Messiah: Part 3, New Testament Insights
Does Jesus fulfill the role of Messiah? If so, which one - the Josephic or the Davidic? In this article, we explore what the Gospel writers seemed to think, picking up the clues from the Rabbinic tradition.
There is evidence that the authors of the New Testament were knowledgeable and familiar with the Rabbinic oral tradition of their time. As one may expect, numerous parallels to Jesus's teachings can be found in the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash, including the works of the Zohar and later Chasidic writings.
It is therefore a small step to accept that the authors [of the New Testament] were aware of the oral tradition around the concept of Messiah, particularly concerning the Josephic and Davidic aspects.
Though many seem to mistake Jesus for the Davidic Messiah, it seems to me the New Testament writings equate Jesus with the Josephic Messiah. This misunderstanding is still very persistent in our time as most are unaware of the nuance of this tradition.
This will be a significant shift as we will come to understand.
The Threefold Mission of the Josephic Messiah
In part 2, we looked at the three-fold mission of Messiah son of Joseph¹. We will highlight some key concepts of this Messianic role as they are woven into the fabric of the New Testament. According to the Vilna Gaon, they are;
- The Revelation of the Mysteries of Torah - teaching the secrets of scripture
- Begin the Ingathering of the Exiles of Israel
- Removing the Impurities from Israel and the Nations
1. The Revelation of the Mysteries of Torah
The Gospel authors continually drive the idea that Jesus had an unparalleled grasp of the Scriptures and a unique connection to G_D. The second chapter of Luke tells us that he learned at the feet of the elders, and astonished them with his knowledge.
This gives his teachings more depth, thoroughly embedding him within his day's Rabbinic scholars and mystics. Ostensibly, at times unaware of these hidden teachings, his audiences were amazed at his insights and interpretations of these traditions².
The Gospels include many incidents of Jesus being tested by scholars and scribes, depicting that their knowledge as insufficient. This is connected to the tradition of the Josephic Messiah, that the 'wisdom of the scribes will be deficient³' comparatively.
Additionally, the Rabbinic art of revealing and concealing is a particular gift of the Josephic Messiah⁴, who is said to be a "revealer of mysteries". In alignment with this idea, Jesus was recorded as having concealed these higher-level teachings from the masses through his use of parables.
Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” - Matthew 13:34-35
These examples run against the grain of modern Messianic theologies that assume the Messiah will immediately democratize hidden wisdom for the world. The Gospels tell a different story.
Remember, Messiah's job is to help people level up in growth - not to do the work for them.
