What
is important
is that Yehoshua
affirmed in principle Yochanan
the Baptist's question about the eschatological meaning of his activities,
without explicitly declaring that he was the coming Messiah.
He established his claim to the eschatological office
by pointing to his preaching of salvation and
to his supernatural works
of healing.
Yeshua
saw these
things as an
unmistakable sign
that the era of salvation had already dawned.
"But if it is by the finger of G d that I cast out demons,
then the kingdom of G d has come upon you!"
Lucky Luke 11:20 WE'IM BE'ETSBA ELOHIM MEGAREESH ANI ET-HASHEDIM
HINEH HIGIYAH ALEICHEM MALCHUT HA'ELOHIM
Disease is of the devil, and the kingdom of G d
comes when Satan is conquered
and rendered
powerless.
According
to Luke 10:18,
Yeshu once said,
'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven!"
According to a book that was written when Yeshua was still a child,
'Then will his kingdom over all creation appear, Satan will be destroyed
and grief will depart with him!'
The coming of the kingdom is
thus bound up with the
overthrow of Satan
and his
spirits.
When
Yeshu heals
the sick and
casts out unclean spirits,
he is the victorious conqueror
who makes real the kingdom of G d!
Lucky Luke 11:21-23 BEHEYOT HAGIBOR SHOMEER ET-CHATSEERO
WEHU MEZUYAN WEHAYAH RECHUSHO SHALOOM: WE'IM-YAVO ALAW CHAZAK MIMENU
UTEKAFO YISA MIMENU ET-NISHKO ASHER BATACH-BO WE'ET-MALKOCHO YECHALEEK:
KOL ASHER EINENU ITI HU LENEGDI WEASHER EINENU MEASEEF ITI HU MEFAZEER!
'When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace,
his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he
assaults him and overcomes him, he takes away
his armor in which he trusted, and
divides his spoil! He who is
not with me is against
me, and he who
does not gather
with me
scatters
...!
In
addition to
the healing miracles,
Yehoshua gives the Baptist
another proof of his claim: the poor
also have salvation preached to them!
This is an allusion to words of the prophet Yeshayahu [61:1-2],
which were evidently especially important to Yeshua?!
'The Spirit of the Lord G d is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings
to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year
of the Lord's favor, and the day
of vengeance of our
G d; to comfort
all who
mourn!
These
were the
[the days my
friend we thought they'd
never end!] that - according to
Lucky Luke 4:17-18 - Yehoshua also read
in the synagogue at the very strat of his ministry!
Then he rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant,
and said,
'TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE
HAS BEEN FULFILLED
IN YOUR
HEARING
...!

