A Jewish View of the Messiah

What I am about to write you will probably be difficult to accept. The vast majority of what Christian churches believe is the product of what took place in the 4TH Century. The early church, i.e 30AD to 70AD continued with annual sacrifices for their sins. They continued to celebrate Yom Kippur. It was years later that the idea of one sacrifice for sins by Yeshua became the norm. That being said, the question was: "What was their understanding of the purpose of the Messiah?" Belief in the eventual coming of the mashiach is a basic and fundamental part of traditional Judaism. It is part of the Amidah prayer. Jews pray for all of the elements of the coming of the Messiah: ingathering of the exiles; restoration of the religious courts of justice; an end of wickedness, sin and heresy; reward to the righteous; rebuilding of Jerusalem; restoration of the line of King David; and restoration of Temple service.

Modern scholars suggest that the Messanic concept was introduced later in the history of Judaism, specifically during the age of the prophets. The messianic concept is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Torah. The term "mashiach" literally means "the anointed one," and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days. The word "mashiach" does not mean "savior." The notion of an innocent, divine or semi-divine being who will sacrifice himself to save us from the consequences of our own sins is a purely Christian concept that has no basis in Jewish thought. This is a Catholic creation. Some Gentiles believe that the term "mashiach" is related to the Hebrew term "moshiah" (savior) because they sound similar, but the similarity is not as strong as it appears to one unfamiliar with Hebrew. The Hebrew word "mashiach" comes from the root Mem-Shin-Chet. It means to paint, smear, or annoint. The word "moshiah" comes from the root Yod-Shin-Ayin, which means to help or save. The only letter these roots have in common is Shin, the most common letter in the Hebrew language. The "m" sound at the beginning of the word moshiah (savior) is a common prefix used to turn a verb into a noun. For example, the verb tzavah (to command) becomes mitzvah (commandment). Saying that "mashiach" is related to "moshiah" is a bit like saying that ring is related to surfing because they both end in "ing."So , it is clear that the Hebrew concept of the Messiah had little to do with salvation from sin. It had to do with someone taking control and ruling. Consider Jeremiah 31:33-34; Isaiah 11:1-16. These speak of the times of the Messiah. Have they occurred yet? Now, you can see why the Jews have a difficult time with "Jesus." Yeshua's sacrifice did open a door; a door for the Gentiles to enter in. The subject is most complex and I have just scratched the surface. I hope I have given you something to ponder.