Messianic Expectations in The New Testament

Messianic Expectations in the
New Testament
What Role Did the First Christians
Assign to Jesus?
Messianic Expectations in the Scrolls
• The Righteous One / the Messenger (Malachi)–
the prophet promised by Moses would prepare the
people for the end times as the first sign.
• The Prince of Light – the Davidic king who would
lead the sons of light in the final battle and
establish the Kingdom of God.
• The Priestly Messiah – the Interpreter of the Law
– a co-leader who would purify the altar of God.
• The Prince of Heaven –Enoch / Melchizedek as
the Son of Man would be the final judge.
Another Popular Messianic Template
• A family of righteous warriors (like the
Maccabees) would drive out the Romans
and restore the nation to greatness.
• In Jesus’ day, Simon the Galilean and
Judas, a renegade Pharisee, began the
rebellious zealot movement continued by
his sons and grandsons under the slogan,
“No kingdom but God’s, no LORD but
Yahweh.”
Other Messiahs (Deliverers)
• A foreign king, similar to Cyrus the Great
of Persia (Isaiah 45: 1), would help the Jews
regain their independence.
• “Lord of the Sabbath:” A righteous leader
would restore the Jewish tradition of a
Jubilee Year – every 50th year debts were
forgiven (usufruct), slaves released, and
farm land was returned to its original
owners. 35-36 A.D. was the Jubilee Year.
Is Jesus Really the Kingly Messiah of
Christian Orthodoxy?
• Paul (Romans 15: 12), Luke, Matthew and
His family claim He had a Davidic heritage.
• In Mark, others call Him “son of David,”
but He never accepts the title for Himself.
• In a world in which there were numerous
claimants to the traditional messianic titles,
Jesus never referred to Himself a/the “Son
of David” or as “King of the Jews.”
Jesus as the Priestly Messiah -- a “priest
forever, after the order of Melchizedek”
See Hebrews 7:1 – 10: 25
- Melchizedek means “King of righteousness.”
- Melchizedek is not a Jew but a “son of God.”
- Jesus has “become a priest, not according to a
legal requirement . . . but by the power of an
indestructible life.”
- “But when he (Jesus) had offered (himself) for all
time as a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at
the right hand of God . . . .”
The Timing of the End of Days
And this thing [the return of Melchizedek] will occur
in the first week of the Jubilee that follows nine
Jubilees. And the Day of Atonement is the end of
the tenth Jubilee, when all the Sons of Light and the
men of the lot of Melchizedek will be atoned for
[and rewarded] . . . For this is the moment of the
Year of Grace for Melchizedek. And he will, by his
strength, judge the holy ones of God, executing
judgment as it is written in the Psalms of David. . .
And your Elohim is Melchizedek, who will save
them from the hand of Belial. Scroll 11 Q 13
Who is the Messianic Messenger –
Jesus or John the Baptist?
• Luke 1: 76-79: Zechariah’s Blessing of John:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the
Most High; for you will go before the Lord to
prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation
to his people in the forgiveness of their sins….”
• Although Christian orthodoxy says John was the
Messenger, there are hints in the gospels that the
first Christians assigned this role to Jesus, who,
like Elijah, was a wonder-working prophet from
Galilee.
In John, Jesus is the Mosaic Prophet, the
Messenger of the New Covenant
She (Samaritan woman at the well) said, “Sir, I
perceive that you are a/the prophet . . . .”
Jesus said to her,” Woman, believe me . . . the hour
is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth . . . .
God is spirit . . . .” The woman said to him, “I
know that [the] Messiah is coming; when he
comes, he will show us all things.” Jesus said to
her, “I who speak to you am he.” John 4: 19-26
Jesus as the Mosaic Prophet in one of the
earliest Resurrection Stories
Luke 24: 18-21: (the Road to Emmaus Story)
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who
does not know the things that happened in
these days . . . Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, who was a great prophet mighty
in deed and word before God and all the
people? . . . We had hoped that he was the
one to redeem Israel.”
Jesus as the Righteous One, the Prophet
• Peter: “But you denied the Holy and Righteous

One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to
you . . . ” Acts 3: 14
• Stephen to the Sanhedrin: “You are a stiff-necked
people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you
always resist the Holy Spirit. Which of the
prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they
killed those who announced beforehand the
coming of the Righteous One, whom you have
betrayed and murdered . . . .” Acts 7: 51-54
Jesus as Elijah, the Messenger of the
New Covenant
And this is the testimony of John (the Baptist), when
[asked], “Who are you?” He confessed . . . , “I am
not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then?
Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are You
the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” They said,
“Who are you . . .?” He said, “I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, ’Make straight the
way of the Lord . . . .’ ” John 1: 19-23
-- John is waiting for the return of Elijah at the spot
where he ascended into Heaven.
The Adoptionist Theology of the Scrolls
applied to the New Testament
• Luke 3: 22: Jesus has a vision of heavenly
acceptance at his baptism by John: “This is
my beloved son with whom I am well
pleased (// Psalm 2:3).”
• In John, it is the Baptist who has the vision
of Jesus as the “lamb of God”-- “God’s kid”
• Jews had no concept of a corporeal god who
could enter into a union with a woman –
that was a pagan ideal for heroic origin.
The Theology of the Gospel of John:
• The Holy Spirit, not Jesus, was the
messianic force of history – the heavenly
Adonai that would come to earth to rule.
• Jesus was the Righteous One, the end time
prophet of God’s word whose role was to
prepare the way for the coming of the Holy
Spirit. His suffering was a necessary part of
the birth pangs of the Spirit.
What Role Did Jesus Expect?
• Mark 8: 31: “And he began to teach them that the Son of
Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed . . .”
• Mark 9: 12: “the Son of man should suffer many things
and be treated with contempt.”
• Mark 9: 31: “the Son of Man will be delivered into the
hands of men and they will kill him . . . .”
• Mark 10: 33: “Behold, we are going to Jerusalem; and the
Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the
scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver
him to the Gentiles, and they will mock him . . . .”
• Mark 10: 45: “For the Son of man also came . . . to give
his life as a ransom for many.”
Messianic Expectations (continued)
• Matthew 11: 2-6. “Are you the one who is
to come, or shall we look for another?”
• Mark 8: 27: “Who do men say that I am?” .
. . John the Baptist . . . Elijah . . . One of the
prophets. . . But who do you say that I am?”
• Mark 14: 61-62. “Are you the Christ, the
son of God?” Jesus answered . . . “Hereafter
you will see the Son of man seated at the
right hand of power.”
• (Stephen said) “Behold I see the heavens
open and the Son of man standing at the
right hand of God.”
Jesus as “a/the Son of Man”
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come
for the Son of man to be glorified . . . .” The
crowd answered him, “We have heard from the
law that the Messiah remains forever. How
can you say that the Son of man must be lifted
up? Who is this Son of man?” John 12: 23-34
--Paul (1 Cor. 15:3) says that Jesus “died for our
sins according to the scriptures.” Where is it
written that a/the Messiah must die?”
The scriptural test of the Righteous One
Let us lie in wait for the Righteous One . . . Because
he opposes our actions . . . He professes to have
knowledge of God and calls himself a child of the
Lord. . . And boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what
will happen at the end of his life; for if the
Righteous One is [truly] God’s son, the Lord will
help him, and deliver him from the hands of his
adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture,
that we may find out how gentle he is, and make a
trial of his forbearance.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for
according to what he says, he will be protected.
Wisdom of Solomon 2: 12-20
The End of the Righteous One
Isaiah 53: “He was despised and rejected by

men . . . Surely he has borne our griefs . . .
Yet it was the will of the Lord to . . . put
him to grief . . . . When he makes himself an
offering for sin . . . the will of the Lord will
prosper in his hand . . . . By his knowledge
shall the Righteous One, my servant, make
so many to be accounted righteous; and he
shall bear their iniquities.”
Is Calling Himself a/the “Son of Man”
really a messianic or apocalyptic claim?
• “Son of man” is the name used by the prophet
Ezekiel when he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
• “Son of man (bar Nasha)” literally means “son of
Adam.” It is a term used often in the OT for
mankind – i.e., non Jews (the sons of Abraham).
• It was also a derogatory term for a mamzer – one
conceived out of wedlock and thus forbidden to
marry, own property, or worship in the Temple –
Was Jesus an outcast in Jewish society who was
forced to find God on his own?
All 4 Gospels contend with problems
regarding Jesus’ origin:
• Matthew and Luke disguise the out-of-
wedlock charge as divine intervention.
• Mark 6: 3: “Is this not . . . the son of Mary?”
• John 8: 30 – 42: The Jews replied, “We are
Abraham’s descendants . . . Abraham is our
father . . . We are not base-born . . . .”
• John 8: 48: The Jews answered him, “Are
we not right in saying that you are a
Samaritan (mix breed) and have a demon?”
“I am not possessed,” Jesus replied . . . .

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Messianic Expectations in the

• Peter: “But you denied the Holy and Righteous

Isaiah 53: “He was despised and rejected by

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