Jewish and New Testament Messiahship Expectations Compared
The concept of the Messiah, derived from the Hebrew Mashiach meaning "anointed," is central to both Jewish and New Testament expectations, though their interpretations diverge significantly [1, 2]. In its earliest sense, "Messiah" applied to anyone consecrated with holy oil, including Israelite kings, priests, and prophets [1, 2]. However, the term evolved to refer to a specific future deliverer, a prince who would fulfill God's purposes for Israel and redeem them [1].
Old Testament prophecies fostered a widespread Jewish expectation of a great Redeemer who would serve as Prophet, Priest, and King [4]. This figure was anticipated to liberate the Jewish people from their suffering, establish a kingdom that would ultimately encompass all earthly realms, and bring supreme happiness and blessing to his followers [4]. The Jewish people looked forward to the Messiah's coming, believing he would raise the faithful from the dead and usher in a glorious reign [8]. This expectation included a belief that the Messiah would bring both spiritual leadership and political redemption to Israel [6]. Some Jews also anticipated specific forerunners, such as Elijah, before the Messiah's arrival [9, 11].
The New Testament presents Jesus as this long-awaited Messiah, or Christ (the Greek equivalent of Mashiach) [1, 2]. However, the New Testament's portrayal of Messiahship often contrasted with prevailing Jewish expectations. While many Jews looked for a Messiah who would establish an earthly kingdom of splendor and worldly grandeur, the New Testament emphasizes a spiritualized understanding of the kingdom [7]. The New Testament also highlights Jesus' role in delivering people from their sins, a spiritual salvation that differed from a purely political or nationalistic redemption [4].
The apostles, following Jesus' teachings, believed in a second, visible, and glorious coming of Christ, which would be accompanied by a general resurrection, final judgment, and the end of the world [5]. This eschatological focus on a future return and spiritual transformation diverged from the more immediate, earthly kingdom many Jews anticipated [5, 7]. The New Testament also records instances where Jesus was not immediately recognized as the Messiah, with some mistaking him for John the Baptist, Elijah, or another prophet [9]. The rejection of Jesus by many Jews, to whom he first came, was a significant point of divergence, as they had expected the Messiah to be received by his own people [10]. The New Testament, therefore, reinterprets and fulfills Old Testament messianic prophecies in a way that emphasizes spiritual redemption and a future, ultimate kingdom, rather than solely a present, earthly one [3, 4].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Messiah — (anointed). This word (Mashiach) answers to the word Christ (Christos) in the New Testament, and is applicable in its first sense to any one anointed with the holy oil. The kings of Israel were called anointed, from the mode of their consecration. (1 Samuel 2:10,35; 12:3,5) etc. This word also refers to the expected Prince of the chosen people who was to complete God's purposes for them and to redeem them, and of whose coming the prophets of the old covenant in all time spoke. He was the Messiah, the Anointed, i.e. consecrated as the king and prophet by God'”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Messiah — (Heb. mashiah), in all the thirty-nine instances of its occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the LXX. "Christos." It means anointed. Thus priests (Ex. 28:41; 40:15; Num. 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Sam. 9:16; 16:3; 2 Sam. 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices. The great Messiah is anointed "above his fellows" (Ps. 45:7); i.e., he embraces in himself all the three offices. The Greek form "Messias" is only twice used in the New Testament, in John 1:41 and 4:25 (R.V., "Messiah"), and in the Old ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — (Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See [438]TESTAMENT.)”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 84: Christ, the Old Testament prophecies rendered it certain that a great Redeemer was to appear; that He was to be a Prophet, Priest, and King; that He would deliver his people from their sins, and from the evils under which they groaned; that He was to establish a kingdom which should ultimately absorb all the kingdoms on earth; and that He would render all his people supremely happy and blessed. These predictions had the effect of turning the minds of the whole Jewish nation to the future, in confident expectation that the Deliverer would ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 86: the whole drift of the New Testament, it is plain, (1.) That the Apostles fully believed that there is to be a second coming of Christ. (2.) That his coming is to be in person, visible and glorious. (3.) That they kept this great event constantly before their own minds, and urged it on the attention of the people, as a motive to patience, constancy, joy, and holy living. (4.) That the Apostles believed that the second advent of Christ would be attended by the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the end of the world. As already i”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 1:20: 1:20 The Jews expected the Messiah (the Hebrew form of the Greek word Christ) to bring spiritual leadership and political redemption to Israel (see Deut 18:15; see also the Jewish intertestamental book Psalms of Solomon).”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 78: from the Gospel, and substituting Judaism, somewhat spiritualized, but still essentially Judaic. It is notorious that the Jewish doctrines of the merit of works; of the necessity and saving efficacy of external rites; of a visible kingdom of Christ of splendour and worldly grandeur; of an external church out of whose pale there is no salvation; of the priestly character of the ministry; and of a church hierarchy, soon began to spread among Christians, and at last became ascendant. This being the case it would be strange if the Jewish doct”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 78: § 3. Patristic Doctrine of the Intermediate State. Although the true doctrine concerning the state of the dead was, as has been shown, revealed in the Old Testament, it was more or less perverted in the minds of the people. The prevalent idea was that all souls after death descended into Sheol, and there remained in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. When He came it was expected that the Jews, or at least, the faithful, 734 would be raised from the dead, and made partakers of all the glories and blessedness of the Messiah’s reign. ”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 16:14: 16:14 Some, such as Herod Antipas (14:1-2), thought Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected. • Elijah was expected as a forerunner to the Messiah (11:14; 17:10-12; Mal 3:1; 4:5-6). • Jeremiah or one of the other prophets: Some Jews expected Jeremiah to be raised (see 2 Maccabees 15:13-16). Jesus’ strong stand on sensitive matters (Matt 5:17; 15:1-20) may have led some to think Jesus was Jeremiah. Jesus was not yet understood as God’s Messiah.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP L. -- HIS REJECTION BY THE JEWS.: "But what I say is this: It was to be expected that Christ should be received by the Jews, to whom He came, and that they should believe on Him who was expected for the salvation of the people, according to the traditions of the fathers; but that the Gentiles should be averse to Him, since neither promise nor announcement concerning Him had been made to them, and indeed he had never been made known to them even by name. Yet the prophets, contrary to the order and sequence of things, ”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 1:21: Art thou Elias? - The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. See Mat 17:10; and this belief of theirs they supported by a literal construction of Mal 4:5. Art thou that prophet? - the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deu 18:15, Deu 18:18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Act 3:22. But the Jews had a tradition that Jeremiah was to return to life, and restore the pot of manna, the ark of the covenant, etc., which he had hidden that the Babylonians ”