Q: Did Jesus Claim to Be the Messiah?
Many people say Jesus was a great teacher, even a prophet, but that He never claimed to be the Messiah of Israel or the Son of God. The truth is Jesus claimed to be both.
1. A Samaritan woman said to Him, “‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’” (Jn. 4:25–26).
2. When He went to the synagogue to worship on the Sabbath, He was asked to read from Isaiah 61, a passage the rabbis considered Messianic prophecy. Jesus read verse 1 and part of verse 2 but did not read, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” Then He declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21). Understanding clearly that Jesus was proclaiming Himself the Messiah, the people angrily threw Him out of the city and tried to kill Him (vv. 28–30).
3. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt. 16:15). Peter answered, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Agreeing, Jesus replied, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (v. 17). Then He commanded His disciples “that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ” (v. 20).
4. Jesus told a group of Jewish men, “I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn. 8:58). Here He professed to be the preexistent God of the Old Testament who revealed Himself to Moses (Ex. 3:2).
5. Jesus told Martha, “‘Whoever . . . believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of God’” (Jn. 11:26–27). Jesus did not correct her.
6. At the Feast of Dedication, the Jewish leaders asked Jesus, “‘How long do You keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ [Messiah], tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. I and My Father are one’” (10:24–25, 30). Then the Jews “took up stones again to stone Him” (v. 31), declaring, “You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (v. 33).
7. At Jesus’ trial, the high priest said to Him, “‘I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said’” (Mt. 26:63–64). Mark recorded that Jesus said, “I am” (Mk. 14:62), meaning, yes, I am the Messiah, the Son of God.
For Jesus to be the Messiah he would need to be of the line of David.Since Mary was immaculately conceived,that remove that possibility because her father Joachim was of the Davidian line and her Mother Anne was a Levite.
If Mary was of natural birth but but immaculate through her virginity then that would fill the prophesy perfectly.
Is it possible that the Messiah and the son of God are two separate people.
One a political figure,the other a divine figure embodied in human flesh?
Yes, but how reliable are the Gospels? None were written by any eyewitnesses.
We have no idea who wrote Matthew or Mark. We know Luke was a follower of Saul/Paul who, like Paul, had never seen or heard or traveled with Jesus. So all of Luke is clearly mere ‘hearsay’. Given that Matthew and Mark write about things they clearly were not eyewitnesses to, those two represent ‘anonymous hearsay’. John’s gospel was apparently written by a committee of his followers, not by John himself, and is thus also ‘hearsay’. So how do we know that Jesus ever actually claimed to be the messiah – or even claimed to be divine- or whether that’s just the story that Paul the Mythmaker created and used to market his new Hellenic Mystery Religion to his target audience of Greeks and Romans?
Sooo what Muhammad heard was reliable? Cause that sounds a lot like, “anonymous hearsay.” Not a super solid argument.
Matthew was a disciple of Jesus and did follow Him. People such as Papias, Irenaeus, Pantaenus, and Origen all concur that Matthew is the writer of the book of Matthew.
The early church seemed to also be unanimous that John Mark was the writer of Mark. Even Papias of Hierapoli held that John Mark was the author. John Mark isn’t a direct eyewitness walking with Jesus. However, he records an eyewitness of Jesus namely Simon Peter.
These are external pieces of evidence for your consideration. It is not reasonable to consider these Gospels as being hearsay as you have claimed in your post.
John was an APOSTLE of Jesus, one of the 12. And when the gospel was preached by Peter (1 & 2 Peter, an APOSTLE), Paul (an APOSTLE because Jesus spoke with him after knocking him off of his donkey and blinding him, and penned most of the NT), James (a half-brother of Jesus [Mary and Joseph were James’ parents]), and Jude (another
half-brother to Jesus) hundreds of people who witnessed Jesus’ ministry and saw Jesus’ miracles were still alive to refute the preaching but no one did.
Mr. Levy, Just to say, thank you so much for your answer.
Jesus is God, Son of God and Spirit of God. And Jesus is God Himself. This is Trinity.
Christ is a title not a name. Jesus was his name.
Thank you for the article. Its good to know the passages.
I live God’s blessing in the Messiah Yeshua
Wieslaw Radwanski
Jesus said me and my father are one .What ever the father does he does also.