THIS JESUS
Martyr, Lord, Messiah
MARKUS BOCKMUEHLContents
Prec .
|ANote on Abbreviations,
Introduction: Which Js?
Sources forthe Historical ess
Evidence for Jesus Ossi in New Testament
"The Gowpele~ What Di Jesus Really Say and
Det
“Te eae fey and ibe Cio Fat
(Chaper One: Where Did Jus Core From?
eden Jaden
“oe iho ess,
The lpn Eayp
ears,
The Cid a esas
pera.
Chapter Twos Was Jr the Mesa?
The Messane Hope in Ancient uals,
The Term Mess
Royal Theclogy|
‘The Hoof Dai.
Kingdon snd Redes.
istCenury Mesias
‘Was Jeni the Mess?
36
7
2
8
‘stChapter Two
Was Jesus the Messiah?
Since the very beplaning of the Church, perhaps the most
oundstional Christin bel about Jesus has been tht e was
the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures, the rdeener
figure appointed by God to liberate Israel from servitude snd
sin. In the account of the eariest Christan sermon ever
reached, the Apotle Peter sys this about an Old Testament
Prophecy:
David spoke ofthe resurecton ofthe Messiah,
‘ying, He was not sundoned to Hades, ord
hie eh experience compton.” This Jsos God
raed up an of that al of are wes,
eaity that Cod bat tae hin bos Lod snd
Mosh this Hus whom you cused. (Acs
231.36)
‘But was Jesus really that promised Messi? On what basis
‘ould we decide? And if he was, what does that mesa? Why
id some Jews think that be was, and oer that he was no?
“These are some ofthe questions I woud like to discuss inthis
chapter. Tahal begin With a survey of who the Messiah was
expected 0 be in the Old Testament and in fi-ceairy
Judaism, followed by an evaluation of wheter and how esas
me those expectations,
‘The Messianic Hope in Ancient Judaism
Hope forthe uma salvation of Ire! was almost universal in
ancient faism, although it took many diferent forms. twas
‘ot always and everywhere connected with one redeming igure
a
War Jeu the Mestah? 6
‘alled the Messiah, Nor was thee an identifiable onodox
fgsem of beliefs by which one could measure deviation ot
rafrmiy. Some scholars, indeed, have taken to speaking of
Gada as beter way to rect this diversi, alhovgh
hers sail prefer to highligh abasic “common” st of praciee
Ad beliefs at undedying al or mos ofthe diferent manifest
fone of ads, But be that a ic may: as long as we allow for
‘rasidenble vation and breadth of definition, the following
ele oie may serve to capture something ofthe nature of
tacient Jovish Messianic expecatons (along with Jewish
Sehaology inthe wider sens)
‘The Term "Messiah"
The teem "Messiah ite derives from the Hebrew word
mathiok which iterally mens robbed wit i”. This ter, a
English usualy rendered “amined, and in Greek lrios
(oence the name "Christ, denotes a ital action sed 0