What do you think?
Rate this book
Y'shua: The Jewish Way to Say Jesus
"Long ago, the Jewish Scriptures predicted the coming of one who would redeem the world from evil and usher in a new order of living. This book examines those prophecies to see whether Jesus fulfilled them. If he did not, we Jews should reject them. But, on the other hand, if Jesus really is the Messiah, we owe it to ourselves, to the world, and especially to the God of Israel to believe the Messiah whom He has sent. At the very least, we should be willing to examine the evidence to see if it's so." — The late Moishe Rosen, founder of Jews for Jesus Y' The Jewish way to Say Jesus is a Christian apologetic challenging Jews to examine the prophecies of the Messiah's coming and the evidence for Jesus as the Christ, and to respond to His claims.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 1982
9 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 15, 2025
THE ‘JEWS FOR JESUS’ FOUNDER MAKES AN APPROACH TO JEWISH PERSONS
Moishe (‘Michael’ was his birth name) Rosen (1932-2010) was the founder of the Jews for Jesus organization.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1982 book, “Perhaps no group has been as immersed in tradition as the Jewish people. Through centuries of persecution, through times of being tossed from one country to the next, tradition has been the glue that had held us Jews together… Indeed memories of the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Pogroms, and the holocaust are imbedded deep within the Jewish psyche. Yet, every Passover serves as a reminder that anti-Semitism did not begin with Hitler, or the Czar, or the Popes. Anti-Semitism goes back beyond the time of Pharoah and is as old as the Jewish people themselves. No, the issue is not that of persecution. Rather, it is quite simply whether Jesus is the Messiah of Israel. If He is, all Jewish people should believe in Him, as should the rest of those who would serve God.”
The Dedication explains, “To the many Jewish people who have wondered… Can Jesus be the promised Messiah of Israel? God’s answer to that question and longing is to be found in one word, a name. That name will be honored above every other name, and eventually every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the name of Y’shua. ‘And thou shalt call his name Y’shua, for he shall save his people from their sins.’” (Pg. Mt 1:21; literal translation.]
He explains in the Introduction, “The word ‘Messiah’ is the English transliteration of the Hebrew term ‘mashiach,’ which means ‘anointed.’ Originally, it referred to the way a person (usually a prophet, king, or priest) was designated for an important position ... In time ‘anointed’ came to be used as a synonym for the prophets, the kings, and the high priests themselves. It emphasized the fact that God had designated them for their office.” (Pg. 1)
Later, he continues, “Originally from the Hebrew ‘mashiach,’ the word for Messiah made its way into Greek in two forms. ‘Messias’ was the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew sounds, from which we get ‘messiah.’ On the other hand, the Greek word ‘christos’ translates the meaning of the Hebrew anointed, and comes into English as ‘Christ.’ The word ‘Christian,’ then, is equivalent to ‘Messianist,’ a follower of the Messiah. It become apparent that Gentiles who believe in Christ are really following a Jewish religion!” (Pg. 9)
He states that “Yochanan ben Zechariah, better known to history as John the Baptist… [was] a true prophet. Even his emphasis on ‘mikveh’ [‘immersion’] was not unprecedented. The Jewish people had practiced immersion of Gentile converts to Judaism for nearly a century before John came on the scene.” (Pg. 27-28)
He says, “‘Son of man’ was a term first employed in Ezekiel. There it seems to be little more than a stylized equivalent of ‘man.’ However, by the time of the writing of Daniel and later, nonbiblical apocalyptic literature, the term had taken on exalted proportions… Jesus applied [the term] to Himself more readily than any other term.” (Pg. 34-35)
He asserts, “2,600 years ago, Isaiah already gave us a résumé for the Messiah, and that only one person in history ever matched those credentials. The Messianic ‘résumé appears in four passages in Isaiah that scholars call the ‘Servant Songs.’ [Isa 42:1-7; 49:1-6, and 50:4-9]… Finally … we come to the centerpiece of messianic prophecy: Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Whereas the other three ‘Servant Songs’ can refer to … the nation of Israel as well as the Messiah, this passage is unmistakably speaking about a single individual.” (Pg. 57-58)
He explains in an Appendix, “Although the only biblical requirement for entrance into the covenant was circumcision, baptism became an added requisite. No one knows exactly when or by whom the requirements were changed to include baptism, but it was before the time of Jesus, as we learn from debates on the subject of proselyte baptism between the rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel, both contemporaries of Jesus.” (Pg. 79)
in this book, Rosen is, of course, trying to ‘smooth out’ the entrance to Christianity for Jewish persons---which is the purpose of ‘Jews for Jesus,’ of course.
[It’s interesting that Rosen doesn’t explain how Christians came to call their Messiah ‘Jesus,’ rather than his given name, ‘Y’shua.’ If you’re interested, look it up; it has to do with rendering the Aramaic name into Greek, and then into English.]
Moishe (‘Michael’ was his birth name) Rosen (1932-2010) was the founder of the Jews for Jesus organization.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1982 book, “Perhaps no group has been as immersed in tradition as the Jewish people. Through centuries of persecution, through times of being tossed from one country to the next, tradition has been the glue that had held us Jews together… Indeed memories of the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Pogroms, and the holocaust are imbedded deep within the Jewish psyche. Yet, every Passover serves as a reminder that anti-Semitism did not begin with Hitler, or the Czar, or the Popes. Anti-Semitism goes back beyond the time of Pharoah and is as old as the Jewish people themselves. No, the issue is not that of persecution. Rather, it is quite simply whether Jesus is the Messiah of Israel. If He is, all Jewish people should believe in Him, as should the rest of those who would serve God.”
The Dedication explains, “To the many Jewish people who have wondered… Can Jesus be the promised Messiah of Israel? God’s answer to that question and longing is to be found in one word, a name. That name will be honored above every other name, and eventually every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the name of Y’shua. ‘And thou shalt call his name Y’shua, for he shall save his people from their sins.’” (Pg. Mt 1:21; literal translation.]
He explains in the Introduction, “The word ‘Messiah’ is the English transliteration of the Hebrew term ‘mashiach,’ which means ‘anointed.’ Originally, it referred to the way a person (usually a prophet, king, or priest) was designated for an important position ... In time ‘anointed’ came to be used as a synonym for the prophets, the kings, and the high priests themselves. It emphasized the fact that God had designated them for their office.” (Pg. 1)
Later, he continues, “Originally from the Hebrew ‘mashiach,’ the word for Messiah made its way into Greek in two forms. ‘Messias’ was the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew sounds, from which we get ‘messiah.’ On the other hand, the Greek word ‘christos’ translates the meaning of the Hebrew anointed, and comes into English as ‘Christ.’ The word ‘Christian,’ then, is equivalent to ‘Messianist,’ a follower of the Messiah. It become apparent that Gentiles who believe in Christ are really following a Jewish religion!” (Pg. 9)
He states that “Yochanan ben Zechariah, better known to history as John the Baptist… [was] a true prophet. Even his emphasis on ‘mikveh’ [‘immersion’] was not unprecedented. The Jewish people had practiced immersion of Gentile converts to Judaism for nearly a century before John came on the scene.” (Pg. 27-28)
He says, “‘Son of man’ was a term first employed in Ezekiel. There it seems to be little more than a stylized equivalent of ‘man.’ However, by the time of the writing of Daniel and later, nonbiblical apocalyptic literature, the term had taken on exalted proportions… Jesus applied [the term] to Himself more readily than any other term.” (Pg. 34-35)
He asserts, “2,600 years ago, Isaiah already gave us a résumé for the Messiah, and that only one person in history ever matched those credentials. The Messianic ‘résumé appears in four passages in Isaiah that scholars call the ‘Servant Songs.’ [Isa 42:1-7; 49:1-6, and 50:4-9]… Finally … we come to the centerpiece of messianic prophecy: Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Whereas the other three ‘Servant Songs’ can refer to … the nation of Israel as well as the Messiah, this passage is unmistakably speaking about a single individual.” (Pg. 57-58)
He explains in an Appendix, “Although the only biblical requirement for entrance into the covenant was circumcision, baptism became an added requisite. No one knows exactly when or by whom the requirements were changed to include baptism, but it was before the time of Jesus, as we learn from debates on the subject of proselyte baptism between the rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel, both contemporaries of Jesus.” (Pg. 79)
in this book, Rosen is, of course, trying to ‘smooth out’ the entrance to Christianity for Jewish persons---which is the purpose of ‘Jews for Jesus,’ of course.
[It’s interesting that Rosen doesn’t explain how Christians came to call their Messiah ‘Jesus,’ rather than his given name, ‘Y’shua.’ If you’re interested, look it up; it has to do with rendering the Aramaic name into Greek, and then into English.]
July 25, 2018
My interest for the Jewish faith has greatly increased since immersing myself in the Old Testament. The connections between Judaism and Christianity are key to understanding both faiths. What saddens me is Jesus (Y'shua) came as the Jewish Messiah. Many prophecies told of His fore coming, but His nation rejected Him and put Him on a cross to die. They MISSED their Messiah! This lil' book goes in depth into the prophecies that point to His identity as saviour of the Jews and the world. Rosen ends the book with a question after the dissection Isaiah 53 (the suffering servant, which is one of my favourite passages of Scripture). "Of whom does the prophet speak? The answer seems inescapable" (65).
He provides some great background information on Jewish customs and roles of the time, which helped my understanding better. A worthwhile read.
He provides some great background information on Jewish customs and roles of the time, which helped my understanding better. A worthwhile read.
February 27, 2017
The book itself was only about 70 pages, and then there were about 50 pages of appendices.
The book portion was fascinating mainly because interesting to read and see how and which passages he decided to exegete, and in which order. These were short passages, each covered one or two texts, making at least one great point. These could have been longer and more detailed, but Rosen clearly was trying to write something that could be helpfully evangelistic. His last chapter on the Suffering Servant, however, was longer than normal and a great way to end.
I actually enjoyed reading the appendices more simply because Rosen, as a Jew, was providing really helpful background and historical information that he thought would further legitimize Christianity.
Overall, a great little booklet, especially for those considering if Jesus is the Messiah, or for those who simply want clear confirmation of it.
The book portion was fascinating mainly because interesting to read and see how and which passages he decided to exegete, and in which order. These were short passages, each covered one or two texts, making at least one great point. These could have been longer and more detailed, but Rosen clearly was trying to write something that could be helpfully evangelistic. His last chapter on the Suffering Servant, however, was longer than normal and a great way to end.
I actually enjoyed reading the appendices more simply because Rosen, as a Jew, was providing really helpful background and historical information that he thought would further legitimize Christianity.
Overall, a great little booklet, especially for those considering if Jesus is the Messiah, or for those who simply want clear confirmation of it.
November 1, 2016
I originally bought this book in the hope it would shed some light on the Jewish perspective on Jesus, but as it turns out, it's more an attempt to convince Jews that Jesus was in fact their Messiah. Moishe Rosen belonged to an organization called Jews for Jesus. He believed it wasn't impossible to be Jewish and still believe in Jesus. If you think about it, Christianity remains a Jewish religion; half the Christian Bible is in fact the Jewish Bible.
Anyway, what Y'shua turned out to be was Rosen pointing out all the Old Testament connections that can be found in the New Testament. As a Catholic, I already knew that. I'm not sure this approach would cause any mass changes in belief, but anyone interested in at least investigating such parallels would at least find the book an interesting thought exercise. (If you never viewed it that way, having a faith of any kind is definitely an ongoing thought exercise, if you spend time thinking about rather than merely believing it.)
It's a pretty small book, very easy to read, but after a while you do feel as if some of it were more geared toward academic interests (it's amazing how often religious people approach their faith in this way). There's some interesting background information that I wasn't previously privy to, which as a Jew Rosen was, and I'm glad he included it. Naturally if the book had been longer this was more of what I would've wanted to see.
Anyway, what Y'shua turned out to be was Rosen pointing out all the Old Testament connections that can be found in the New Testament. As a Catholic, I already knew that. I'm not sure this approach would cause any mass changes in belief, but anyone interested in at least investigating such parallels would at least find the book an interesting thought exercise. (If you never viewed it that way, having a faith of any kind is definitely an ongoing thought exercise, if you spend time thinking about rather than merely believing it.)
It's a pretty small book, very easy to read, but after a while you do feel as if some of it were more geared toward academic interests (it's amazing how often religious people approach their faith in this way). There's some interesting background information that I wasn't previously privy to, which as a Jew Rosen was, and I'm glad he included it. Naturally if the book had been longer this was more of what I would've wanted to see.
April 10, 2009
A excellent defense of the faith. In this book, Moishe Rosen, does an amazing job of explaining how the many Biblical prophecies support Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man. Rosen also does a good job at explaining why no other person could fit the prophecies described in the Old Testament, and how the eye witness accounts in the New Testament support the prophecies. A wonderful book that has encouraged me to delve deeper into the prophecies predicting Jesus thousands of years before his birth. The other thing that struck me about reading this little but powerful volume, is that if one approaches the Bible in a unbiased, logical they cannot help but be amazed at the accuracy of the prophecies which describe Jesus (the mathematical side of the prophecies was pretty mind blowing.)
August 9, 2023
Absolutely loved this little book! I found a lot of information I already knew but not put together so well as Mr. Rosen did it in this book. Also the appendixes were fantastic and ripe with information of historical and Biblical significance and relevance and also from a Jewish perspective, and since the Bible was written by Jews and primarily for Jews it makes for great insight! You won't regret reading this book and I am going to be referencing it often with my Bible studies.
June 1, 2010
This book was truly delightful to read. Though simple, it was a wonerful reminder of how God's word fits perfectly together. Not very long, I truly enjoyed this book and would encourage reading it, if you can find it, even as just a quick reminder of apologetics.
Read
March 23, 2018"And thou shalt call His name Y'shua, for He shall save His people from their sins."; a literal translation of Matthew 1:21. I recommend this book examining the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures to see whether Y'shua fulfilled them. The book gave me a very helpful distinction of what the Pharisees and Sadducees stood for. The book states the crucifixion of Y'shua most likely took place on the eve of Passover. The book goes on to state one of the major ideas of the New Testament is that Jesus is portrayed as a Passover lamb, and His life is seen as a counterpart to the story in Exodus where a perfect lamb is killed to provide redemption for the Israelites. This book gives a little bit of insight into Jewish thinking. In a chapter entitled Forerunner we are told every Orthodox Jewish school boy trained in the Scriptures knows that before the Messiah appears, a forerunner will precede him like a herald before a King; this really reminded me of John the Baptist. Each chapter is short and easy to read. The book has a number useful appendices detailing common historical links between Judaism and Christianity.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews