Historical & Cultural Context
Messiah in Second Temple Judaism
The Expectations Behind the New Testament
Understanding the World Behind the Word
When the writers of the New Testament called Jesus the Messiah, they were using a word already surrounded by centuries of biblical promise, Jewish interpretation, national longing, and diverse expectation. Understanding that world helps us hear the New Testament’s claims about Jesus with greater clarity.
Questions This Study Explores
- 01
What did “Messiah” mean to Jews living during the Second Temple period?
- 02
Did first-century Judaism expect one kind of Messiah—or several?
- 03
How did Israel’s Scriptures shape those expectations?
- 04
How does this historical background illuminate the New Testament presentation of Jesus?
The World of the Study
The Second Temple period stretches from the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple following the Babylonian exile to its destruction by Rome in AD 70. During these centuries, Jewish thought developed amid Persian, Greek, Hasmonean, and Roman rule. Biblical promises concerning kingship, restoration, covenant, priesthood, judgment, and the kingdom of God were read within a changing political and religious world.
Rather than producing a single uniform expectation of “the Messiah,” this environment gave rise to a range of messianic hopes. Royal, priestly, prophetic, apocalyptic, and national-restoration expectations appear in different combinations across the literature of the period. That diversity provides important historical context for understanding the claims made about Jesus in the New Testament.
Key Biblical Texts
- Genesis 49:10
- 2 Samuel 7:12–16
- Psalm 2
- Psalm 110
- Isaiah 9:6–7
- Isaiah 11:1–10
- Daniel 7:13–14
- Micah 5:2
- Zechariah 9:9
Teaching Resource
Messiah in Second Temple Judaism
A 30-Minute Teaching Study
Designed for adult Bible study and discipleship settings, this lesson introduces the major streams of Jewish messianic expectation surrounding the New Testament and considers how that historical background helps illuminate the presentation of Jesus as Messiah.
Download the Study→