Jesus Christ and His Teachings

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
1 John 4:8

In this section you find my preliminary results from my reseach into the life of Yeshua bar Yosef (aka Jesus, son of Joseph), and his remarkable teachings. I don't have all the answers, merely seek to understand the questions.

Short Biography

The New Testament provides the primary sources for Jesus' biography, written by his followers or their associates within several decades after his ministry. He was born in Bethlehem, then the family fled to Egypt when he was an infant to escape Herod (Matthew 2:13–21).

In Alexandria at that time was a big Jewish community, larger than in Jerusalem, where his family may have found shelter. There was also a large Buddhist monastery and school nearby. After Herod's reign, he moved to Nazareth (Luke 2:39–52).

At age 12, he visits the Jerusalem Temple (Luke 2:41–52) where he impressed the priests and scholars with his profound wisdom and understanding. This was the last mention in the text until his ministry begins around age 30 (Luke 3:23).

There is a significant gap in his biography, from age 12 to 30, his formative years, giving rise to speculation. Scholars like John Dominic Crossan (a leading New Testament expert) suggest Jesus likely worked as a tektōn (craftsman or builder) in Galilee, staying within Jewish communities in Judea and Galilee. Others say he traveled with the traders of the Silk Road to India. Another question, where did he go after the crucifiction?

His Real Name

Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is widely regarded as the closest approximation of Jesus' full Hebrew name during his lifetime. Below is how he would have been known in legal, family, or village records in 1st-century Judea/Galilee.

Yehoshua bar Yosef mi Natzeret
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר יוֹסֵף מִנָּצֶרֶת
Joshua son of Josef from Nazareth

Original Form

In 1st-century Galilee and Judea, he was likely called Yeshua (a common shortened form of Yehoshua / יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, meaning "Yahweh is salvation"). Yehoshua was the fuller biblical name (as in Joshua son of Nun), but by Jesus' time, the shortened Yeshua was the everyday Aramaic/Hebrew name used in speech.

Meaning

Yehoshua(יְהוֹשֻׁעַ) is a Hebrew name that breaks down into two parts, each carrying deep theological meaning:

Yehō- (יְהוֹ) Shortened form of YHWH(יהוה), the sacred personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible (often rendered "Yahweh" or "Jehovah").

-shua (שׁוּעַ) Comes from the Hebrew root y-sh-ʿ (ישע), meaning "to save," "to deliver," or "to rescue." Shua is a noun form meaning "salvation" or "deliverance."

"Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh saves/delivers"

Historical and Biblical Context

Joshua son of Nun (successor to Moses) bore this name, symbolizing that God would save His people by leading them into the Promised Land. Jesus (Yeshua) was given a form of this name because, as the angel told Joseph: "You shall call his name Yeshua, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21), a direct echo of the name’s meaning.

The New Testament repeatedly calls him "Jesus son of Joseph" (e.g., John 1:45, Luke 3:23). In Aramaic/Hebrew contexts, people were identified as "[Name] bar [Father’s Name]", like Simon bar Jonah (Peter). Yosef was a very common name (like "Joseph" today), so adding bar Yosef distinguished him.

In the New Testament, Greek texts render it as Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous), which became Iesus in Latin and Jesus in English and German.