Beyond Tradition: Yeshua’s Jewish Gospel
How Repentance, Obedience, and Service Define the Kingdom of Heaven
Personal Note: This is my second entry, which you can file under “Understanding Jesus.” For thousands of years, theologians have debated the relationship between Paul’s gospel—on which much of Universal Christianity has based its creeds and doctrines—and the gospel of Yeshua (Jesus). Why do they often seem different? In today’s post, I hope to shed light on this question and address some of the confusion surrounding it.
Rediscovering Yeshua’s Gospel: Repent, Obey, and Serve
The teachings of Yeshua (Jesus) have been at the center of religious thought for two millennia. Yet, layers of tradition and theological interpretation have often overshadowed his original message. Central to Yeshua’s gospel were three pillars: repentance, obedience, and service. These concepts are consistent with his Jewish identity and align seamlessly with the framework of 1st-century, Second Temple Judaism. By examining Scripture and its historical context, we can uncover the profound simplicity of Yeshua’s message and evaluate how it compares to later interpretations of Paul within institutional Christianity.
Yeshua’s Jewish Context and the Kingdom of Heaven
Yeshua’s teachings were deeply rooted in the Jewish worldview of his time. As a Torah-observant Jew, his mission was not to establish a new religion but to call his people back to covenantal faithfulness. The Kingdom of Heaven, a central theme in Yeshua’s preaching, was not a novel concept but the encapsulation of Jewish eschatological hope. In 1st-century Judaism, "attaining the Kingdom" meant living in alignment with the Torah, and under the earthly leadership of the Messiah, who would rule and reign over the enemies of Israel. To attain such a state demanded repentance, obedience, and service to others.
Repentance (“teshuvah” in Hebrew) is a well-established concept in Jewish thought. It involved a heartfelt turning away from sin and a return to God. This is evident in prophetic literature, where repentance is consistently portrayed as the prerequisite for restoration. For example Joel 2:12-13 says,
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
Isaiah 55:7 says: “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn (teshuvah) to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
The Jewish sages emphasized that genuine repentance leads to forgiveness and reconciliation with God, even without the Temple sacrifices. We read in Mishnah Yoma 8:9,
“For transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones; but for transgressions between a person and their fellow, Yom Kippur does not atone until the person has appeased their fellow.”
The Importance of Obedience
Obedience to God’s commandments was seen as the evidence of repentance. As the divine instruction for life, the Torah was the blueprint for righteous living. Deuteronomy 30:15-16 encapsulates this. We read,
“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands.”
Service to others was equally central. Leviticus 19:18 commands,
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”’
This principle became the foundation of Jewish ethics. The Second Temple period saw a renewed focus on acts of charity and community service as expressions of righteousness, often linked to one’s standing in the Kingdom. Bava Batra 10a says,
“Rava said: Whoever gives a coin to a poor person is blessed with six blessings, but whoever comforts him with words is blessed with eleven blessings.”
Repentance in Yeshua’s Gospel
Yeshua’s call to repentance echoes the prophetic tradition. In Matthew 4:17, he begins his ministry with the declaration,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.”
This is not merely a command to feel remorse but a summons to a transformed life. The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) beautifully illustrates this. The son’s return to the father symbolizes the process of repentance: recognition of sin, a heartfelt decision to change, and restoration to a loving relationship, leading to salvation symbolized by acceptance of the Father.
Yeshua’s insistence on repentance aligns with 1st-century Jewish expectations. Despite their later vilification in Christian tradition, the Pharisees emphasized repentance and ritual purity as essential for communal and personal redemption. Yeshua critiques their practices in Matthew 23:23 when he says,
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Yeshua's statement did not reject the Torah. Jesus emphasized that while continuing current practices, one should not neglect the more significant matters of the law which is Obedience to the weightier matters of Torah.
Yeshua’s teachings consistently affirm the Torah’s authority. In Matthew 5:17-19, he declares, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. … Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
When asked how to inherit eternal life, Yeshua responded unequivocally: “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). He then listed specific commandments, highlighting their continued relevance. Yeshua’s emphasis on the “weightier matters of the law”—justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23)—further underscores his commitment to the Torah’s ethical imperatives.
This obedience was not legalistic but relational. Loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) and loving one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18) encapsulated the Torah’s essence (Mark 12:28-31). These dual commandments formed the foundation of Yeshua’s ethical teaching and the foundation for all of the Torah's laws. As Yeshua said in Matthew 22:40,
"All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Yeshua did not say that the Law is null and void and that the only two commandments one must follow are the two he quoted. He said that all the Law and Prophets “hang” from these two commandments. They are dependent upon them. They are not severed from them; they are connected to them.
Service to Others
Service to others is an indispensable aspect of Yeshua’s gospel. In Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats vividly illustrates this. Those who fed the hungry clothed the naked and visited the sick are welcomed into the Kingdom, while those who neglected such acts are excluded. Yeshua’s statement, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” directly ties service to others with allegiance to Yeshua, who exemplified the Laws of God.
This emphasis on service reflects Jewish values of “tzedakah” (charity) and “gemilut chasadim” (acts of loving-kindness). In 1st-century Judaism, almsgiving and caring for the needy were seen as expressions of righteousness that could atone for sin. Bava Batra 10b says,
“Rav Assi said: Charity is equivalent to all the other commandments combined, and it atones for sin.”
Paul’s Gospel: Misaligned or Misunderstood?
While Yeshua’s gospel focused on repentance, obedience, and service, Paul’s writings have often been interpreted as emphasizing grace, faith, and justification apart from works. This perceived divergence has fueled theological debates for centuries.
In texts like Romans 3:28, Paul writes, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” Traditional Christian theology has interpreted this to mean that salvation is based solely on faith in Jesus’ atoning death, rather than repentance and adherence to the commandments. Ephesians 2:8-9 reinforces this: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” However, the key to understanding Paul in these verses is that Paul is not referring to the Law or the Torah when he references "works" but to the conversion process of Gentiles becoming Jews. Works, to Paul, were the conversion rituals necessary to become Jewish. Paul's message was that Gentiles did not need to "convert" to become a part of the Jewish family. Once we understand this, Paul's message aligns much more closely with Yeshua's.
Knowing that Paul never deviated from the Torah, it’s easier to see how his teachings align with Yeshua’s. In Romans 6:1-2, he asks, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” In other words, by repenting and performing works of the law, we prove that we have received the grace of God.
Paul’s concept of faith was never meant to exclude obedience. Instead, he sought to address specific controversies, such as whether Gentile God-fearers needed to fully become Jewish and adopt Jewish customs in order to belong to the community of faith (e.g., circumcision, “works” in Galatians 5:6). Paul taught the Gentiles that they did not need to convert, but he never abolished the Law.
The tension arises when Paul’s context-specific arguments are universalized, creating a theology that seems to sideline Yeshua’s emphasis on repentance, obedience, and service. A closer reading of Paul’s letters within their historical context suggests that he and Yeshua remained Torah-observant Jews, faithful to the calling of God.
Conclusion: Returning to the Heart of Yeshua’s Gospel
Yeshua’s gospel of repentance, obedience, and service remains profoundly relevant. It calls us to turn away from sin, align our lives with God’s commandments, and demonstrate our faith through acts of love and compassion. Far from being obsolete, these teachings are the foundation for living in the Kingdom of Heaven here and now.
Understanding Yeshua’s message within its Jewish context enriches our appreciation of his teachings and challenges us to move beyond the confines of doctrinal formulas. It invites us to live a life of active faith, reflecting the transformative power of God’s Kingdom in the world today. The question is: will we heed this call, or will we continue to settle for something far less?
Have a great day. Stay sharp, pray, and be ready to embrace your divine journey!
Ty
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