Messiah

Messiah literally means "anointed one" in Hebrew. It was the name given to the Deliverer promised by God the Old Testament who would someday come to the people of Israel, deliver them from their oppressors, and set up an earthly kingdom centered around them. This was still the expectation when the New Testament begins. The Jewish people were long awaiting the Messiah to deliver them from the rule of the Roman Empire. It was during this messianic fervor that Jesus was born. Jesus would go on to fulfill all the prophesies of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah and was soon recognized as the Messiah and Christ by many. Jesus is the Messiah prophesied about hundreds of years before in the Old Testament. Although Jesus did not establish an earthly kingdom as expected by the Jewish people of his day He did establish and eternal kingdom.

Messianic Prophecies
Genesis 3:15

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

The Messiah will be an offspring of Eve. This verse is God speaking to Satan and explains that the Messiah will be wounded by him but ultimately the Messiah will crush Satan. This was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross but defeated sin by raising from the dead.

Genesis 12:3, 18:18

"I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

"...seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham. As Jesus was born a Jew of the line of David this was easily fulfilled.

Genesis 49:10

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

The Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah. In the genealogies given by both Matthew and Luke, Jesus is from the tribe of Judah.

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

''“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him."''

The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses. Peter says in the book of Acts that Jesus was that very prophet spoken of over a thousand years before.

Psalm 2:7

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you."

The Messiah will be the Son of God. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God proclaimed Jesus as His beloved Son.

Psalm 16:10-11

''For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.''

The Messiah will be raised from the dead. After Jesus was crucified he was raised from the dead on the third day.

Psalm 22:7

All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

The Messiah will be mocked. When Jesus was arrested he was brought before King Herod and his solders. They draped him in expensive clothing and mocked him. When Jesus was being crucified, the rulers and soldiers mocked Him challenging Him to save Himself.

Psalm 22:16

For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet

The Messiah will have his hands and feet pierced. Jesus was put to death using crucifixion.

Psalm 22:18

They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

The Messiah's clothes will be gambled for. When Jesus was being crucified the soldiers gambled over his clothes.

Psalm 34:20

He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

The Messiah's bones will not be broken. This is unusual considering dead by crucifixion. To insure dead by the end of the day the soldiers would break the legs of the subject so they could no longer push up with their legs to breath. This did not happen with Jesus as he was already dead by that time.

Psalm 35:11

Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.

The Messiah will be falsely accused. When Jesus was on trial before the High Priest, many people were gathered to give false witness against him.

Psalm 41:9

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

The Messiah will be betrayed by a close friend. Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot who was one of His disciples.

Psalm 69:21

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

The Messiah will be given sour wine to drink. Jesus, while on the cross, was offered wine mixed with myrrh that made it sour.

Psalm 118:22-23

''The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.''

The Messiah will be "the stone that the builders rejected" but will become the "cornerstone." Jesus quoted this verse about himself during his earthly ministry. Luke also writes that this Psalm was a reference to Jesus because Jesus is the foundation to a right relationship with God the Father even though he was rejected by his own people; the Jews.

Isaiah 7:14

''Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.''

The Messiah will be born of a virgin. Mary, Jesus' mother, was a virgin and became pregnant when the Holy Spirit came upon her.

Isaiah 35:5-6

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

The Messiah will heal the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute. During the ministry of Jesus many were healed, including the blind, deaf, lame, and mute.

Isaiah 53:5-9

''But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.''

The Messiah will be pierced and killed. Jesus was put to death by crucifixion.

Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Zechariah 9:9

''Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.''

The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey as the crowds cheered.

Zechariah 11:12-13

''Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.''

The Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Judas was paid 30 silver pieces for betraying Jesus.

Zechariah 13:7

''“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones."''

The Messiah will be deserted by his disciples. When Jesus was arrested His disciples left him.