Messiah
Messiah : Literally, Messiah means "The Anointed (One)". Figuratively, anointing is done to signify being chosen for a task; so, Messiah means "The Chosen (One)", particularly someone divinely chosen.
In Jewish messianic tradition and eschatology, Messiah refers to a future King of Israel from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of united tribes of Israel and herald the Messianic Age.
Christian view
Christianity emerged in the 1st century AD as a movement among Jews and their Gentile converts who believed that Jesus is the Messiah; the very name of "Christian" refers to the Greek word for 'Messiah' (Khristos). Christians commonly refer to Jesus as either the "Christ" or the "Messiah;" in Christian theology the two words are synonymous.
Christians understand Jesus to be the Messiah that Jews were expecting ( John 1:41-42). The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus”. However, the Christian concept of the Christ/Messiah as "the Word made Flesh" is fundamentally different from the Jewish and Islamic ((Shafaat(helping the dead) 2003)) concepts because a majority of Christians believe Jesus claimed to be God (cf. John 10:37-38; 14:7-11; 17:5; 17:11 and the following):
- John 10:30 (NIV) I and the Father are one.
- John 10:33 (NIV) ."..you, a mere man, claim to be God..."
- John 14:9b (NIV) "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
Furthermore, the idea can also be looked at in such a manner: I am of/from my father, yet I am my own self. Just as Jesus was of/from God, yet He is His own self.
In Christian theology, the Christ/Messiah serves four main functions.
- He suffers and dies to make atonement before God for the sins of all humanity, because God's justice requires that sins be punished, according to Penal substitution theology. See for examples Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Psalm 22, which Christianity interprets as referring to Jesus.
- He serves as a living example of how God expects people to act.
- He will establish peace and rule the world for a long time. See Nicene Creeds of 325 and 381 A.D.; Revelation 20:4-6: "… They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 6 … they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." (see Millennialism).
- He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he came to earth as a human. John 1:1-2,14a: 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 2. He was with God in the beginning. 14a The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
In the New Testament, Jesus often referred to himself as ' Son of Man' ( Mark 14:61-62; Luke 22:66-70), which Christianity interprets as a reference to Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV):
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Because Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and that he claimed to be the Son of Man referred to by Daniel, Christianity interprets Daniel 7:13-14 as a statement of the Messiah's authority and that the Messiah will have an everlasting kingdom. Jesus' use of this title is seen as a direct claim to be the Messiah.
Some identified Jesus as the Messiah ( Mark 8:29) his opponents accused him of such a claim ( Luke 23:2), and he is recorded at least twice as asserting it himself directly ( Mark 14:60-62, John 4:25-26).
Christianity interprets a wide range of biblical passages in the Old Testament (Hebrew scripture) as predicting the coming of the Messiah and believes that they are following Jesus' own explicit teaching:
- He said to them..."Did not the Christ/Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24: 25-27, NIV)
- Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47, NIV).
- The book of Matthew repeatedly says, "This was to fulfill the prophecy…."
Christianity believes many of the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in the mission, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and seeks to spread throughout the world its interpretation that the Messiah is the only Saviour, and that Jesus will return to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy in human form.
