This passage is what I consider to be the most powerful message of Shavuot.

We know that Jesus celebrated each of the feasts of God in Leviticus 23, since He was under the Law. The gospels tell us what He was doing during and teaching one of those years, at the time of the feast of Shavuot.

On that occasion, He taught and trained the disciples about of the work of the ekklesia (church) that was to be born. It is extraordinary that He gave the teaching in what was considered then to be a foreign territory to the Jewish people. Surely, this was to prepare the disciples for the worldwide work of the new institution to come.

The teaching is found in the fourth chapter of John when Yeshua was in Samaria. What was Jesus doing in Samaria at Shavuot? He was leaving Judea to go to Galilee, but Jews would not usually go through Samaria. Religious Jews would take the longer route through Perea to the east because they despised the Samaritans, who also despised the Jews. These groups were always at odds with each other.

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As the Spirit comes onto Yeshua, something wonderful happens. The Messiah and the Rouach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) are united with the Bat Qol, the voice from heaven.

We read in Mark 1:11 these beautiful words,

“You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

This is huge!

First, notice who is present: we have Yeshua, the Spirit, and the Father from heaven. Their presence is a fulfilled prophecy from one of the clearest passages in the Hebrew Scriptures speaking of the nature of God.

The three we see are mentioned in one other verse which speaks of the inauguration of the work of the Messiah in Isaiah 48:16:

“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me.”

Most rabbinical commentators see this verse as describing the prophet himself being sent by the Lord and His Spirit. But Isaiah’s anointing already happened back in chapter 6, and this prophet did not and never could, as a man, save Israel.

Isaiah 48 falls right in the section dealing with the Servant of God, between chapters 40 and 53 of Isaiah. Here we have the Lord God, His Spirit, and the One who is sent, the Messiah. Five chapters later, in Isaiah 53, the One who is sent dies for Israel and the world, and is then resurrected. Read more…

“I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:8

This verse brings an eruption of countless of references from the Hebrew Scriptures, like a blast of truth from the past.

To begin with, John the Baptist mentions the Holy Spirit who the Jewish people of the time knew as the Shekinah Glory. They were expecting the Shekinah at the time of the Messianic era with the Messiah’s coming.

The word Shekinah comes from the word mishkan meaning to dwell. It is the same root as the word for Tabernacle or Temple. This was the place where God dwelt. Some 500 years after the Holy Spirit departed from the first Temple, John the Baptist prophesied that He was coming back, but not to dwell in a building made with hands but rather living inside the person. It would start with Yeshua and then continue on in all those individuals who believe in Yeshua. Read more…

Let us open the Gospel of Mark and see how the Ruach HaKodesh brings us to that moment of the Messiah’s first coming.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the Prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ ” Mark 1:1-3

After declaring that the coming of the Messiah is likened to a new beginning, like the dawn of a new era, Mark brings us to two crucial passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which also speak of a new beginning in the history of messianic prophecies. Read more…

The Historical Present

How does Mark compare with the other gospels and why do we need a fourth gospel? What is so exceptional about this one?

This is when we encounter a sad problem. Since about 90% of the material in Mark is found in Matthew and Luke, this book has not been considered as relevant. Furthermore, while throughout history we can find many collections of thoughts that were written down about this book, it is only in the Middle Ages when commentaries on this book began appearing.  

For many hundreds of years and even up to today, people must have questioned why they should read Mark when there is so little unique information given. Instead, they may choose to only read the fuller accounts. That would be a great mistake! Read more…

In many ways, Isaiah 53 could be seen nailed at the entrance to the Tabernacle of God.

Let us open our Bible to the first chapter of Leviticus. The whole text is like a tapestry of great teaching about Yeshua. Our English word for text is from the Latin texere, meaning to weave, and Leviticus is a great canvas of beautiful colors and textures portraying the Messiah is so well. 

The importance of the words in Leviticus is further emphasized when you consider that it is in this book where the Lord speaks the most. God is the direct speaker on almost every page in this book.

Even Moses is depicted differently here in Leviticus. He is far from being that vibrant and argumentative type we have seen in the other books of the Torah. Why are things different here? Because the subject matters of sin, salvation, holiness and eternity form the pillars of this book and therefore because this is so close to the heart of God, the Lord takes the lead as Speaker. Read more…