Most of us can agree that in our
day and age when we here the term Messiah we either think automatically of
Jesus or the Christmas cantata. However, that was not the case for Jews in the first
century. When term “Messiah” was used depending upon which school of thought
they belonged to their minds could have raced any number of ways. For some the
Messiah could be a single person, a group of people, or merely an idea.[1] In
a more specific manner however the “term Messiah (literally, the Anointed)
could be applied to any person who held office by the gift, grace and anointing
of God. Thus, technically it could be applied to all leaders of Israel.”[2]
Some of the
other terms that were used to describe Messiah in the first century were Son of
Man (which was a direct reference to Daniel 7, and is in fact the phrase used
most by Jesus to describe himself). Another term was the suffering servant or
the servant of the Lord; the majority of these references get their basis from
the book of Isaiah. While the suffering servant was not the most popular
phrase, “there is among certain groups a faint trace of a Jewish expectation of
a suffering Messiah or at least of some suffering eschatological figure.”[3] The
list of names goes on and on they include the Righteous, the Branch, Son of God
or David, the Stone, the Coming One, the root of Jesse.[4]
The names or titles most closely associated with early Christianity would have
to be Son of Man, Son of God/David. These titles resounded with more ease in
explaining to the Jewish audience at the time that Jesus was whom he claimed to
be.
In choosing the best title(s) to
describe Jesus to an unbeliever I would first start off with the suffering
servant. Using Scripture where Christ says, “ For
even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 ESV) Then explaining the depth of that statement
in how he was beaten as a criminal, and went to the cross as the ultimate form
of service and love. Then I would use the example of the stone or corner stone
and show how the Jews have always anticipated his arrival, but since it was not
in the manner they were expecting he was rejected (John 1). So by showing that
He is the ultimate foundation of faith and he suffered for us, these are the
best things I can think to help a non-believer get a visual grasp of who Jesus
is/was.
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