The Hope of the Messiah

As we enter into the Advent season, we’re spending the next few weeks “Unwrapping the Names of Jesus” in our Sunday worship gatherings and weekly Life Groups at Midwest Bible Church. One of the first names given to Jesus that we’ve unpacked in our Sunday School hour is that of “Messiah” or “Christ.”

For those of us who have been following Jesus for a long time, names like these could have a tendency to lose their weighty implications. And for others, even many non-believers, “Christ” might be incorrectly thought of as Jesus’ last name. In both cases, a deep dive into the Scriptural and historical context of the title “The Messiah” or “The Christ” can help us see the beautiful hope found in Jesus, especially in our context today.

If you may have already noticed, the words “Messiah” and “Christ” are interchangeable in the New Testament. “Christ” is the English translation of the Greek word Christos (Χριστός), and it always refers to a title given to Jesus in the Gospels and other New Testament books. This title ָמ ִשׁי ַח( literally means “anointed one” and is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Maschiach ), which is used many times in the Old Testament in a variety of references. “Messiah” is the English translation from Maschiach. Hope that all makes sense so far!

The Hebrew word for “to anoint” is mashach (ָמ ָסה ), and it literally means to “pour/smear oil on.” Many things were anointed in the Old Testament, including altars, priestly garments, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Tabernacle itself. The ceremonial act of literally pouring oil on these things were to give them symbolic distinction, importance, and holy usefulness.
Besides these objects, three distinct types of people were anointed: priests (Leviticus 4:3), prophets (1 Chronicles 16:22), and kings ( 2 Samuel 23:1).

Those that were anointed were given the description as a maschiach or messiah. In other words, they had oil poured on their heads to give them distinction, importance, and holy usefulness. An interesting side note is that Cyrus of Persia, a Gentile king, is called a “messiah” in Isaiah 45:1. Most likely, Cyrus was not literally smeared with oil, but he had the symbolic distinction, importance, and holy usefulness of releasing Israelite captives from Babylonian captivity.

Why were the Hebrew people - God’s people - looking for the Messiah if so many people were considered a messiah in the Old Testament? That idea goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where after Adam and Eve are deceived by the serpent and sin, God gives them this message of hope:

This verse is often called the protoevangelion, or “the first gospel”. It is the first glimmer of hope from the long fall from paradise with Creator God. A glimmer of hope that will be found in someone - an offspring of Eve. And it was one major event in Israel’s history that caused Israel’s yearning and anticipation for the Messiah to grow. It was the Exile in Babylon. Because of Israel’s continual, sinful disobedience to God, their kingdom was torn in two, they were forced from their promised land, and were surrounded by evil, oppression, and worship of the pagan gods. It was from these depths of Israel’s history that the glimmer of hope seemed to grow. Good news of deliverance was desperately needed, and Yahweh’s goodness in the past was remembered.

Would he be a mighty, victorious king that would reestablish and reunify the nation of Israel? Would he be a righteous, pious priest that would reimplement correct worship of God? Would he be a visionary, inspiring prophet that would reignite the hearts of the Hebrews? According to some rabbinic interpretations - many Jews thought there would be multiple messiahs to usher in the new glory days of the kingdom!

The glorious hope that we celebrate in this Advent season is that God did send “The Anointed One” - the Messiah, the Christ. Every prophecy and longing expectation was fulfilled and exceeded in the person and work of Jesus.

Jesus is the King of ALL the nations (Psalm 2 and Revelation 15:3) of whom the psalmist wrote: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions” (Psalm 45:6-7 and Hebrews 1:8-9).

Jesus is our “High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” who is “the hope set before us” as our “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV).

Jesus is the Prophet “counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:18 and Hebrews 2:3 ESV).

As we remember the Advent of Messiah Jesus, we look forward to his final coming in all earnestness, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-15 (ESV)

Amen!

Andrew Catrinta
MBC Elder