You Shall Call His Name Yeshua

Mosaic floor with Hebrew name Yeshua in ancient Synagogue in Susya, Israel

“You shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, TLV)

Introduction

In recent years, a variety of unusual and even invented pronunciations for the Messiah’s name have circulated in certain circles. But the historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence is clear: the Messiah’s name was Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ). This name was well known in the first century and firmly rooted in Jewish tradition.

A Common Jewish Name in the First Century

The name Yeshua is a shortened form of Yehoshua (Joshua), meaning “Adonai is salvation.” By the time of the Second Temple period, Yeshua had become a common name among Jewish people. In fact, we find numerous men in the Tanakh and in later Jewish writings who bore this name. When the angel told Miriam (Mary) and Yosef (Joseph) what to call the child, they gave him the name every Jewish neighbor would have recognized: Yeshua.

Epigraphical Evidence

Archaeological finds confirm the widespread use of the name Yeshua in the time of the Messiah:- The James Ossuary: An ossuary (bone box) discovered in Jerusalem bears the inscription “Yaakov son of Yosef, brother of Yeshua.” Though debated, it demonstrates that “Yeshua” was a name in common circulation.- Ancient Judean Synagogue Mosaic: In an early synagogue mosaic discovered in the Hebron hills, the name Yeshua appears among donors’ inscriptions. This shows that Jews of the period were naming their children Yeshua and recording it publicly in sacred spaces.

Testimony of Early Jewish Opponents

Even opponents of the early Yeshua movement indirectly confirm His name. Rabbinic polemics often refer to Him as Yeshu. Scholars recognize this as a truncated or derogatory form of Yeshua. The very fact that critics of the movement used this shortened version only makes sense if His followers originally proclaimed Him as Yeshua. It would be impossible to derive Yeshu from any of the strange, invented pronunciations circulating today.

The Angelic Wordplay in Matthew 1:21

Matthew records that the angel told Yosef: “You shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.” This statement only works in Hebrew. The name Yeshua comes from the root yasha (to save). The angel’s announcement is a deliberate wordplay: He will be called Yeshua (Salvation) because He will yoshia (save) His people. No other pronunciation carries this meaning. This powerful Hebrew connection ties His identity to His mission.

The Witness of Jewish Believers in Yeshua

From the earliest days, Jewish followers of the Messiah referred to Him as Yeshua. This is reflected in early Jewish-Christian writings and carried through in Hebrew translations of the New Testament produced by Jewish believers over the centuries. For example, 19th- and 20th-century Hebrew editions of the New Testament—translated by Jewish scholars—consistently use Yeshua. These translators were not inventing a name but preserving the authentic Jewish one.

The Testimony of Arabic Speaking Believers

Arabic-speaking Christians, whose communities trace their worship back many centuries in the Middle East, have preserved the pronunciation of the Messiah’s name as يَسوع‎ (Yasūʿ/Yesua). This unbroken linguistic tradition provides further confirmation that the original Hebrew/Aramaic form Yeshua was the authentic name, since their pronunciation developed directly from the same ancient Semitic root without interruption.

Why It Matters

Using strange, invented pronunciations of the Messiah’s name disconnects Him from His Jewish roots and from history itself. His given name, Yeshua, tied Him to His people, His Scriptures, and His mission: “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, TLV).And here we must ask: wouldn’t it be an affront to call someone by a name that is not their name? Ironically, many who attempt unusual pronunciations claim they are honoring Him by recovering a “lost” sound of His name. But in bypassing Jewish tradition, the testimony of Messianic believers, and the clear evidence of history, they risk doing the opposite—ignoring the very name by which He was known to His family, His disciples, and His people.The evidence—from first-century Jewish usage, archaeology, rabbinic references, tradition, and the unbroken testimony of Messianic Jews—shows us that His name was, and is, Yeshua. Any other form is either a later invention or a misunderstanding.