Messianic Hope: Longing for the Anointed One

“Next year in Jerusalem!” For two millennia, Jews have concluded the Passover Seder with this cry of hope, expressing longing for the restoration of Israel, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the coming of the Messiah who will gather the exiles and establish God’s kingdom on earth. This messianic hope—the expectation that God will send an anointed deliverer to redeem His people and transform the world—has sustained Jewish faith through exile, persecution, and suffering, keeping alive the vision of a future when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

For Christians, that Messiah has come. “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41), Andrew announced after meeting Jesus. Christians confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Greek for “Messiah”), the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, the anointed King who will reign forever. Yet this fulfillment is paradoxical: the Messiah has come, but His kingdom is not yet fully manifest; He has conquered sin and death, but injustice and suffering persist; He reigns from heaven, but promises to return to complete what He began. Christians thus live in messianic tension—already but not yet, salvation accomplished but consummation awaited.

The divergence is profound. Jews await the Messiah’s first coming; Christians await His second. Jews expect a future deliverer who will achieve what no one has yet accomplished; Christians proclaim a past-and-future Redeemer who has already won victory but will return to claim it fully. Both traditions are oriented toward a future hope rooted in ancient promises, but they disagree fundamentally about whether those promises have been fulfilled, and if so, in whom and how.

Biblical Foundations: The Promise Takes Shape

Protoevangelium: The First Promise

The messianic hope begins at humanity’s fall. After Adam and Eve’s sin, God curses the serpent: “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” (Genesis 3:15).

Christian tradition has seen this as the “protoevangelium” (first gospel)—the earliest promise of redemption, foretelling the Messiah who would crush Satan’s power, though suffering in the process. Jewish interpretation is more reserved, seeing a general promise of ongoing conflict between humanity and evil rather than a specific messianic prophecy.

The Patriarchal Promises

God’s covenant with Abraham includes blessing for “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3), a universal scope that later messianic hope would inherit. Jacob’s blessing over Judah hints at royal destiny: “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” (Genesis 49:10).

This text becomes crucial in messianic expectation: the Messiah will descend from Judah’s line, and nations will submit to his rule.

The Davidic Covenant: A Throne Forever

The pivotal text for messianic hope is God’s covenant with David through the prophet Nathan:

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

The promise has dual fulfillment: immediate (Solomon builds the temple) and ultimate (an eternal Davidic king). Jewish tradition anticipates a future “son of David” who will restore Israel’s glory. Christian tradition identifies Jesus as this eternal king, whose resurrection establishes His throne forever.

The Psalms: Royal and Suffering Messiah

The Psalms develop messianic themes in two directions:

Royal/Victorious Messiah: Psalm 2 depicts God’s anointed conquering rebellious nations. Psalm 110 presents a priest-king who rules from Zion and judges the nations. These psalms envision triumph, power, and universal dominion.

Suffering Servant: Psalm 22 portrays agonizing suffering: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This psalm, along with others, introduces the paradox of a suffering righteous one whom God will vindicate.

Christians see Jesus embodying both aspects: suffering servant on the cross, victorious king in resurrection and return. Judaism generally separates these images, with the conquering Messiah as primary expectation.

Isaiah: Light in Darkness

Isaiah’s prophecies profoundly shape messianic hope:

The Child-King: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

The Branch from Jesse: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him… He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth… The wolf shall dwell with the lamb… for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:1-9).

The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 52:13–53:12 presents a mysterious figure who suffers vicariously for others: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… 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… Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days.”

Christians universally apply this to Jesus’ crucifixion. Jewish interpretation varies: some see Israel personified as the suffering servant, others a righteous remnant, still others acknowledge a messianic dimension while disputing Christian claims.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel: The Righteous Branch

Jeremiah promises: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

Ezekiel envisions: “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them” (Ezekiel 34:23-24).

These prophecies establish key messianic expectations: Davidic descent, wise and just rule, salvation for Israel, and intimate relationship with God.

Daniel: The Son of Man

Daniel’s vision introduces apocalyptic imagery:

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

“Son of man” becomes Jesus’ preferred self-designation, identifying Himself with Daniel’s heavenly figure who receives eternal kingdom. Jewish interpretation often sees the “son of man” as symbolic of Israel or the righteous collectively.

Jewish Messianic Hope: Awaiting the Redeemer

Second Temple Period: Diverse Expectations

By Jesus’ time, messianic expectations were diverse and fervent:

Political Messiah: Many expected a warrior-king like David who would overthrow Roman occupation, defeat Israel’s enemies, and restore national sovereignty.

Priestly Messiah: Some Dead Sea Scroll communities expected two messiahs—one royal (from Judah), one priestly (from Levi)—who together would purify worship and establish righteousness.

Apocalyptic Son of Man: Building on Daniel, some envisioned a heavenly figure who would descend to judge the world and inaugurate God’s kingdom dramatically.

Torah Teacher: Others emphasized the Messiah as a teacher who would reveal Torah’s deepest meanings and convert the nations to worship of Israel’s God.

Common themes emerged: Davidic lineage, restoration of Israel, temple rebuilding or purification, ingathering of exiles, judgment of the wicked, peace and prosperity, knowledge of God filling the earth, and Gentile recognition of Israel’s God.

Rabbinic Judaism: Messiah Son of David

After the Temple’s destruction (70 CE) and Bar Kokhba’s failed messianic revolt (132-135 CE), rabbinic Judaism developed more cautious messianic expectations:

Mashiach ben David: The Messiah will be a human descendant of David, anointed by God to accomplish specific tasks:

• Gather Jewish exiles from diaspora
• Rebuild the Jerusalem Temple
• Restore Torah observance fully
• Bring peace to Israel and the world
• Judge righteously and establish God’s kingdom on earth

Not Divine: The Messiah remains fully human, a servant of God, not God incarnate. He accomplishes God’s will but is not worshiped.

Verifiable Signs: The Messiah’s identity will be confirmed by tangible achievements. No faith required—his success will be self-evident. Maimonides taught that any claimant who fails to accomplish these tasks is not the Messiah.

Rejection of Jesus: From this perspective, Jesus failed the test. He didn’t gather exiles, rebuild the temple, bring universal peace, or establish God’s visible kingdom. Christians’ claim that he will do these things at a “second coming” is seen as ad hoc rationalization.

Messianic Age vs. World to Come

Jewish eschatology distinguishes:

Yemot HaMashiach (Days of the Messiah): A still-earthly era when the Messiah reigns, Israel is restored, peace prevails, but people still live, die, and have free will. History continues, but redeemed.

Olam HaBa (World to Come): The ultimate resurrection and eternal existence with God, beyond history. Some traditions merge these; others maintain distinction.

The Messiah inaugurates the messianic age but may not himself experience the world to come (in some views, he dies naturally after his work is done).

Modern Jewish Movements

Orthodox: Maintains traditional messianic hope—a personal Messiah will come, accomplish the prophesied tasks, and transform the world. Some see the modern State of Israel as “the beginning of the flowering of our redemption” (Rav Kook), precursor to the Messiah’s coming.

Chabad Messianism: Some followers of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (died 1994) controversially claimed or still claim he is/was the Messiah, causing internal divisions.

Reform/Liberal Judaism: Often reinterprets messianic hope symbolically—not a personal Messiah but a messianic age achieved through human progress, social justice, and ethical development. The people Israel collectively bring redemption.

Secular Zionism: Substitutes political nationalism for religious messianism—the Jewish state itself is redemption, achieved by human agency, not waiting for divine intervention.

Christian Messianic Hope: Already and Not Yet

Jesus as Messiah: Fulfillment Claims

Christianity’s core confession is “Jesus is the Christ/Messiah.” The New Testament argues extensively that Jesus fulfills messianic prophecy:

Davidic Descent: Both Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ genealogy to David (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).

Virgin Birth: Matthew sees Isaiah 7:14 (“a virgin shall conceive”) fulfilled in Jesus’ miraculous conception (Matthew 1:22-23).

Birthplace: Micah 5:2 predicts the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born (Matthew 2:5-6).

Ministry: Isaiah 61:1-2 describes the anointed one bringing good news to the poor, which Jesus claims as His mission (Luke 4:18-21).

Triumphal Entry: Jesus deliberately enacts Zechariah 9:9 (“your king is coming to you… humble and mounted on a donkey”) riding into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:4-5).

Suffering and Death: Jesus interprets His crucifixion as fulfilling Isaiah 53 and other suffering servant texts (Luke 22:37, Mark 10:45).

Resurrection: Jesus’ resurrection vindicates His messianic claims, proving Him to be “Son of God in power” (Romans 1:4).

The Messianic Secret and Gradual Revelation

The Gospels present Jesus as cautious about openly claiming messiahship:

• He often commands silence after miracles (Mark 1:44, 5:43, 8:30)
• He refers to Himself cryptically as “Son of Man”
• He accepts Peter’s confession (“You are the Christ”) but immediately warns against publicizing it (Matthew 16:16-20)
• He only fully accepts the title before the Sanhedrin, leading to His crucifixion (Mark 14:61-62)

This “messianic secret” reflects Jesus redefining messiahship. Popular expectation demanded a warrior-king; Jesus came as suffering servant. To claim “Messiah” publicly would invite misunderstanding and premature political crisis.

Only after resurrection do disciples fully proclaim: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).

Paul and Early Christianity: The Crucified Messiah

Paul’s theology centers on the scandalous claim: the Messiah was crucified. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23).

For Jews, a crucified messiah was contradiction—cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23), defeated by enemies, failing to accomplish messianic tasks. For Greeks, a crucified god was absurdity—divine power manifests in triumph, not shameful death.

Yet Christianity proclaims the cross as God’s power and wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24). The Messiah conquers through suffering, defeats death by dying, establishes kingdom through service, and saves by self-sacrifice.

This radical reinterpretation of messiahship becomes Christianity’s defining claim.

The Second Coming: Messianic Hope Continues

Jesus’ resurrection is not the end of messianic hope but its transformation. He has inaugurated God’s kingdom but not yet consummated it. Christians await His second coming (parousia) when He will:

• Return visibly in glory (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 1:7)
• Raise the dead and judge all people (John 5:28-29, 2 Corinthians 5:10)
• Defeat all evil powers (1 Corinthians 15:24-28, Revelation 19:11-21)
• Establish new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1-5, 2 Peter 3:13)
• Reign forever (Revelation 22:5)

The prayer “Maranatha!” (“Our Lord, come!” 1 Corinthians 16:22) and Revelation’s closing cry “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) express ongoing messianic longing.

Christians thus live in eschatological tension: the Messiah has come (past fulfillment), is present spiritually (current reality), and will come again (future hope). The messianic age has begun but awaits completion.

The Jewish-Christian Debate: Fulfilled or Awaited?

Jewish Objections to Jesus as Messiah

No World Peace: The Messiah will bring universal peace. Wars continue unabated.

No Temple: The Messiah will rebuild the Temple. It remains destroyed.

No Ingathering: The Messiah will gather Jewish exiles. Diaspora persists (though modern Israel represents partial ingathering).

No Universal Knowledge of God: The Messiah’s reign will bring universal acknowledgment of God. Idolatry, atheism, and religious plurality continue.

Continued Jewish Suffering: Far from redemption, Jews endured horrific persecution in “Christian” Europe culminating in the Holocaust. How can the Messiah have come when his people suffered so terribly?

Criteria Not Met: Maimonides taught that messianic claimants must be judged by results. Jesus’ followers claim he will complete his work at a second coming, but this defers accountability indefinitely.

Torah Observance: The Messiah will lead perfect Torah observance. Christianity abandoned Jewish law.

Christian Responses

Already/Not Yet: Jesus accomplished salvific work (atonement, defeat of sin and death, reconciliation with God) at His first coming. He will complete cosmic renewal at His second coming. This two-stage fulfillment wasn’t clearly foreseen in prophecy but makes sense of the texts.

Spiritual Before Physical: Jesus established God’s spiritual kingdom in hearts before manifesting it physically. The church is the messianic community, living under Messiah’s rule now, awaiting visible consummation.

Suffering Servant First: Isaiah 53 and other texts show the Messiah must first suffer before reigning. Jesus fulfilled this dimension; He will fulfill the royal dimension at His return.

Rejection Prophesied: Scripture predicted the Messiah would be rejected by His own people (Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 118:22). Jewish rejection doesn’t invalidate Jesus’ claims but fulfills them.

Gentile Mission: The Messiah was always meant to be “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 49:6). Christianity’s spread to Gentiles fulfills this, even if most Jews don’t yet recognize their Messiah.

Resurrection as Vindication: Jesus’ resurrection proves His messianic identity despite apparent failure. God raised Him, seating Him at His right hand—a position no other messianic claimant has achieved.

Irreconcilable Difference?

The Jewish-Christian debate over messianic fulfillment seems irreconcilable because both sides appeal to the same scriptures but interpret them through different frameworks:

Christians read the Hebrew Bible through Jesus: Every messianic text finds fulfillment in Him, with the New Testament as interpretive key. Apparent contradictions resolve through the two-comings framework.

Jews read without Jesus: Messianic texts retain their straightforward meaning—a future deliverer will accomplish tangible, verifiable tasks. Jesus failed these tests, so he cannot be the Messiah regardless of resurrection claims.

Both affirm Scripture’s authority but disagree about its meaning, fulfillment, and the proper criteria for recognizing the Messiah.

Messianic Hope in Practice: Living Toward the Future

Jewish Practice

Messianic hope shapes Jewish life concretely:

Daily Prayer: The Amidah (central prayer) repeatedly petitions for messianic redemption: “Speedily cause the offspring of David Your servant to flourish… for we hope for Your salvation all day.”

Sabbath and Festivals: Shabbat is foretaste of messianic rest. Passover concludes “Next year in Jerusalem!” Sukkot anticipates nations streaming to Jerusalem.

Torah Study and Mitzvot: Hastening or preparing for the Messiah through faithfulness. Some teach that enough Torah observance will bring the Messiah; others that the Messiah will come in appointed time regardless.

Hope Amidst Suffering: Messianic expectation sustained Jews through persecution. “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he may tarry, I will wait for him every day” (Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles, sung even in concentration camps).

Christian Practice

Christians embody messianic hope differently:

Eucharist: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Every communion anticipates the messianic banquet.

Mission and Evangelism: Proclaiming the Messiah has come, inviting all to enter His kingdom, hastening His return (2 Peter 3:12).

Social Justice: Working for kingdom values—peace, justice, mercy—as anticipation and partial realization of messianic age.

Maranatha Spirituality: Longing for Christ’s return, living in light of His imminent coming, maintaining readiness.

Already Living Under Messiah’s Reign: Not merely waiting but experiencing His rule now through the Spirit, in the church, in transformed lives.

Conclusion: Hope’s Enduring Power

Messianic hope—whether for Messiah’s first or second coming—has sustained both Judaism and Christianity through darkness. When present reality disappoints, when suffering persists, when justice seems distant, hope for God’s anointed one keeps faith alive.

For Jews, “Next year in Jerusalem!” affirms that God will not abandon His promises or His people. The Messiah’s delay doesn’t negate the hope but tests and refines it.

For Christians, “Come, Lord Jesus!” acknowledges the “not yet” while celebrating the “already.” The Messiah has come, victory is won, the kingdom has begun—but its fullness awaits His glorious return.

Both traditions teach that human effort alone cannot redeem the world. Ultimate salvation requires divine intervention through God’s chosen agent. Both affirm that God has not forgotten His promises, that history moves toward a goal, that darkness will not have the final word.

The tragedy is that the hoped-for Messiah, meant to unite humanity in worship of the one God, instead divides Jews and Christians—each side convinced the other tragically misunderstands God’s plan. Yet even this divide may find resolution in the messianic future both await.

Perhaps Jews are right to insist that the Messiah’s work remains incomplete—war, injustice, suffering persist. Perhaps Christians are right to proclaim the Messiah has come and accomplished salvation’s foundation. In the tension between these claims lies the mystery of redemption: already begun, not yet finished, certainly coming, patiently awaited.

Until that day—whether Messiah’s first appearance or second coming—the hope endures. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). That light has dawned or will dawn. Faith means living toward its full revelation, working for its manifestation, trusting God’s faithfulness, and keeping hope alive even when all seems hopeless.

For in the end, messianic hope is hope in God Himself—that He will not abandon creation to chaos, will not leave His people comfortless, will not allow evil the victory. Whether through a Messiah yet to come or a Messiah who will return, God will redeem, restore, renew, and reign. Of that, both Jews and Christians are certain.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” The cry echoes through centuries, awaiting fulfillment, trusting the promise, living in hope.