1. Messiah in Jewish literature and Mark
White notes that messiah was a technical term with a specific meaning in early Israelite history. Moreover, when Judaism developed an apocalyptic worldview (200 BCE-100CE), Jewish writers expanded and developed the meaning of the word to fit their new historical circumstances (namely, oppression under foreign rule). Examine how the Jewish tradition worked with the concept of messiah:
a. How did early Israelite writers understand the term messiah and in what context was it typically used
Early Israelite writers understood the term messiah as the coming of the new era. The word “messiah” means “anointed” and is derived from the Hebrew word “mashach” which means “to pour”. It was used mostly to refer to a king. The king was viewed by the Israelites as God’s adopted son. This would declare the continuation of the royal lineage. The term “Messiah” changed based on the cultural climate that the Israelites were currently facing. Given the fact that the Bible was written in several different languages and translated , the contexts were bound to eventually become dubious to the reader without understanding historical context and root words.
b. How do passages like Psalms 2:1-7, 2 Samuel 7:11-17, and Isaiah 11:1-2 reflect early Israelite messianic views?
These passages reflect promises made to the Davidic line that a king shall reign and the throne will be established forever. Even though Judah was facing a dubious future these promises were iterated over and over. The prophet Isaiah predicted a coming king which is when the messianic views began to materialize more in the Israelite philosophy. The messiah was to gather the Israelites to Zion, build and protect the third temple, and continue the Davidic dynasty.
c. How did the rise of apocalypticism (200 BCE-100 CE) transform the meaning of messiah in later Jewish literature (provide a few specific examples from White)? What “job responsibilities” did these later writers give to the messiah, and how do these new attributes reflect an expansion of the idea of the messiah in early Israelite history?
The rise of apocalypticism transformed the meaning of Messiah into signifying a divine revelation. The historical context is that Judah came under Seleucid rule and Judah faced the hellenization which then propagated a revolt called the Maccabean revolt (167-164 BCE). Apocalyptic views may have been initiated first after Babylonian exile. The work that most concisely describes the apocalyptic worldview would be Enoch despite never being formally canonized. In this writing cosmic duality between good and evil and Satan vs God are themes. The battle for humankind and Earth produced apocalyptic imagery. The word “apocalypse” actually changed meanings – first it was the “end of present time” and then it changed to the “complete end of time”. The root meaning in Greek means “to uncover or reveal”.
d. Read Mk 1:9-11 in the context of the Jewish use of the term messiah. What claim is Mark making for Jesus?
Under the context of the Jewish use of the term messiah, Jesus is bringing about a new era that fulfills the prophet’s visions in Jewish eschatological writing. “…he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” (Mark 1:10-11). The “Son of God” means the “anointed one” before it came to be part of the “Trinity” later established at the Council of Nicea. It is highly symbolic. The son is therefore the “king” who maintains the Davidic lineage. The baptism performed by John the Baptist thus carries with it some of the apocalyptic thinking of earlier Israelite authors. This means the changing of the era (or end time) is coming soon and Jesus fulfills the covenant for the Jews.