Source: “When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation”, by Paula Fredriksen, 2018.
This podcast explores the multifaceted concept of the "messiah" in Late Second Temple Judaism, explaining how the term applied to various figures like priests, kings (especially the Davidic line), prophets, and even the nation of Israel and foreign rulers. It then focuses on how the earliest followers of Jesus interpreted his identity and future role through the lens of these diverse messianic traditions, particularly those centered on David, the warrior-king. The text highlights that early understandings of Jesus' Davidic connection were driven by expectations of his imminent, triumphant second coming to establish God's Kingdom, and shows how later gospel writers like Matthew and Luke constructed narratives, including conflicting birth stories, to provide Jesus with a Davidic lineage to align with these evolving beliefs. Finally, the source examines the early Jerusalem community's decision to spread their message beyond their immediate circle, noting that the inclusion of Gentiles in their mission, initially unplanned, further validated their conviction that the End Times were near.
The Diverse Meanings of "Messiah": The concept of "messiah" or "anointed" in the Hebrew Bible was not singular. The term applied to various individuals and roles, including priests, especially the high priest, and kings, who were designated as "the Lord's anointed." Prophets were also occasionally referred to as anointed. Even the entire people of Israel and a foreign king like Cyrus were called "anointed" in different biblical texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls community at Qumran anticipated both a priestly and a royal messiah in the last days, and seemingly a "heavenly" messiah as well. This highlights the considerable interpretive flexibility of the term "messiah" in the late Second Temple period.
The Prominence of the Davidic Messiah Tradition: Although the term "messiah" had various applications, the figure of King David became particularly significant in later, and especially Christian, traditions. David, known as a warrior, king, psalmist, and the father of Solomon who built the first temple, held a high profile in the Hebrew Bible and apocalyptic writings of the late Second Temple and early Roman periods. This tradition focused on David's unique relationship with God and the promises made to him.
The Divine Promise to David's Line and the Concept of Divine Sonship: A crucial element in the Davidic tradition is the promise found in 2 Samuel 7, where God declares he will build David a lasting "house" or dynasty. This passage states that God will raise up David's offspring, establish his kingdom forever, and says, "I will be a father to him, and he will be my son." This established a special relationship between God and the kings of David's line, designating them as "sons of God." This status denoted their particular dignity and relationship with the deity, not an inherent divine or metaphysical quality of their own; they were understood to be fully human.
Understanding the Eternal Nature of the Davidic Throne: The promise in 2 Samuel that David's throne would be established "forever" was understood not as granting immortality to individual kings, who were mortal, but as ensuring the perpetual succession of rulers from David's lineage. Prophets like Jeremiah foresaw that David would never lack a man on the throne of Israel. This concept of eternal succession for the Davidic line was linked to the biblical idea of divine, eternal sonship, which applied to each king in his generation.
Shifting Messiah Expectations in the Late Second Temple Period: Following the end of the historical Davidic dynasty with the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, the qualifications for the messiah diverged in the late Second Temple period. Some groups prioritized lineage, requiring the messiah to be of Davidic descent, often associated with apocalyptic expectations of the End of Days. Others emphasized function, looking for a mighty warrior to establish Israel's sovereignty, a more political or military focus. Apocalyptic visions that did include a messiah typically depicted him as a son of David who would appear at the Endtime, bringing about peace, reassembling the scattered tribes, and ruling over nations.
The Earliest Community's Expectation of the Imminent End: The initial community around Jesus, both before and after his crucifixion, strongly believed in the imminent arrival of the End and the Kingdom of God. Jesus' preaching had prepared them for this. His crucifixion as "King of the Jews," the subsequent resurrection appearances, and their eventual cessation led the community to expect Jesus' soon return as King to inaugurate the Kingdom. The unexpected and persistent delay of this return and the Kingdom's arrival presented a profound challenge.
The "Davidization" of Jesus in the Early Community: The early followers of Jesus, particularly after his death and resurrection, began to interpret his future role through the lens of Davidic traditions. Given Jesus' earthly mission often emphasized passive nonresistance rather than martial power, the warrior aspects of David were applied to Jesus' expected second coming. Scriptures concerning David's lineage, kingship, and enthronement (like 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 110) were used to understand Jesus' present status (enthroned at God's right hand) and his future triumphant return as a warrior-messiah. This expectation about Jesus' future performance as a Davidic figure also influenced beliefs about his past, leading to the development of traditions asserting his Davidic lineage.
The Construction of Jesus' Davidic Biography in the Gospels: Later evangelists, such as Matthew and Luke, writing decades after the first generation, actively constructed biographical details for Jesus to affirm his Davidic status. They created distinct, and in some details mutually exclusive, birth narratives that placed Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, David's ancestral village, and traced his lineage through Joseph back to David. These narratives drew upon interpretations of biblical texts (like Isaiah 7.14, which was read as a prophecy of a virgin birth for the messiah) to support the theological convictions about Jesus' messianic identity and Davidic descent, which had become crucial over time.
The Expansion of the Mission to "All Israel" and the Inclusion of Gentiles: Initially focused on Jewish communities, the early apostles, faced with the delay of the Kingdom, felt compelled to resume the mission, interpreting Jesus' instructions to reach "all the towns of Israel" more broadly. This led them beyond the territories of Herod the Great into Jewish communities in Diaspora cities around the Mediterranean. In urban synagogues, they encountered "Judaized" or "god-fearers"—pagans who associated with Jewish communities and observed some practices. These pagans, who desired an exclusive commitment to Israel's god through the Jesus movement, were welcomed as "eschatological gentiles," fulfilling prophecies about the nations turning to God at the End. This unintended inclusion of gentiles became a significant development, seen as confirmation that the Endtime was truly near.
Coping with the Delay of Prophecy and the Kingdom: The source uses modern sociological studies on prophecy failure and cognitive dissonance to frame the experience of the early Jesus movement. Despite the delay of the Kingdom's arrival, the community endured. Instead of concluding that Jesus' prophecy had failed, they sought explanations for the delay and adjusted their understanding of prerequisites for its fulfillment. This led to internal disagreements and new theological rationalizations. For example, Paul explained the delay as God's strategic plan to allow the mission to gentiles to reach completion before the final events unfolded. These adjustments allowed the movement to continue and adapt its message over time.