The word “Messiah” is one of those religious words which we connect to Jesus, but far too many of us don’t really know why.  In order to have a good grasp on what this important word means we must try and understand what it meant to the Jews.

In the Old Testament this word is used more than thirty times to describe kings and priests. It was applied to King David as a model for the final Messiah who would come at the end of the age. Psalm 2:2 says, “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his ‘Anointed One’ (Messiah).” David was the king in view when this was written, but it ultimately pointed to Jesus.

The common expectation of the Jews was God’s Messiah would be a political, military ruler who would throw off all foreign oppressors. Jesus, however, never aligned his Messiahship with common thought. He knew God’s desire was for him to be a spiritual, not a political, deliverer. At his arrest he said in John 19:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

That kingdom was a kingdom born from suffering. In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus applied Isaiah 61:1-2 to himself when he said the Spirit of the LORD was upon him and had anointed (Messiah) him to preach, heal, and deliver. This he accomplished first because of who he was, and secondly by what he did. As both God and man Jesus was the only person in history who could ever fully be God’s Messiah. As the one whose life was lived in perfect conformation with God’s will, and who subsequently was sacrificed as God’s lamb on Calvary’s cross, he was able to permanently take away our sin.

While the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, Luke 4:41 tells us that demons knew he was the “Christ” (Messiah) of God. The idea of Jesus being God’s Messiah has always divided people. For some he is a “stumbling block” while to others he is the “power and wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).  The Bible testifies clearly that Jesus is God’s one and only Messiah.

Dana Arledge, Kevin Farmer, Phil Meade