Christianity & Judaism
The Messiah (Mashiach) in Judaism and Christianity
Both Jews and Christians hope for the Messiah, God's anointed king from the line of David. In Judaism the Messiah is a human king who will gather the exiles of Israel, rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, restore the Torah, and bring an age of world peace and the knowledge of God. Because these visible things have not yet come, traditional Judaism does not accept Jesus as Messiah. Christians believe the Messiah comes in two stages, first to suffer and save, then to reign, and that he is more than a human king.
What Judaism expects of the Messiah
The great Jewish sage Maimonides (Rambam, 12th century) set out the classic criteria in his code, the Mishneh Torah (Laws of Kings, ch. 11): the Messiah will be a descendant of King David from the tribe of Judah, who restores the Davidic kingdom, rebuilds the Temple in Jerusalem, gathers the scattered exiles of Israel, brings the whole world to serve God, and ushers in an era of peace. Because the world is plainly not yet at peace and these things have not visibly happened, the honest and traditional Jewish position is that the Messiah has not yet come. We state that plainly and with respect.
What Christians believe
Christians read the same Scriptures and see a Messiah who is more than a human king, and whose work comes in two comings: first as the suffering servant who saves (see Isaiah 53), raised from the dead, and then returning to reign and complete the age of peace. Isaiah’s promise of a Davidic child is read by Christians in this greater light, a Christian interpretation of a shared text.
Where they agree
Both faiths await a Messiah from David’s line who will bring God’s peace to the earth, and both long for that day.
Where they differ
Judaism expects one coming of a human king who visibly brings the messianic age; Christianity confesses a Messiah who comes twice and is also divine. The honest Jewish objection, that the age of peace has not arrived, deserves to be heard; the Christian answer is the two comings and the resurrection. Weigh both.
Hebrew Bible quotations: King James Version; for the Jewish rendering, compare the JPS Tanakh at sefaria.org. Jewish interpretive positions (Rashi, Maimonides) are summarized from recognized Jewish sources. Every reference on this page was checked against its primary source.
The word itself
מָשִׁיחַ (Mashiach) → Χριστός (Christos) → Messiah / Christ
Mashiach means 'the anointed one', the king anointed with oil for God's service. Greek translates it Christos, from which comes 'Christ.' Both faiths reserve the title for God's promised deliverer; they differ on whether Jesus is he.
Frequently asked questions
- What will the Messiah do according to Judaism?
- By the classic criteria (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11), the Messiah, a descendant of David, will rebuild the Temple, gather the exiles of Israel, restore Torah observance, and bring an age of world peace and the knowledge of God.
- Why don't Jews accept Jesus as the Messiah?
- Because the visible marks of the messianic age, world peace, the rebuilt Temple, the regathering of Israel, have not come; and because Judaism's strict monotheism does not expect a divine Messiah. These are sincere, reasonable objections.
- What do Christians believe about the Messiah?
- Christians believe the Messiah comes in two stages: first as the suffering servant who dies and rises to save (Isaiah 53), then returning to reign and complete the age of peace, and that he is also God with us.
Come and see
Jesus, his mother, and his first followers were all Jews who loved the Scriptures of Israel. The most honest way to know who he was is to read the accounts of his life. There is no pressure here.
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