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ONE shepherd" (John 10:16). The "fold" that Yeshua referred to were, of course, the southern
tribes of Judah that comprised of Judah, Benjamin and some of Levi.

Christ was chosen by the Father to give his life for those who were his brothers and sisters,
and to redeem them for his Father! Christ's death allowed YEHOVAH God to again marry His
bride Israel! In order for YEHOVAH to remarry Israel, Christ had to become the perfect sacrifice
for Israel's sins, and was under what is known as the law of "kinsman redemption." We read about
this in Leviticus 25 --

"After he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his BROTHERS may redeem him; or
his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him; or anyone who is NEAR OF KIN to him in
his family may redeem him or if he is able he may redeem himself" (Leviticus 25:48-49).

It is important to understand that Christ had to be a lawful redeemer for Israel. It was re-
quired by law that Yeshua had to be a kinsman of the seed of Abraham in order to redeem Israel
for his Father; and the New Testament clearly demonstrates in the gospels that Christ's genealogy
was indeed that of the physical seed of Abraham. The word "redeem" is No. 01350 in Strong's
Concordance and means to "buy back" property of the same next of kin or relative. This is impor-
tant since Israel was the property of YEHOVAH at one time. The price or payment that was neces-
sary to "buy back" His bride was the blood of His anointed one -- Yeshua the Messiah. Without the
shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). As the AGENT of his Father, Ye-
shua purchased (bought back) the Church of YEHOVAH (Israel) and reunited it to his Father with
his own blood (Acts 20:28):

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the holy ghost hath
made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath PURCHASED with his
own blood" (KJV).

This was the Church that was in the wilderness of Sinai during the time of Moses when
YEHOVAH God gave His laws and commandments to Israel -- which, of course, His wife (Israel)
failed to keep. This is the same people that Yeshua "bought back" for his Father with his own
blood. The Church in the wilderness was, of course, composed of Israelites; therefore the Church
that Yeshua purchased would also have to be composed of Israelites. According to the law of
kinsman redemption, Yeshua could only "buy back" a bride for his Father from his own "next of
kin" or the seed-line of Abraham. Regardless of what many people think, that seed-line is a physi-
cal seed-line -- as we shall see.

Gentiles in the New Testament

Yeshua and the apostles knew all about the northern House of Israel being divorced from
YEHOVAH and cut off from the promises. The apostle Peter, in his own heart, looked on these
lost Israelites as being "unclean." Peter believed that the gospel was not meant to go to these
(separated from YEHOVAH) people. God had to show Peter -- in a vision -- that He was not to
judge these people as being common or unclean -- see Acts 10:12-14, 28, 34 and 36.

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