The True Messiah

A Return to Yeshua’s Teachings

Beloved brothers and sisters in faith, we gather today in the light of truth, seeking clarity, wisdom, and understanding. For centuries, we have been taught that Yeshua of Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah. But what if we have misunderstood His role? What if Yeshua never claimed this title for Himself, and instead, He pointed us toward the One who is yet to come?

Let us open our hearts to the possibility that our faith has been shaped not by the pure teachings of Yeshua, but by the words of a man who never walked with Him—Paul of Tarsus.

Paul: The First ...and Only One to Declare Yeshua as the Messiah

It may shock many to learn that Yeshua never once explicitly claimed to be the Messiah. Instead, this claim originated with Paul—alone.

Let’s examine the facts:

1. The Gospels never record Yeshua proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.

   • In Matthew 16:20, after Peter calls Him the Messiah, Yeshua commands His disciples:
     “Do not tell anyone that I am the Messiah.” Why would He hide this, if He had come to proclaim it?

   • When asked if He was the Messiah, Yeshua often redirected the question or spoke cryptically (Luke 22:67-70, John 18:36).

2. It was Paul alone who aggressively spread the idea that Yeshua was the Messiah.

   • Acts 9:22 – “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”

   • Paul even calls himself “the apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13)—but Yeshua explicitly said He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24).

   • Paul built an entirely new doctrine that did not come from Yeshua’s words, but from his own claims.

3. The earliest followers of Yeshua—James, Peter, and John—did not proclaim Him as the Messiah.

   • The Jewish followers of Yeshua in Jerusalem still practiced the Torah and continued to believe in the coming of the Messiah.

   • Acts 1:6 – After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples ask Him:
     “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

     • If they truly believed He had already fulfilled the Messianic role, why would they expect a future kingdom?

4. Yeshua's own people, the Jewish people, then and now—reject Paul’s version of the Messiah.

   • Judaism teaches that the Messiah will:

1. Gather all exiled Jews back to Israel (Isaiah 11:12)

2. Usher in an era of world peace (Isaiah 2:4)

3. Rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:26-28)

4. • Yeshua did none of these. Instead, the world continued in suffering, war, and exile up until to this very day.

If Paul had never declared Yeshua as the Messiah, would anyone have come to this conclusion? It was Paul, not Yeshua, who invented the doctrine that now defines much of Christianity.

Yeshua’s Own Words: A Prophet, Not the Messiah?

If Yeshua had truly come to establish His Messianic kingdom, why did He say:

• “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)

• “Only the Father knows the day and hour.” (Matthew 24:36)

If the Jewish Messiah was prophesied to establish a kingdom on Earth, why would Yeshua say His kingdom is not here? Could it be that He was not fulfilling that prophecy—but rather, preparing the way for the one who will?

These statements suggest that the true Messianic age had not yet arrived. Instead of claiming to be the fulfillment, Yeshua preached repentance, righteousness, and preparation.

Many of His teachings—especially His warnings of false prophets and deceptions—seem eerily relevant when considering Paul’s radical shift in doctrine.

Paul of Tarsus: A Self-Proclaimed Apostle Who Distorted the Truth

Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) never walked with Yeshua. He was not chosen as one of the Twelve. He did not witness the miracles, nor hear the words from Yeshua’s own lips. Instead, he claimed to receive a private revelation on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6), an experience that no other disciple could verify.

But did the early followers of Yeshua accept Paul? No. In fact, they were deeply suspicious of him.

• The Ebionites, one of the earliest groups of Yeshua’s followers, rejected Paul entirely. They believed Paul had distorted Yeshua’s teachings and led people astray.

• The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) – James, the brother of Yeshua, along with Peter and the original disciples, questioned Paul’s teachings. They did not immediately accept his message and had to clarify what was required of Gentile believers.

• Paul was rebuked by James (Acts 21:18-26) – When Paul returned to Jerusalem, James told him to prove his obedience to the Law, indicating that the original apostles did not share Paul’s view that the Law was abolished.

Paul’s Contradictions Against Yeshua’s Teachings

Paul not only claimed authority that was never given to him—he directly contradicted Yeshua’s teachings in multiple ways.

1. On Helping the Poor

• Paul: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

• Yeshua: "Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." (Luke 6:30)

2. On the Law (Torah)

• Paul: "For Yeshua is the end of the Law, so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)

• Yeshua: "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." (Matthew 5:17)

3. On Justification by Faith Alone vs. Works

• Paul: "A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." (Romans 3:28)

• Yeshua: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

Time and again, Yeshua emphasizes action, obedience, and righteousness, while Paul preaches a faith-alone doctrine that disregards works.

Returning to the True Teachings of Yeshua

If Paul distorted the message, then what remains? We return to the words of Yeshua Himself. Yeshua taught us:

• To love unconditionally.

• To give freely without expectation.

• To keep the commandments and honor the Torah.

• To seek the Kingdom of Heaven through righteousness.

And above all, He taught that the Kingdom was still to come—not an invisible spiritual kingdom, but a true, earthly reign of peace, as foretold by the prophets.

Are We Still Waiting for the Messiah?

If Yeshua never claimed to be the Messiah, and if Judaism still awaits the arrival of the Messiah, could it be that we are all waiting for the same person?

Even the Hopi people await the return of the True Pahana, a lost white brother who will bring spiritual truth and restore balance to the world. Their prophecy aligns with the Jewish expectation of the Messiah and the Christian hope of the Second Coming. 

Perhaps Yeshua was not the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy—but the one who prepared the way. 

A Call to the Faithful

Beloved ones, this is not a message of doubt—it is a message of returning to the truth. We do not need the words of Paul to understand the teachings of Yeshua. His wisdom, His love, and His call to righteousness stand on their own.

Let us strip away the falsehoods and seek the Messiah who is yet to come, while honoring the prophet Yeshua, who has already shown us the way.

May we walk in truth, love, and righteousness, as we await the fulfillment of the promise.