The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word “mashiach” which means “anointed one.” In the Old Testament, priests, prophets and kings were anointed with oil as a sign of being set apart and commissioned by God for His service. The Messiah, therefore, was the “Anointed One” who was promised to come and deliver God’s people.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One promised by God in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled many prophecies about the Messiah that were written hundreds of years before His birth. Here is a summary of key things the Bible teaches about the Messiah:
The Messiah would be the seed/offspring of a woman
Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This prophecy about the Messiah was given by God soon after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. It refers to the Messiah being born of a woman to defeat Satan. Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit but born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35).
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham
God promised Abraham, “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). The Messiah would come from Abraham’s family line. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17).
The Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac
God told Abraham that the promised offspring would specifically come through his son Isaac, not Ishmael (Genesis 17:19-21; 21:12). Jesus was a descendant of Isaac (Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:23-34).
The Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob
Isaac’s son Jacob was later renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28). The Messiah would come from Jacob’s/Israel’s line. Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph from the tribe of Judah, one of the 12 tribes that descended from Jacob’s/Israel’s sons (Matthew 1:2-16; Luke 3:23-34).
The Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah
Jacob prophesied that the ruler of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Jesus was born of the virgin Mary who was of the tribe of Judah (Luke 3:23-33; Hebrews 7:14).
The Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse
Isaiah 11:1 says, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”
Jesse was the father of King David. Jesus was a descendant of Jesse through David (Matthew 1:5-6; Luke 3:23-32).
The Messiah would be a descendant of David
God promised David, “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). The Messiah had to come from David’s royal line (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:23-31).
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
The prophet Micah foretold the birthplace of the Messiah: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the angel Gabriel announced to Mary and Joseph (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7).
The Messiah would be born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us.” Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, so He is the literal Immanuel (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35).
The Messiah would be God in the flesh
Isaiah 9:6 says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This means the Messiah would be God come to earth in human form. Jesus claimed equality with God and demonstrated His divine power through miracles, authority to forgive sins, and resurrection from the dead after dying for our sins (John 1:1-5, 14; 5:18; 10:30-33; 14:9; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3).
The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger
Isaiah 40:3 declares, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” John the Baptist fulfilled this role as the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus and announced His coming (Matthew 3:1-3; Luke 1:17; 3:2-6; John 1:6-8, 15-28).
The Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey
Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus fulfilled this prophecy on Palm Sunday when He entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; John 12:12-16).
The Messiah would be rejected
Isaiah 53:3 prophesied that the Messiah would be rejected: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leaders and condemned to death despite being innocent (Matthew 27:20-26; John 1:10-11).
The Messiah would be betrayed
David wrote in Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” This pointed to the Messiah being betrayed by a close friend. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver by Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25, 47-50; Luke 22:19-23).
The Messiah would be beaten, mocked, and spit upon
Isaiah 50:6 says, “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” Jesus endured brutal scourging and beatings at the hands of the Roman soldiers. He was also mocked, spit on, and struck in the face (Matthew 26:67-68; 27:26-31, 39-44; Mark 14:65; 15:15-20).
The Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced
Psalm 22:16 describes the Messiah’s suffering: “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the cross when He was crucified (John 19:17-18, 37; 20:25-27).
The Messiah would die by crucifixion
Psalm 22 graphically depicts death by crucifixion hundreds of years before this method of execution was invented: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet – I can count all my bones – they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:14-18). Jesus’ execution fulfilled every detail in this prophecy (Matthew 27:35; John 19:28, 34, 37).
The Messiah would die as a sacrifice for sin
Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Jesus willingly gave His life as a sacrifice to pay for our sins (John 1:29; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24).
The Messiah would rise from the dead
The prophet Jonah foreshadowed the Messiah’s resurrection with his time in the belly of the great fish (Matthew 12:39-40). Psalm 16:10 says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Jesus was resurrected on the third day after His death, just as He prophesied, proving His power over death and deity as the Son of God (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12).
The Messiah would ascend to heaven
Psalm 68:18 says, “You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.” After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended back into heaven as His disciples watched (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11).
The Messiah currently intercedes for believers
Psalm 110:4 shows the ongoing priestly ministry of the Messiah in heaven: “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'” Jesus serves as the heavenly High Priest continually interceding for those who have trusted in Him (Hebrews 5:6; 6:20; 7:23-25).
The Messiah will return again
At Jesus’ ascension, the angels declared, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Many more prophecies describe the Messiah coming again in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30; 26:64; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 1:7).
In summary, the title “Messiah” signifies Jesus Christ as the anointed Savior sent by God to deliver His people. The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies and foreshadowings of the Messiah’s birth, life, death for sin, resurrection, heavenly exaltation, ongoing intercession for believers, and second coming in glory and judgment. Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies about the Messiah, proving He is the Christ.