Bible Studies

Who Did Jesus The Messiah Die For Part 1

by Eyvonne Black
07/05/25
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This topic is a three-part series.

My enthusiasm for introducing this series stems from a desire to explore scriptures with greater clarity. I pray that through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and after engaging with this series, you will gain a deeper understanding of Jesus' earthly ministry and feel confident in answering the question posed with scriptural evidence.

Many theologians and biblical scholars have either attempted to discuss this topic through heated debates or have completely shied away from the subject, as those seeking clarity and truth remain confused by scriptures that appear contradictory.

You may say, 'Come on, Blackie, why is this even a discussion? We can eliminate any doubt with John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.' And my response would be, 'You're right; God’s Word is Truth.' Nevertheless, taking a further look into Scripture, you will come across Matthew 10:5-6, where Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom message. He told them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles.” Another scripture in Matthew 15:22-24, where we find the story of the Canaanite woman pleading with Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." So, how do you explain those scriptures?

To address the question and gain an accurate understanding of why these inconsistencies may seem to exist, it is essential to recognise and examine the significance of the prophecies and early writings in the Hebrew Scriptures and their connection to the fulfilment in the Greek Scriptures, also referred to as the Old and New Testament.

The question you may now ask is why? Because Jesus' earthly existence was prophesied long before his arrival, and every prophecy connects to a fulfilment. The Apostle Peter openly states in 2 Peter 1:20-21, "Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." I appreciate that this scripture may have never been examined for its consequential meaning. However, the evidence will be crystal clear as we delve into this topic.

You will have noticed that I used Jesus, the Messiah’s English and anglicised name, rather than Ye’shua, his original Hebrew name. I have chosen to do so because his English name is more universally recognised. I will also use for the King of the Universe the titles' Almighty God' and 'the Most High' interchangeably.

There appears to be a growing number of Messianic believers, commonly referred to as the Messianic community. Who are they? The root word for "Messianic" is "Messiah", the original Hebrew term for the "Anointed One". The Greek translation of "Messiah" is Χριστός (Khristós),anglicised as Christ. Hence, the body of Christ refers to the Christian community or Christendom. Both communities are followers of Jesus. The difference between them is that the Messianic community recognises, respects, observes and strictly adheres to the Israelite practices of worship. This involves their commitment to God’s Law, which dictates that the Sabbath must be observed on the 7^th Day for congregational and family worship. They may provide other services during the week; still, they observe Saturdays as the principal day of worship, as did the early 1^st-century Messianic congregations led by the Apostle Paul. They also observe the Jewish Holidays and Festivals. They use both English and Hebrew liturgy in worship and songs of praise, emphasising the connection between the Messiah’s foretold existence in the Old Testament and its fulfilment in the New Testament. The Torah, the reading of the Law in the Old Testament, is used continuously as part of the biblical liturgy. Some believers are committed to wearing a yarmulke (head covering), the tallit (prayer shawl), and the tzitzit (the fringes).

The community primarily descends from Jacob, the Nation of Israel, who have taken a stand for believing in and following Jesus as the Messiah. Joining them is a growing crowd of Gentile believers, that is, those who are not born to the House of Israel. The Apostle Paul acknowledges this gathering in Romans 11:11-25.

It is largely accepted among Judaism, Islam, Christendom, and the Messianic community that the coming of Jesus the Messiah was communicated to the Nation of Israel as early as ‘The Exodus,’ when Almighty God sent Moses to free them from Egyptian slavery. In Deuteronomy 18:18, God tells Moses to speak to the people, saying, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." Now, that scripture explicitly identifies who Almighty God was referring to, and the prophet we can associate with Jesus. We can confirm that to be true, because when Jesus confronted his fellow brothers, the Pharisees, who did not believe he was the Messiah, he said in John 5:46, "If you believe Moses, you would believe in me, for he wrote about me."

There is a wealth of evidence in the Old Testament, particularly through the prophetic writings, that speaks of the Messiah's genealogy and his coming to earth.

I will identify some of these prophetic writings through the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Micah, Zechariah, Daniel, and the Book of Psalms that foretold His coming. Examining the prophetic writings will reveal who these prophets, all of whom were Israelites, were addressing and whether they included other nations alongside the Nation of Israel.

In Part 2, we will begin to examine the prophetic writing and their fulfilment. This is a.k.a. Blackie TheBerean – Guided by Passion, Purpose, and Truth. On the topic:

Who Did Jesus, the Messiah, Die For: The Nation of Israel or the Whole World?

References

Bible Verses ‘ESV’ and various other Christian versions and translations

Britannica - Biblical Literature in the Old Testament ‘Isaiah’

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Google Search – Powered by AI

Insight For Living – The Bible Teaching Ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll's Isaiah’

‘The Great Commission’ coined by Baron Justinian Von Welz, Matthew 28:16-20

The Messiah Wikipedia

Video Representation: https://youtu.be/9pUisC-BA9c  available from 6th July 2025

Please note: Parts 2 and 3 are video representations only!