It will strike some of us as surprising that the Messiah was not really a full-blown concept at the time of Jesus. In fact the term ‘messiah’, which in Greek is ‘Christ’ and in English ‘Anointed one’ is used as a title only 38 times in the Old Testament.

For those Jews who were expecting a messiah figure, he would usually be a king or warrior-general who would rout the Roman oppressors and restore liberty to the land of Israel. This is why successive roman procurators were only too willing to dispense easily and quickly with would-be messiah figures. It might be for this reason that Jesus seems to have shunned the title ‘messiah’ preferring other titles like ‘teacher’ and ‘one like a son of man’.

The mighty warrior was not the only description for the Messiah, for some Jews, the anointed one would be a priest who would reform and purify the Temple, for others a teacher, and still others, a prophet.

Biblical Text – Mark 8:27-30

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Questions

1. What does the term ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’ mean to you?
2. What do you think the term ‘Messiah’ means for Jews today?
3. What do you think that God had anointed Jesus to do – and how was that expressed?
4. What are people – what are you – anointed by God to do today?
Reflection for Holy Monday
Jesus in some way acted like the Messiah, yet a Messiah very different from contemporary Jewish hopes. It is difficult to believe that Jesus filled a role of which he was unconscious. He must have known himself to be the Messiah
(C) G E Ladd
The Theology of the New Testament

I am anointed, but it is a secret,
Anointed openly by water and fire
visible to those who were able to see
I am anointed, but no
not a political animal or zealous priest
nor a soothsaying prophet nor a dreamer of dreams
I am anointed, free to be.
I am anointed to hang on that tree