Messiah

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Christ and the Samaritan Woman by Annibale Carracci (1560–1609): Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah to a woman He met at a well in the town of Sychar in Samaria.

The term Messiah (Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ, Aramaic: מְשִׁיחָא) means “the anointed one.” In the Old Testament, it refers to the king or savior who will deliver Israel, and in the New Testament, it specifically refers to Jesus Christ. The Jews hoped that the prophesied Messiah would appear in glory and liberate them from Roman oppression. However, Jesus, who came as the true Messiah, appeared as an ordinary man and saved humanity from sin and death.

Etymology and Meaning

The term Messiah is a transliteration of the Aramaic Mesiha (מְשִׁיחָא), which corresponds to the Hebrew Mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ), meaning “the anointed one.” Mashiach is derived from the verb Mashach (מָשַׁח), which means “to anoint.”[1] The Greek translation of Messiah is Christ (Christos, Χριστός), which originates from the Greek verb Chrio (χρίω), meaning “to anoint.”[2]


The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

John 1:41


The Anointed One

The Anointing of David by Samuel by François-Léon Benouville (1821–1859)

To be anointed means to be consecrated by God for a special purpose. In the Old Testament, the term Messiah was commonly used to refer to a king, priest, or prophet who was anointed by God. These individuals served as the anointed one (Messiah) in their respective roles and times.

  • King
Anointing was performed when someone was appointed to the kingship. For example, Prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the king of Israel in obedience to God’s command.[3] Similarly, David, the second king of Israel, was anointed,[4] and Solomon was also anointed when he became king.[5]
  • Priest
Anointing was also a key ritual for appointing priests. Aaron and his sons are notable examples of priests who were anointed.[6][7] Priests were set apart to perform sacrifices and services in the sanctuary, and only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement.[8]
  • Prophet
Anointing occurred when a prophet was given his mission. For instance, Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha as his successor, following God's instruction.[9]

Prophecy of the Messiah

Prophet Daniel foretold that the anointed one (Messiah) would come, bringing an end to transgressions and sins.[10]


“. . . finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place . . . until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ ”

Daniel 9:24–25


This prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus,[11][12] who forgave the sins of mankind through the truth of the New Covenant. God appointed symbolic figures representing the Messiah in the roles of king, priest, and prophet to help people recognize Jesus as the Messiah through their works.

  • A King Like David
Prophet Isaiah foretold that God, born as a child, would sit on David’s throne as the Prince of Peace, ruling with justice and righteousness forever.[13] According to this prophecy, Jesus sat on the spiritual throne of David.[14] Just as David was anointed at the age of 30 to begin his reign, Jesus received His spiritual anointing through baptism at the age of 30, leading the kingdom of the gospel.[15][16]
  • A Priest Like Melchizedek
In the Old Testament, Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God, blessed Abraham through bread and wine.[17] Unlike other priests who offered animal sacrifices, Melchizedek used bread and wine. Similarly, in the New Testament, while Jewish priests offered lambs or goats during the Passover, Jesus blessed through the bread and wine of the Passover, granting eternal life.[18][11] Therefore, the Bible refers to Jesus as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.[19][20] Melchizedek was a symbolic figure representing Jesus, the Messiah.
  • A Prophet Like Moses
God appointed Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Under Moses' leadership, the Israelites celebrated the Passover, which protected them from the plague that killed the firstborn and led to their liberation from Egypt.[21] Jesus came as a prophet like Moses.[22][23] The redemption work accomplished through Moses foreshadowed Jesus' work of saving humanity from the slavery of sin and death through the New Covenant Passover.[24][25][11]

Expectations and Reality of the Messiah

Political Messiah Awaited by the Jews

The Jews, having experienced the division and fall of the Kingdom of Israel and numerous invasions and dominations by foreign nations, longed for a powerful Messiah who would rescue them from their desperate situation. At the time of Jesus' birth, the Jews were oppressed by Rome, burdened with heavy taxes, and lived under difficult conditions of colonial rule.[26] Therefore, they hoped for a Messiah like King David, who would deliver them from Roman domination and establish a powerful nation.

“ “Most Jews thought the Messiah would be a political liberator, driving the Romans out of the Jews’ homeland.” “
— “Rome,” Everyday Biblical Literacy by J. Steven Lang, translated by Nam Gyeong-tae, 2007

The Jews hoped for a political Messiah who would wield power and glory to rule over all nations. This belief was also held by the disciples who followed Jesus. After Jesus' resurrection, when He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in a different form, they did not recognize Him and said, “We had hoped that he [Jesus] was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”[27] Even on the day of Jesus’ ascension, some of the disciples asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”[28]

Jesus, the Messiah Who Saved Humanity From Sin

Jesus liberated humanity from death through His sacrifice on the cross.

Contrary to the expectations of the Jews, the Messiah appeared in a very ordinary manner. His purpose was not the physical liberation of the Jews but the spiritual liberation and salvation of all humanity.[29][30][11] Every person had become enslaved to death because of sin.[31][25] To save humanity, which could not free itself from sin by its own efforts, God Himself came as the Messiah.[32][33] He took upon Himself all the sins of humanity and sacrificed Himself on the cross.[34][35] Although the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and rejected Him, Jesus was indeed the true Messiah who liberated humanity from the slavery of sin and death.


“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21


See also

References

  1. ↑ 4899. mashiach, Bible Hub
  2. ↑ 5547. Christos, Bible Hub
  3. ↑ "1 Samuel 10:1".
  4. ↑ "2 Samuel 5:3".
  5. ↑ "1 Kings 1:39".
  6. ↑ "Exodus 40:13".
  7. ↑ "Exodus 28:41".
  8. ↑ "Hebrews 9:7".
  9. ↑ "1 Kings 19:16".
  10. ↑ Daniel 9 :: King James Version (KJV), Blue Letter Bible
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Matthew 26:26–28".
  12. ↑ "Luke 22:19–20".
  13. ↑ "Isaiah 9:6–7".
  14. ↑ "Luke 1:31–32".
  15. ↑ "2 Samuel 5:3–4".
  16. ↑ "Luke 3:21–23".
  17. ↑ "Genesis 14:18–19".
  18. ↑ Chapter 17 The Order of Melchizedek, THE MYSTERY OF GOD AND THE SPRING OF THE WATER OF LIFE, Ahnsahnghong, pg. 253, Melchizedek Pub. Co., Ltd
  19. ↑ "Hebrews 5:8–10".
  20. ↑ "Hebrews 4:14".
  21. ↑ "Exodus 12:1–42".
  22. ↑ "Deuteronomy 18:17–18".
  23. ↑ "Acts 3:20–22".
  24. ↑ "John 8:32–34".
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Romans 6:23".
  26. ↑ Poverty in the first-century Galilee, Sakari Häkkinen, HTS Theological Studies, 2016, Herv. teol. stud., 72(4)
  27. ↑ "Luke 24:21".
  28. ↑ "Acts 1:6".
  29. ↑ "John 3:16".
  30. ↑ "John 6:47–54".
  31. ↑ "Romans 5:12".
  32. ↑ "Daniel 9:24".
  33. ↑ "Matthew 1:21".
  34. ↑ "John 1:29".
  35. ↑ "1 Corinthians 5:7".
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