What exactly is the true meaning of the crucifixion? This was a common form of cruel execution by the Romans. Thousands of Jews were executed this way. Why was this one so different?
Thousands of Jews? Yea, okay, maybe. Thousands of slaves and rebels, certainly. Case in point: Spartacus after the Third Servile War.
Jesus wasn't even a rebel; the Romans didn't find him guilty. He was crucified as Israel's messiah.
Depends which way you look at it.
Even some of those movies addressed the issue of rebellion against Roman occupation.
Jesus is sometimes thought of as revolutionary, but not as Rome saw him, really. He was really rather compliant with Roman law.
But not so much with Jewish law - working on the Sabbath and all that. The temple leaders insisted he be crucified. Jesus was defying their tradition.
He was Israel's messiah, the one to bring God's kingdom to the earth. Crucifixion and resurrection were the way to do it.
So how could he be Israel's messiah if he defied G-d's law,
and didn't fulfill any of the obligation of a messiah?
Makes no sense.
But he did fulfill the obligation of the Messiah.
Tell us, where is "Messiah" mentioned specifically in the Torah?
How did he fulfill it?
Moshiach (also known as
messiah) is the long awaited
Jewish leader who will usher in an era of world peace and G‑dly awareness.
The
Jewish messiah is a human being, a descendant of
King David, who will lead the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel, where they serve G‑d in peace, leading the nations of the world in attaining an
understanding of the Creator.
Messiah will also rebuild the
Holy Temple in Jerusalem, establishing an era of
peace and prosperity that will endure forever.
From Chabad.
Ok, I'll ask you. What scriptures refer to the Messiah and what you speak of?
As for Isaiah 53, it says that "God's servant", whom you claim is not the Messiah, is a descendant of King David. In fact, both Matthew and Luke go into detail as to the lineage of both Mary and Joseph going back to King David. So there is one fulfillment.
As for all of the fulfillments, Christians believe the Messiah is coming back to complete all of the fulfillments.
I did a scholarly study of those gospels once, and they contradict themselves.
If Jesus is a direct descendent of King David, how can he be a half God with supernatural qualities?
One question at a time and stop speaking in generalities without specifically pointing out things.
The issue presented is about scriptures that refer to "messiah", or anointed one. Messiah means anointed one.
In the OT, I see these scriptures as referring to the messiah or anointed one.
1 Samuel 24:6 So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”
1 Samuel 26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt?”
2 Samuel 1:14-15 Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died.
2 Samuel 19:21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lords anointed?"
1 Chronicles 16:22 “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”
2 Chronicles 6:42 “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember Your lovingkindness to Your servant David.”
Psalm 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
Psalm 105:15 “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.
Now I think we can both agree that the verses before Pslams both refer to King Samuel and King David as being the "anointed ones" If so, that leaves us with only 4 that refer to the coming Messiah. In fact, only 4 anointed kings of Israel ruled over the entire nation of Israel, so the anointed kings of all of Israel are a very short list indeed.
Do you agree?
Of these limited scriptures in the OT that refer directly about the coming Messiah, this one holds the most interest for me. Granted, I believe there are many other scriptures that refer to the coming Messiah but don't use the term Messiah in the text.
Daniel 9:24-27 New International Version (NIV)
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
This is nothing other than a calendar for the coming of the Messiah that points directly to the time of Jesus. The average lay person won't be able to make heads or tails of it, but ancient Jewish scholars could.
Some of you may be thinking that the application of this prophecy to the Messiah is a Christian contrivance. In fact, most modern rabbis try to deny the messianic application of this prophecy. However, it is well established that the ancient Jews believed that this prophecy pinpointed the time of the Messiah's coming. In fact, many of the Qumran community (the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls) believed that they were living in the very generation to which this prophecy pointed.
In the Bablonian Talmud, compiled between A. D 200-500, ancient rabbis commented on the time of the Messiah's coming and Daniels 70 week prophecy.
Regarding the times referred to in Daniel's prophecy, Rabbi Judah, the main compiler of the Talmud, said, "These times were over long ago" (Babylonia Talmud Sanhedrin 98b and 97a)
In the 12th century A. D. Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides), one of the most respected rabbis in history, and a man who rejected the messianic claims of Jesus of Nazareth, said regarding Daniel's seventy week prophesy, "Daniel has elucidated to us the knowledge of the end times. However, since they are secret, the wise have barred the calculation of the days of Messiah's coming so that the untutored populace will not be led astray when they see that the End Times have already come but there is no sign of the Messiah" Igeret Teiman, Chapter 3 p. 24.
Finally, Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi said regarding the time of the Messiah's coming: "I have examined and searched all the Holy scriptures and have not found the time for the coming of the Messiah clearly fixed, except in the words of Gabriel to the prophet Daniel, which are written in the 9th chapter of the prophecy of Daniel" "The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical Writers 1971."
Then there is Leopold Cohn's testimony about how Daniel 9:24-27 brought him to Jesus.
The Orthodox Jewish community of Berezna was the birthplace of Leopold Cohn, who was destined for a momentous quest. In this part of Europe, Orthodox Judaism was a way of life. Traditional Judaism was all-pervasive in its impact on a daily existence and there was zeal for the Torah (Law). It was not surprising, then, that Leopold Cohn became a rabbi.(1)
Following the completion of his formal studies and the subsequent receipt of smicha or ordination at the young age of eighteen, Rabbi Cohn contracted a very happy marriage and, in keeping with the custom of the time, became installed in his wife's paternal home, there to devote himself to the further study of the sacred writings.(2)
Searching For The Messiah:
Through the years of almost ascetic religious study and devotion, the burning problems of his people, the problems of the Galut [exile] and of the promised, but long-delayed, redemption through the coming of the Messiah, had become deeply etched upon the rabbi's spirit.(2)
A part of his morning devotions was the repetition of the twelfth article of the Jewish creed, which declares, "I believe with a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah and, though He tarry, yet will I wait daily for His coming." (Maimonides) The regular use of this affirmation of faith fanned to a flame the desire of his heart for the fulfillment of God's promises and the speedy restoration of scattered Israel until, no longer satisfied with the formal prayers, he began to rise up in the midnight watches and sit on the bare ground to mourn over the destruction of the temple and to implore God to hasten the coming of the Deliverer.(2)
When Would The Messiah Come? - Questioning The Talmud:
"Why does the Messiah tarry? When will He come?" These questions continually agitated the young rabbi's mind. Knowing that the Talmud taught that the timing of the coming of the Messiah should have already occurred he studied the original prophecies themselves.(2)
He studied Daniel 9:24-27... From the twenty-fourth verse of the chapter before him he deduced without difficulty that the coming of the Messiah should have taken place 400 years after Daniel received from the divine messenger the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. The scholar, accustomed to the intricate and often veiled polemical treatises of the Talmud, now found himself strangely captivated by the clear and soul-satisfying declarations of the Word of God, and it was not long before he began to question in his mind the reliability of the Talmud, seeing that in matters so vital it differed from the Holy Scriptures.(2)
It was neither an easy nor a pleasant matter for Rabbi Cohn, the leader of a Jewish community, daily gaining in popularity among his people, to entertain doubts concerning the authority of the Talmud. And yet, every moment of sober contemplation brought him face to face with the question, "Shall I believe God's Word, or must I shut my eyes to truth?"(2)
Turning Point At Hanukkah Time:
It was the season of the Feast of Dedication and, as was his custom, he planned to preach to his people on the meaning of the feast. He had not intended to refer in his sermon either to his doubts about the Talmud or to his late discoveries in the prophecy of Daniel but, when he rose to speak, some of his deepest thoughts welled up within him and would not be denied articulation. The effect of his words upon the congregation became immediately evident. Whispers grew to loud protests, and before the sermon progressed very far the service broke up in an uproar. That day initiated a series of petty persecutions which robbed the life of the young rabbi of its joy and made his ministry difficult to the point of impossibility.(2)
The New Testament was as yet an unknown book to Rabbi Cohn, and consequently it never entered his mind to look there for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophetic predictions.(2)
He decided to seek advice from a fellow Rabbi in a distant town, however he was not received well when questions about the accuracy of the Talmud were raised and eventually he felt if necessary to leave the congregation he was leading and come to America for further research into the Messiah.(2)
Coming To America:
March 1892 found Rabbi Cohn in the city of New York, warmly welcomed by his countrymen, many of whom had known him personally at home. Rabbi Kline of the Hungarian Synagogue, who had preceded him to America, and to whom he had a letter of recommendation, received him with much kindness and even offered him a place of temporary service in his synagogue while awaiting a call to a suitable congregation.(2)
One day while walking past a church he noticed a sign that said "meeting for Jews" written in Hebrew. After being told by someone in the church that he could have a private meeting with the churches minister he decided to do it. He knew this was a church that taught the Messiah had already come and had Jews inside.(2)
Rabbi Cohn plucked up enough courage to present himself at the minister's address. He entered the house with many misgivings, but the impression made upon him by the gracious personality of the minister, a Jew who, like himself, was a trained Talmudist, and in addition the scion of a famous rabbinical family very soon put him completely at ease. Before he realized what he was doing, he found himself relating to his new-found friend the story of his messianic quest.(2)
Introduction To The New Testament:
During that meeting the minister noting that his visitor was completely unacquainted with its contents, the minister handed him a copy of the New Testament in Hebrew and asked him to study it at his leisure.(2)
Rabbi Cohn opened the volume and turned to the first page, where his eyes fell upon the first lines of the Gospel by Matthew: "This is the book of the generation of Yeshua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham."(2)
The feelings the words awakened in him beggar description. It seemed that he had finally reached the goal of his long quest. The sacrifices he had made, the separation from wife and children he had endured, the days he had spent in agonizing prayer—all those things were about to bear their fruit and receive their reward. The problem which neither he nor those he consulted could solve was now answered by a book, and that book was in his hands. Surely such a book must have come to him by the will of Heaven. God had finally answered his many prayers and now, he was sure, He would help him to find the Messiah.(2)
Taking leave of his host, Rabbi Cohn ran as fast as he could to his room and, locking the door, gave himself to a study of the precious volume, his pearl of great price. "I began reading at eleven o'clock in the morning," he wrote later when reflecting on the events of that momentous day, "and continued until one o'clock after midnight. I could not understand the entire contents of the book, but I could at least see that the Messiah's name was Yeshua, that He was born in Bethlehem of Judah, that He had lived in Jerusalem and communicated with my people, and that He came just at the time predicted in the prophecy of Daniel. My joy was boundless."(2)
But had he been able to look into the future, Rabbi Cohn would have seen other days of sorrow in store for him. Narrow and toilsome is the path of faith in a world of unbelief. His first rude shock came the very next morning, when he tried to share his discovery with Rabbi Kline, who but recently had offered to assist him in finding a charge. "You are a wild dreamer!" shouted his rabbinical colleague when he had heard Cohn's story. "The Messiah whom you say you found is none other than the Jesus of the Gentiles. And as for this book," he said, tearing the New Testament from Cohn's hands, "a learned rabbi like you should not even handle, much less read this vile production of the apostates. It is the cause of all our sufferings." And with these words he threw the book to the floor and trampled upon it with his feet.(2)
Fleeing from this unexpected outburst of wrath, Rabbi Cohn felt himself once more a raging sea of conflicting thoughts and emotions. "Can it be possible that Yeshua the Messiah, the son of David, is the Jesus whom the Gentiles worship?" To believe upon such a one would indeed be an act of rank idolatry!(2)
A Battle From Within:
When he turned to God's lamp of truth, he found light. The prophetic vision of the suffering Messiah began to penetrate his mind as he read and re-read the fifty-third chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, yet he was a long way from finding peace of soul. Solemn questions now stared him in the face: "What if Yeshua and Jesus are the same person? How shall I love the 'hated one'? How shall I defile my lips with the name of Jesus, whose followers have tortured and killed my brethren through many generations? How can I join a community of people so hostile to those of my own flesh and blood?" These were indeed questions troublesome enough to rob any man of his peace. And yet, above all the raging storm, there was a still, small voice that kept speaking to his heart and saying, "If He is the Messiah predicted in the Scriptures, then surely you must love Him, and no matter what others have done in His name, you must follow Him."(2)
The Moment of Truth - A New Creature:
Still halting between two opinions, Rabbi Cohn decided to fast and to pray until God clearly revealed to him what to do. When he began his supplications, he had in his hands a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures. Being wholly absorbed in prayer, he was startled when the volume fell from his hands to the floor and when he bent down to retrieve the sacred book he saw that it had opened at the third chapter of the prophecy of Malachi, which begins with the words, "Behold I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant whom ye delight in: behold He has already come, saith the Lord of Hosts." Now his entire being was electrified to attention and his every sense of perception awakened. For a moment he felt that the Messiah himself stood by his side pointing him to the words "He has already come". Stricken with a feeling of awe, he fell on his face, and out of his innermost parts came words of prayer and adoration. "My Lord, my Messiah Yeshua, Thou art the One in whom Israel is to be glorified, and Thou art surely the One who hast reconciled Thy people unto God. From this day I will serve Thee no matter what the cost." And, as if in direct answer to his prayer, a flood of light filled his understanding and to his unspeakable happiness he no longer found it difficult to love his Lord, although he was sure now that it was Jesus whom he was addressing. In that hour he knew that he had become a new creature in the Messiah.(2)
Consulting no longer with flesh and blood, Cohn began to proclaim to all his friends and acquaintances that the rejected Jesus was the true Messiah of Israel, and that not until the Jews as a people accepted Him could they find peace with God.(2)