Jesus: Messiah

     "And to Jerusalem thy city return with compassion," a Jewish prayer requests, "and dwell therein as thou hast promised; and rebuild her speedily in our days, a structure everlasting; and the throne of David speedily establish therein.  Blessed be thou, O Lord, the builder of Jerusalem.
     "The offspring of David thy servant speedily cause to flourish, and let his horn be exalted in thy salvation.  For salvation do we hope daily.  Blessed art thou, O God, who causest the horn of salvation to flourish."
     Still today the Jewish religion is looking for the One who was awaited two thousand years ago: the Messiah.
     The word, "Messiah," simply means, "the anointed one."  In the Old Testament those who were anointed included the prophets, the priests and the kings.  But the Israelites were looking for someone greater than the prophets, priests and kings who had led them.  They were looking for someone with certain characteristics.
     For the Jews the Messiah, or the Christ, was associated with a promise made to them; a promise dealing with the covenant relationship between themselves and God.  Through the Messiah, the destiny of the nation would be fulfilled.  This often involved placing a descendant of David on the throne.
     "'Behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord," Jeremiah 23:5-6 prophesies, "'when I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.
     "'In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, "The Lord our righteousness."'"
     This association of the Messiah with the covenant relationship between the Jews and God is a common theme among the prophets, including Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Micah and Zechariah.  But perhaps the best-known passage dealing with this promise is found in the ninth chapter of Isaiah.
     "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light;" the prophet foretells in verses 2-7, "those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.
     "Thou shalt multiply the nation, Thou shalt increase their gladness; they will be glad in Thy presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
     "For Thou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
     "For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
     "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
     "There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then and forevermore.
     "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this."
     A second expectation which was linked to the Messiah was that He would lead Israel to victory over the nations.  Ezekiel 38:14-39:16 and Zechariah chapter 14 are two of the passages which prophesy of this.
     The Jews also associated the coming of the Messiah with an ingathering of the Israelites who had been scattered throughout foreign countries.
     "Then it will happen on that day," Isaiah 11:11-12 promises, "that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
     "And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."
     Another expectation with the coming of the Messiah was the building of a new Jerusalem.
     "And foreigners will build up your walls," Isaiah 60:10-11 states, "and their kings will minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you, and in My favor I have had compassion on you.
     "And your gates will be open continually; they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession."
     "The glory of Lebanon will come to you," verse 13 continues, "the juniper, the box tree, and the cypress together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I shall make the place of My feet glorious."
     "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated with no one passing through," verse 15 adds, "I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from generation to generation."
     The Jews associated the coming of the Messiah with fulfilling the destiny of the nation through their covenant relationship with God, with their being victorious over the nations, with the ingathering of Israelites from around the world, and with the establishment of a new Jerusalem.  There are some additional facts, however, which the Jews recognized but did not emphasize as much as the others.  

     One fact which is made clear in the Old Testament is that the relationship between God and the Jews was conditional upon their obedience to Him.  This is especially true of the land promises.
     "Only be strong and very courageous," God warns in Joshua 1:7-8, "to be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
     "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."
     "And it shall come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you," the people are reminded in Joshua 23:15-16, "so the Lord will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
     "When you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you."
     Another fact which is made clear in the Old Testament is that all nations would be blessed through the Messiah.
     "In the last days," Isaiah 2:2-3 prophesies, "the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.
     "And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths, for the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.'"
     "Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," Isaiah 57:19 promises.  In the very first Gospel sermon, delivered by Peter on the day of Pentecost, reference is made to God's calling of those who are far off.  Paul explains in Ephesians 2:11-22 that this is referring to the Gentiles.  So the Messiah is to bless all nations and not just the Israelites.
     As the Jews expected, the coming of the Messiah was associated with the covenant relationship between God and Israel.  But what they did not understand was that this relationship would involve spiritual, and not physical Israel.  Paul points out in Galatians 3:14-29 that God's covenant is with the spiritual heirs of Abraham through the Christ.
     As the Jews expected, the Messiah would bring victory.  But this victory was to be spiritual triumph over death instead of military dominion over other countries.  Romans 8:28-39 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 both describe the victory which is won through the Messiah.
     As the Jews expected, the Messiah would gather the Israelites scattered among the nations.  But this was to involve spiritual, and not physical Israel as we notice in Romans 2:28-29 and 9:6-8.
     As the Jews expected, the Messiah would establish a new Jerusalem.  But this new city was to be spiritual and not physical.
     "But you have come to Mount Zion," Hebrews 12:22-23 claims, "and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect."
     Revelation 21:1-4 gives us a picture of the new Jerusalem.
     There is one more expectation of the Jews in connection with the coming of the Messiah.  The Christ was associated with the day of the Lord, the judgment.
     In 2 Peter 3:9-13 we read of the inevitable day of judgment.  Hebrews 9:27 plainly states that we will all die and that we will all face the judgment.
     "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth," Hebrews 10:26-31 cautions, "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.
     "Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
     "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.'  And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.'
     "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
     According to this passage, the day of judgment will be terrifying for those who go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth.
     Our only hope is to accept the truth and be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)