congregation Yeruel, Israel