Lesson summary
One page: key verse, five things to remember, the comparison chart, and a reflection question.
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Stop 4 · Messiah Lookout
The Messiah's Job Description
What the Hebrew prophets said the Messiah will actually do.
Step 1 of 4 · about 5 min left
What does “Messiah” mean?
Messiah comes from the Hebrew , meaning “anointed one.” In the Bible, people were anointed with oil when God appointed them to a special role.
Who is called “anointed” in the Hebrew Bible?
Kings
David calls King Saul “the LORD's anointed.”
1 Samuel 24:6Priests
The High Priest is “the anointed priest.”
Leviticus 4:3Cyrus
Even a Persian king is called God's anointed.
Isaiah 45:1So in Judaism, the Messiah is a human king from the family of David, anointed to lead Israel into an age of peace.
The job description
What the prophets say the Messiah will do
Still waiting: 0 of 6- Descend from King David through Solomon, on his father's side2 Sam. 7:12–14; 1 Chron. 22:9–10Still waiting
- Rebuild the Holy Temple in JerusalemEzekiel 37:26–28Still waiting
- Gather the Jewish people back to the Land of IsraelIsaiah 43:5–6; 11:12Still waiting
- Bring world peace and end war foreverIsaiah 2:4Still waiting
- Lead the whole world to know the one GodZechariah 14:9; Isaiah 11:9Still waiting
- Lead Israel in keeping the TorahEzekiel 37:24Still waiting
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Isaiah 2:4The Christian view
Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Messiah. Christians point to prophecies they see fulfilled in his life, death, and resurrection. They believe Jesus came first to save people from sin, and will return in a to finish the rest: to bring peace, judge the world, and reign as king.
Side by side: The Messiah
5 comparisonsTopic Judaism Christianity Who is he? A future human king from David's family Jesus of Nazareth Is he divine? No. A human leader, chosen by God Yes. God the Son Main mission Peace, the exiles' return, the Temple, knowledge of God To save people from sin, then return to bring peace How many comings? One. He completes the job Two. First to save, then to reign How will we know? The job gets done, for all to see By faith in the Gospels' testimony The Jewish response
Judaism notes that the Hebrew Bible never describes a Messiah who arrives, dies, and must come back later to finish the work. In Jewish thought, the Messiah is known by what he accomplishes.
The great sage Maimonides wrote that if a leader from David's line rebuilds the Temple and gathers Israel's exiles, then he is certainly the Messiah. Until that happens, the world is still waiting, and still hoping.
Did you know?
For nearly 2,000 years, Jews have prayed three times a day for the Messiah. One blessing of the daily Amidah prayer asks God to make “the offspring of David” flourish again.
Pause and ponder
If the Messiah came today, what would you expect to see first from the job description?
Five things to remember
- Mashiach means “anointed one.” Kings, priests, and even Cyrus of Persia are called anointed.
- The Jewish Messiah is a human king from David's family, not a divine being.
- His job: rebuild the Temple, gather the exiles, bring world peace, and spread knowledge of God.
- Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Messiah and will finish the work at a second coming.
- Judaism says the Messiah is recognized by finishing the job, for everyone to see.
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Coloring page
“Swords into Plowshares”: a large picture to color, with the key verse.
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