Jesus, the Messiah The Hebrew word transliterated Messiah refers to one who has been anointed or rubbed with oil. The word is used especially in connection with Israel s priests (Leviticus 4:3 16; 6:15) and kings (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:1ff), who were anointed with oil when they were appointed to their official status and duties. It is occasionally used in connection with prophets (Psalm 105:15) or even the anointing of foreign kings (1 Kings 19:15). In time, however, the word came to be used primarily in reference to a particular future king promised in a number of prophecies who would introduce an everlasting kingdom that would restore peace, joy, and prosperity to the nations. In this study, we will look at a few of the key Messianic statements and prophecies of the Old Testament, the expectations generated from these prophecies among the Israelites, and finally how Jesus fit into these Messianic expectations. The Messianic King and Kingdom In the early days of the United Kingdom, especially under the reigns of David and Solomon, the nation of Israel believed they were destined for increasing and everlasting greatness. Under the blessing of Yahweh, they would bask in health, wealth, and happiness. Indeed, God had made a covenant promise to David saying: Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16). Israel s future was secure and their destiny was greatness. In one of his psalms, David wrote: I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness. You have said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations (Psalm 89:1 4). Israel s view of their destiny, no doubt, was shaken when the kingdom divided in 930 BC and ushered in a long period in which they were constantly entangled in or on the verge of civil conflict. The hopes of the nation and its future were crushed again when, in 722 BC, the ten tribes of the northern kingdom suffered utter defeat and deportation under the ruthless Assyrian armies. With ten of the tribes hopelessly scattered, how could Israel ever again be reunited and rise to a position of power and glory? Israel s hope of the restoration of the splendor of David s kingdom seemed to be getting more and more distant.
Page 2 It was during this period that God began speaking a message of hope and future restoration to Israel through Isaiah. One of the earliest Messianic prophecies is found in Isaiah 11 and speaks of a righteous ruler coming from David s lineage who would establish a kingdom of peace and reunite the devastated tribes of Israel. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:1 12; cf. 65:17 25). In another prophecy during this same period, Isaiah wrote these famous words: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6 7). Again, he wrote: When the oppressor is no more, and destruction has ceased, and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness (Isaiah 16:4 5). The prophet Jeremiah, who lived roughly a century later than Isaiah but still during a time when Davidic kings occupied the throne, echoed Isaiah's predictions. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel
Page 3 will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5 6; cf. 33:14 16). Thus, the earliest messianic references, written when Davidic kings still ruled over the Kingdom of Judah, look forward to a wise and righteous king arising from David's lineage, a militarily powerful leader who will bring back the citizens of Israel taken captive by Assyria and unite the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah in triumph over their regional enemies. He would rule justly and usher in an age of peace. The hopes of Judah, however, would have been dashed again when, a few years later, the Babylonian armies entered Judah, laid the city to waste, and put an end to the kingdom and the Davidic line of kings. Indeed, the Jerusalem temple was destroyed, the priesthood ceased to function, and a large portion of Jerusalem s population was carried off into exile. What about the promises God had made through Isaiah and Jeremiah? Where was God s faithfulness? What would become of God s people? None of it made any sense. Among those taken captive to Babylon was a man named Ezekiel, and God spoke through him, continuing the promise of a coming king. I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord (Ezekiel 34:22 24). Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Ezekiel 37:21 27).
Page 4 Daniel, another young Israelite who was taken captive in Babylon, spoke of God s establishing an everlasting kingdom that would rule the world. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44). I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13 14). And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him (Daniel 7:27). The foregoing passages serve as a sampling of some of the key Messianic passages of the Old Testament, that is, passages in which God promised a righteous king from the family of David who would reunite Israel and establish a kingdom of peace and justice that would be everlasting. Israel s Messianic Expectations Now, let s hit the fast-forward button. Judah returns from exile, but they are a people subject to Persia (530 331 BC). They escape the clutches of Persia only because the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered the Near East, including all of Persia s territories. Thus, the Jews became a people subject to Greece (336 164 BC). In 164 BC, the Jews gained their freedom from Greece, but only to find themselves in a constant state of civil conflict as competing groups vied for the throne they were hardly a viable, functioning nation. In 63 BC, their brief freedom ended as Rome took over the Near East, including the land of Israel. By the time Jesus was born, some 600 years had passed since Israel had been a viable nation and since David s descendants had occupied the throne. The glory days of David s reign were now 1000 years distant. The people were oppressed, beaten down, weary, and longing for God to step into their picture to make things right. Had Yahweh forgotten about them, dismissed them, abandoned them?
Page 5 Actually, although some had, perhaps, abandoned hope, many Israelites of the first century were anxiously expecting the Messiah to arrive in, or near, their lifetime. Their excitement was based largely on a prophecy in Daniel: Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place (Daniel 9:24). Seventy weeks equals 490 days, which the Jews interpreted as 490 years. While there was some discussion as to when the 490 days began, the general consensus was that the Messiah would come sometime around the first century. What did the Jews expect? Again, they expected a leader from David s line to reestablish Israel to its former glory. He would sit on David s throne, would rule from Jerusalem, and his kingdom would eventually expand to include the whole world. Such accomplishment would, of course, have to begin with an overthrow of the Roman government. Understand, this narrative was firmly fixed within the mind of every Israelite. It was the only narrative that made any sense to their understanding of history and God s redemptive plan. Jesus followers, including his apostles, were operating under this narrative. Understanding this overarching and pervading narrative helps explain a number of passages in the gospel accounts. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ 1, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man (Matthew 16:13 23). Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, What do you want? She said to him, Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at 11 The Greek word christos (Christ) means anointed, equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah.
Page 6 your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom. Jesus answered, You do not know what you are asking (Matthew 20:20 22). As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately (Luke 19:11). When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world! Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself (John 6:14 15). And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:10; Luke 19:38). Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword (Matthew 26:50 52). And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:4 6). Jesus teaching in the beatitudes, that the kingdom was available to the poor in spirit, the meek, the mournful, the peacemakers; Jesus teaching that the wealthy would have difficulty entering the kingdom; Jesus teaching that the greatest in the kingdom would be the servants; Jesus teaching that unless one humbled himself as a child he could not enter the kingdom virtually none of Jesus teaching regarding the kingdom would have made sense to the disciples at the time. They could not understand it; their Messianic narrative was too deeply imbedded in their thinking. We take for granted the concepts of a spiritual kingdom and a suffering Messiah; such concepts were not remotely conceivable by Jews of the first century. Indeed, the very reason Jesus was rejected Israel s leaders was that they could not conceive any possible way Jesus could be the Messiah pictured in the Old Testament.
Page 7 Other Significant Prophecies of a Coming Leader The Messianic prophecies we have looked at so far all dealt with the promise of a future Davidic king who would reunite Israel and usher in an everlasting world kingdom resulting in peace and prosperity. That was the core of Israel s Messianic hope. There were, however, many other prophecies in which God promised that he would send someone special for his people. The one who would crush the head of the serpent I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15). The one who would bring a blessing to all nations I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:3; cf. 18:18; 22:18) The great prophet who would be like Moses And the Lord said to [Moses] I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him (Deuteronomy 18:15 19). The suffering servant He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3 6). The high priest after the order of Melchizedek The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:1 4). The Israelites were not in agreement on whether these and dozens of other passages were references to the Messiah or to some other historical figure(s). Many such prophecies they
Page 8 simply regarded as unexplainable. For example, some were convinced that Jesus was the Prophet like Moses, but not that he was the Messiah (John 6:19; 7:52), showing that the people did not conceive that they could be one and the same. Some thought Jesus was the Elijah, fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi 4:5. The Ethiopian thought the Suffering Servant of Psalm 53 might be a reference to Isaiah himself, not connecting this prophecy to the Messiah (Acts 8:32 34). Jesus: The Messianic Reality We have only scratched the surface, but let s tie up some loose ends as we consider Jesus. There are many passages in the Old Testament in which God promises to raise up a descendant of David who would restore the glory of Israel and establish an everlasting, worldwide kingdom of peace and righteousness. These passages are clearly Messianic in the strictest sense of the word the coming of God s Anointed One. There are many passages in the Old Testament in which God promises to redeem his people, to establish a system in which righteousness would rule and the people would be brought into a vibrant relationship with him. There are many passages in the Old Testament in which God promises to bring salvation and blessing to all nations not just Israel and that the fount of this blessing would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There are many images and elements in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in Jesus: the sacrificial lamb, the manna (bread), the rock, the temple, the covenant, etc. There are many passages in the Old Testament which, in retrospect, obviously correspond to various aspects of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection: virgin birth, escape to Egypt, humility and suffering, entry into Jerusalem, betrayal, crucifixion, dividing his garments, resurrection. And there are many passages in the Old Testament which, in retrospect, obviously correspond to various aspects of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection. In a general sense, all these passages are called Messianic in the sense that they all point to Jesus and are fulfilled in him, the one who is the promised Anointed One. So who is Jesus? He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One of God. More than 500 times in the New Testament, the title Christ is applied to Jesus. The word Christ is not Jesus last name or surname; rather, it is a title that describes who he is. He is the fulfillment of all those passages in the Old Testament in which God promised to send someone special to Israel for the purpose of blessing all nations. He just did it in unexpected ways. Through his birth to Mary, Jesus was a descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:16).
Page 9 Being divine, Jesus was far greater than David and was, in fact, David s Lord (Psalm 110:1). Through his perfect life and in his willing death, Jesus voluntarily paid the penalty for sin in our place the innocent paid the price for the guilty (Psalm 53). Through the power of Jesus sacrificial death, God is justly able to offer the forgiveness of sins to humanity, bringing reconciliation and peace between heaven and earth (Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 53). As long as the earth lasts, Jesus will now reign as king over his followers, who are brought into God s kingdom on the basis of their being redeemed by Jesus blood. It is an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44; 7:23 24). Jesus kingdom is in the hearts of men and fosters goodness, kindness, peacefulness, faithfulness, and gentleness; thus bringing peace to the earth. Since Jesus kingdom is not limited by physical land boundaries, it can exist and grow on every continent of the earth, conquering sin and evil wherever it exists (Daniel 2:44). Since Jesus kingdom is not limited by nationality or race, it is able to unite all people, not just physical Israel, into a common family all yielding their faithful allegiance to the Father. In this way, all nations are blessed and all believers united (Genesis 12:3). Yes, Jesus is the Messiah, fulfilling every Messianic prophecy in wonderful, unexpected ways. As David wrote, anticipating the Messianic Kingdom: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:22 24). Looking at the Messiah s arrival from the viewpoint of heaven, John wrote these words: I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth (Revelation 5:4 6, 9 10; see also 22:16). Jesus is Israel s Messiah, but his mission was to bring blessing to all nations under a New Covenant of saving grace. In that sense, we can think of Jesus as the world s Messiah.