Was Jesus the Messiah?

Luke 18:31-34

For the Jews, Jesus was a 1st century man who claimed to be the Messiah. They say there were many that made such a claim and that Jesus never intended to start a "religion." He was just a rabbi. So how is Jesus set apart from all these others?\r
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When He came: Timing\r
Who He was: Character, wisdom, and authority\r
What He did: Presence and power of the Holy Spirit\r
How He died\r
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All these were prophesied beforehand. \r
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Who did the Jews expect as their Messiah?\r
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"Jesus was a patriotic Jew, who loved his people, rebelled against the cruelty of the Romans, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, and brought spiritual knowledge to billions," he said. "But the Jews already had God, were already close to God, and needed no intermediary, and that remains the case." \r
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, prominent Jewish author\r
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The Hebrew Bible describes the Messiah as a national savior who would arrive at the time of the Babylonian exile (hundreds of years before Christianity) and restore the nation of Israel with a capital at Jerusalem.\r
Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner\r
From Wikepedia:\r
The Jewish view of the Messiah differs substantially from the Christian idea of the Messiah. According to the mainstream Jewish conception of the Messiah as described by the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, Jesus did not fulfill the predictions associated with the Messiah's coming. [4] [5] [6] [7]\r
According to Isaiah, the Messiah will be a paternal descendant of King David (Isaiah 11:1) via King Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:8-10). He is expected to return the Jews to their homeland and rebuild the Temple, reign as King, and usher in an era of peace (Isaiah 2:4) and understanding where "the knowledge of God" fills the earth (Isaiah 11:9), leading the nations to "end up recognizing the wrongs they did Israel" (Isaiah 52:13-53:5). Ezekiel states the Messiah will redeem the Jews (Ezekiel 16:55).\r
Jesus lived while The Second Temple was standing, and not while the Jews were exiled. He never reigned as King of the Jews, and there was no subsequent era of peace or great knowledge. Rather than being redeemed, the Jews were subsequently exiled from Israel. These discrepancies were noted by Jewish scholars who were contemporaries of Jesus, as later pointed out by Nahmanides, who in 1263 observed that Jesus was rejected as the Messiah by the rabbis of his time. [8]\r
According to the Torah, at a minimum the criteria for a person to be considered a prophet or speak for God in Judaism are that they must follow the God of Israel (and no other God), they must not describe God differently than he is known to be from Scripture, they must not advocate change to God's word or state that God has changed his mind and wishes things that contradict his already-stated eternal word, and the things they do speak of must come to pass (Deuteronomy 13:1-5;18:18-22).\r
Additionally, there are two types of "false prophet" recognized in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh): the one who claims to be a prophet in the name of idolatry, and the one who claims to be a prophet in the name of the God of Israel, but declares that any word or commandment (mitzvah) which God has said no longer applies, or makes false statements in the name of God. [9] As Judaism believes that God's word is true eternally, one who claims to speak in God's name but diverges in any way from what God himself has said, logically cannot be inspired by divine authority. Deuteronomy 13:1 states simply, "All this which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." [10] [11] [12]\r
Even if someone who appears to be a prophet can perform supernatural acts or signs, no prophet or dreamer can contradict the laws already stated in the Bible (Deuteronomy 13:1-5;18:18-22). [13]\r
Thus, any divergence from the tenets of Biblical Judaism espoused by Jesus would disqualify him from being considered a prophet in Judaism. This was the view adopted by Jesus' contemporaries, as according to rabbinical tradition as stated in the Talmud (Sotah 48b) "when Malachi died the Prophecy departed from Israel." As Malachi lived centuries before Jesus it is clear that the rabbis of Talmudic times did not view Jesus as a divinely-inspired prophet.\r
From Connecticut College Religious Studies\r
According to Judaic thinking, Jesus did not uphold the two primary elements of the Messiah and the messianic age: justice And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:5) and peace. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Isaiah 2:2, KJV)\r
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The Jews have a history of not believing the prophets (see Luke 13) so it's understandable that they would reject Jesus, but that doesn't make them right.\r
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The Messiah (which means "Annointed One" in Hebrew - "Christ" in Greek) is called "The Branch" in Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 23, and Zechariah 3:8.\r
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So what are the main Prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament and how were they fulfilled:\r
" Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)\r
" From Nazareth (Isaiah 9:1-2)\r
" Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23) as a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16), of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14), and of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)\r
" Herod killing the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)\r
" Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)\r
" Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)\r
" Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)\r
" Preached good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)\r
" Performed miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)\r
" Cleansed the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)\r
" Ministered in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16)\r
" Entered Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9) \r
" First presented Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)\r
" Rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7)\r
" Died a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving: rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48), betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18), sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15), silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14), being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31), beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26), spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30), piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31), being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38), praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34), piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34), given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36), no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36), buried in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60), casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24).\r
" Rose from the dead! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)\r
" Ascended into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)\r
" Sat down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)\r
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1. Jesus would be a descendant of David. 104 (1 in 10,000)\r
2. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. 105 (1 in 100,000)\r
3. Jesus would be a miracle worker. 105 (1 in 100,000)\r
4. Jesus would present Himself as King riding on a donkey. 106 (1 in 1,000,000)\r
5. Jesus would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver. 106 (1 in 1,000,000)\r
6. Jesus would be crucified. 106 (1 in 1,000,000)\r
7. Jesus would first present Himself as King 173,880 days\r
from the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. 106 (1 in 1,000,000)\r
Total Probability (without God) 1038 (1 in a 100 billion, billion, billion, billion)\r
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Major assumptions by the Jews:\r
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There is one coming of the Messiah instead of two (near and far term fulfillment)\r
They already have God and don't need to repent (Jesus made it clear - Luke 13:3)\r
Each is judged for his own sin, no substitutionary death. (Romans 5 - "one manâ?¦"\r
Messiah is a political ruler for Israel, not God (again, two comings - see Zech 9:9 "donkey")\r
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The importance of prophecy:\r
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Historical proof (it was pre-told)\r
Biblical proof (gives credence to the Bible as God's Word)\r
Points to Jesus as the Messiah (not just a wannabe)\r
Future hope (if God accurately tells us about Jesus then we can trust Him for our future)\r
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