How the Church Got Here · Chapter 5
What did God's people hope for, and how did Jesus surprise them?
For centuries God's people waited for a promised king. When he came, he was laid in a manger, ate with outcasts, and died on a cross. Nobody expected a Messiah like that.
Start this chapterThe Messiah
Messiah is a Hebrew word meaning “anointed one.” Kings were anointed with oil, so the Messiah was the king God promised, from the family of King David. In Greek the word is Christos, which is where we get “Christ.”
About 700 years before Jesus, the prophet Isaiah promised a child who would be called Prince of Peace. Many people hoped the Messiah would be a warrior who would drive out their enemies.
Jesus surprised everyone. He healed the sick, ate with people others avoided, and called himself a servant. Instead of taking a throne, he went to the cross, and then rose again.
In 1741, George Frideric Handel wrote Messiah. The music tells this whole story. Many churches still sing its “Hallelujah” chorus at Christmas and Easter.
Read it in your Bible
- Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah promises a child who will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Words to know
- Messiah. A Hebrew word meaning “anointed one,” the king God promised. When we say Jesus Christ, we're saying Jesus the Messiah.
- Anoint. To pour oil on someone, a sign they're chosen for a task. Kings and priests were anointed. At baptism, some congregations mark the cross with oil too.
- Isaiah. The prophet who promised a child called Prince of Peace. Christians read his words at Christmas because Jesus fulfilled them.
- David. The shepherd king whose family line the Messiah would come from. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, David's hometown.
- Servant. What Jesus called himself, instead of a warrior king. Jesus showed that God's power looks like love that serves.