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Why do you believe Jesus is the Messiah?

1213

Well-Known Member
What reasons do you have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah?
I think Messiah means anointed. Kings, prophets, and priests were anointed.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
Num. 3:3
The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, saying, The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.
2 Sam. 2:4
Don't touch my anointed ones, Do my prophets no harm.
1 Chr. 16:22

And I believe Jesus was anointed by God, because of what is said in the Bible. For example:

He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is, being interpreted, Christ{"Messiah" (Hebrew) and "Christ" (Greek) both mean "Anointed One".})
John 1:41
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the bro-kenhearted, To proclaim release to the captives, Recovering of sight to the blind, To deliver those who are crushed, And to pro-claim the acceptable year of the Lord."
Luke 4:18-19
even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 10:38
The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all things."
John 4:25
Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.
Deut. 18:15 (Acts 7:37)
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
a) Because I have a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ.
b) Because He healed me when doctors were unable to do so.
c) Because the Bible -- God's word -- clearly says that He is.
d) Because His sacrificial death has paid the penalty for my sins. The Savior has saved me!
 

Hawkins

Well-Known Member
What reasons do you have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah?

Almost the same reason why you call Biden a president. Don't tell me that you have the evidence that he won the majority vote.

Go figure it out, it will be healthy for you as you are the blinded.
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Almost the same reason why you call Biden a president. Don't tell me that you have the evidence that he won the majority vote.

Go figure it out, it will be healthy for you as you are the blinded.
You are the one who is blind if you think that President Biden didn't win the majority vote.

Joe Biden won 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3 percent of the votes cast. He is the first U.S. presidential candidate to have won more than 80 million votes. Trump won 74,222,958 votes, or 46.8 percent of the votes cast. President Biden received 7,060,140 votes more than the loser Trump.

It will be healthy for you to accept the truth, as you are the blinded one.

BTW, Jesus was and is and always will be God's Messiah.
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Almost the same reason why you call Biden a president. Don't tell me that you have the evidence that he won the majority vote.

Go figure it out, it will be healthy for you as you are the blinded.
Have you personally done all the counting of votes and were there at each place votes were taken?
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Have you personally done all the counting of votes and were there at each place votes were taken?
@Hawkins sounds as absurd as Trump!

Has he personally done all the counting of votes and was there at each place votes were taken? Obviously, he has not. So he creates a falsity rather than accept the truth as reported by numerous (trusted) sources.
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
@Hawkins sounds as absurd as Trump!

Has he personally done all the counting of votes and was there at each place votes were taken? Obviously, he has not. So he creates a falsity rather than accept the truth as reported by numerous (trusted) sources.
LOL, don't get me started. Besides, Jesus prayed for God's kingdom, not for good political leaders...
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
LOL, don't get me started. Besides, Jesus prayed for God's kingdom, not for good political leaders...
I didn't start this discussion about US politics. However, God's kingdom has already arrived, but there have to be administrators. Try reading Romans 13.
 
What reasons do you have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah?
To come to the idea that Jesus is the Messiah, the idea of the Messiah had to be changed. While Second Temple Judaism didn't have a firm, specific idea about the Messiah, as there were a few different ideas, the core idea that connected all of these is that they would lead Jews to salvation in some idea. For instance, the Messiah would overthrow the Earthly Kingdom, and replace it with the Kingdom of God. It was all about serving justice.

The problem with Jesus is that he died, and nothing changed for the Jewish people. In fact, things would get much worse in the decades that followed. So, in a Jewish light, Jesus failed. It's as simple as that.

But, people still believed Jesus was the Messiah. They believed it before he died, and for whatever reason, they truly believed Jesus was resurrected, and that he was still the Messiah. Now, at first, as seen by Paul, the idea was the Jesus ushered in the general resurrection, and soon, all would be "resurrected," thus one could still hold onto the idea of Jesus being the Messiah as he ushered in this idea of justice.

But obviously, the general resurrection didn't occur, so the idea of the Messiah had to be transformed again. For Christians then, Jesus can still be the Messiah as in the future, he will bring the Kingdom of God. And as he never truly died, as he was risen back up, that doesn't disqualify him.


Simply though, it's based on reimagining what the Messiah is.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
To come to the idea that Jesus is the Messiah, the idea of the Messiah had to be changed. While Second Temple Judaism didn't have a firm, specific idea about the Messiah, as there were a few different ideas, the core idea that connected all of these is that they would lead Jews to salvation in some idea. For instance, the Messiah would overthrow the Earthly Kingdom, and replace it with the Kingdom of God. It was all about serving justice.

The problem with Jesus is that he died, and nothing changed for the Jewish people. In fact, things would get much worse in the decades that followed. So, in a Jewish light, Jesus failed. It's as simple as that.

But, people still believed Jesus was the Messiah. They believed it before he died, and for whatever reason, they truly believed Jesus was resurrected, and that he was still the Messiah. Now, at first, as seen by Paul, the idea was the Jesus ushered in the general resurrection, and soon, all would be "resurrected," thus one could still hold onto the idea of Jesus being the Messiah as he ushered in this idea of justice.

But obviously, the general resurrection didn't occur, so the idea of the Messiah had to be transformed again. For Christians then, Jesus can still be the Messiah as in the future, he will bring the Kingdom of God. And as he never truly died, as he was risen back up, that doesn't disqualify him.


Simply though, it's based on reimagining what the Messiah is.
I believe according to Acts 3,000 Jews were saved after Peter preached.
 
I believe according to Acts 3,000 Jews were saved after Peter preached.
Acts is questionable at best, at least according to mainline scholars. Personally, I don't give it too much stock, but let's just look at it here.

1) the number 3,000 isn't meant to be a definitive accounting of how many people were saved. It just means a lot of people. It was a common literary trope.

2) Regardless of how many people were saved has no bearing on whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Acts is questionable at best, at least according to mainline scholars. Personally, I don't give it too much stock, but let's just look at it here.

1) the number 3,000 isn't meant to be a definitive accounting of how many people were saved. It just means a lot of people. It was a common literary trope.

2) Regardless of how many people were saved has no bearing on whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.

1) Can you give evidence of this?
2) Only belief in the Messiah can save a person.
 
1) Can you give evidence of this?
2) Only belief in the Messiah can save a person.
1) It's something taught in most all history classes. I mean, what is the likelihood that exactly 3000 would have shown up?

2) The idea only belief in the Messiah can save a person is a statement of faith, not a statement of fact. It also isn't supported by the text here.
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
1) It's something taught in most all history classes. I mean, what is the likelihood that exactly 3000 would have shown up?

2) The idea only belief in the Messiah can save a person is a statement of faith, not a statement of fact. It also isn't supported by the text here.
a) It's possible that 3,000 people were there. Even if it was 3,002 that doesn't mean a thing.

1) Why do you sieze on something so trivial?
2) Do you also disbelieve a modern news story if it says that 3,000 people watched a high school football game?

b) The Bible says that only belief in the Messiah can save a person. That is what the Bible clearly states, so the burden is on you to disprove it.

Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being SURE of what you hope for and CERTAIN of what you don't see. Your not accepting that is irrelevant.
 
a) It's possible that 3,000 people were there. Even if it was 3,002 that doesn't mean a thing.

1) Why do you sieze on something so trivial?
2) Do you also disbelieve a modern news story if it says that 3,000 people watched a high school football game?

b) The Bible says that only belief in the Messiah can save a person. That is what the Bible clearly states, so the burden is on you to disprove it.

Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being SURE of what you hope for and CERTAIN of what you don't see. Your not accepting that is irrelevant.
1) I believe the Bible should be taken seriously. That means understanding the rhetorical devices that would be used. Maybe it's trivial to you, but I think it's important to be aware of such things. Especially when such things are brought up.

2) The Bible does not say that only belief in the Messiah can save a person. The Old Testament, when it does speak about the Messiah, speaks about justice. Belief in the Messiah doesn't save anyone. The Messiah ushers in the justice of God. This was generally seen by overthrowing the Earthly Kingdom and setting up the Kingdom of God. Belief in the Messiah is never a requisite to enter this kingdom though.

In the New Testament, where the idea of the Messiah drastically changes, belief in the Messiah is never a must. No verse says, one must have a belief in the Messiah to be saved. Instead, we are told a very different thing.

John 6:40 tells us that everyone who looks at the "SON" and believes in him (the Son) shall have eternal life. John 6:40 is really reiterating John 3:16, which also makes the argument that God gave his "SON" and who ever believe in him "the Son" shall have eternal life. John 14:6 makes a similar claim, that one only gets to the father through the son, through Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the light. Jesus never claims to be the Messiah. What we see instead is time and time again him being referred to, and him referring as himself, as the Son of God.

Now, others may have said that he was the Messiah, but Jesus doesn't make that claim, and as I explained in my first response, when it comes to Messianic prophecy, he fails. The one expectation of the Messiah was that they would free the Jewish people from subjugation. That they would free the Jewish people from the Kingdom of Earth and usher in the Kingdom of God. Jesus never does this. In order to claim Jesus is the Messiah, you have to create a new idea of what the Messiah is. And I don't think that is necessary as Jesus himself never claims to be the Messiah.

So no, belief in the Messiah is not necessary to be saved, nor does the Bible state such.
 

ChatwithGod

ChatwithGod.ai
Believing in Jesus as the Messiah is rooted in prophecies fulfilled. Isaiah 53 depicts a suffering servant who bears our pains, which Christians see clearly in Jesus' life and sacrifice.
 
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