Why did the early Christians think Jesus was the Messiah?

with Dr Andrew Boakye

In this episode we think about what belief in the Messiah looked like amongst Jews in the first and second centuries, and why the first Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah.

Additional Resources

Topic Recap

  • Messianism is a complex idea. 

  • The earliest Christians believed Jesus was the Messiah. 

  • Jesus' resurrection convinced early Christians that he was the Messiah. 

  • Christian understanding of Messianic prophecy must be read backwards in light of the resurrection.

  • The Early Church read the Hebrew Bible through the lens of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

Key Biblical Texts

 

Other Key Texts/Primary Sources 

 

Glossary of Key Terms

  • Christology -  The study of Jesus as Messiah.

  • Messiah - A figure anointed by God for a special role. Possibly a deliverer announcing the Kingdom of God.

  • Messianism - Belief in the notion of a Messiah.

 

Suggestions for Group Discussion

  • What is the connection between belief in Jesus' resurrection and the Christian understanding of Jesus as Messiah?

  • What role does belief in Jesus as Messiah have in forming Christian identity?

  • If Christian unity is grounded in belief in Jesus' resurrurection and status as Messiah, how can Jewish-Christian dialogue navigate this fundamental disagreement?

 

Suggestions for Further Reading

  • Are You the One Who Is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question by Michael F. Bird

  • The Messiah: Developments in Earliest Judaism and Christianity, eds. J. H. Charlesworth, J. Brownson, M. T. Davis, S. J. Kraftchick, & A. F. Segal 

  • Messiah and Scripture: Paul's “In Christ” Idiom in Its Ancient Jewish Context by J. Thomas Hewitt

  • The Messianic Theology of the New Testament by Joshua W. Jipp

  • The Concept of the Messiah in the Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity by Shirley Lucass

  • The Grammar of Messianism: An Ancient Jewish Political Idiom and Its Users by Matthew V. Novenson

  • Christ Among the Messiahs: Christ Language in Paul and Messiah Language in Ancient Judaism by Matthew V. Novenson

  • The Davidic Messiah in Luke–Acts: The Promise and its Fulfilment in Lukan Christology by Mark L. Strauss