Awaiting the Messiah

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• Prophets:  Holy men and women who carried messages from God

• Jews were ruled by the Persian, the Greeks and then the Romans

• The Jews yearned for freedom 

• The Messiah:  The Anointed One

• In Ancient Judaism all new leaders, such as kings and High Priests were anointed with blessed oil

• Anointing was a sign that they were chosen by God for an important task

• Reign of King David was a golden age of freedom for the Jews.  Looked forward to freedom in the future

• Messianic expectation: hope of the Jewish people that a new leader, a Messiah, would bring them to freedom

• All Jews lived in hope that Messiah would arrive and bring peace

• By 1CE all Jews believed that the Messiah would be:a powerful king like figure; would free them from foreign rulers & bring God's peace and justice to all

• Today:  Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah while Jews believe that the Messiah has yet to come