The Old Testament contains prophecies of a Messiah king who would come and bring salvation to the Nation of Israel from their enemies, gather all Israelites from around the world back to their homeland (Isaiah 66:20), and create peace and bring safety to the Jews.
And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd . . . and My servant David shall be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37:24-25).
The Jewish people had been expecting this Messiah King of the Jews for years. At around the time the Romans were oppressing the Jewish people Jesus was born who was a descendant in the royal lineage of kings of the tribe of Judah. Many believed that Jesus was the promised anointed Messiah, king of the Jews who they expected to be “…a great human leader like King David, not a savior” (httpss://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach)
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle…
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zec 14:1-3)
The Jews were expecting to be saved from their enemies, the Romans, who would be the “mashiach“, “a great human leader like King David, not a savior“. (httpss://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach) They believed that Jesus would be that king. When Zacharias the priest, heard about Jesus, according to Luke chapter 1 he prophesied:
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
And hath raised up an horn of salvation (Deliverer) for us in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved (delivered) from our enemies (the Romans), and from the hand of all that hate us; (Messiah was to be king of the Jews with a powerful army!)
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The oath which he swear to our father Abraham, (this is a messianic prophecy) That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, (through physical war)
However, after Jesus’ 12th year, the Gospels became completely quiet about his life and the preparation for his most important mission of kingship and that during the 18 years of the prime of his life! Why? We are told by the Church that he worked as a carpenter all those years, being obedient to his father, Joseph. Evidently, there is something that the authors of the Gospels didn’t want the world to know.
According to the Gospels, Jesus’ ministry on Earth began around age 30 and scholars have varying estimates: he was somewhere between 33 and 40 when he was executed. From what we read Jesus preached and taught, healed, but as for being a a great human leader like like King David, there seems to be almost no indication of any kingly behaviour, no throne, no army, no government whatsoever. If he were an Earthly king, there is little evidence in the Gospels that he held such a position, nor did it even seem like he had the desire to be a king.
However, the Jews and even Herod saw Jesus as a potential king. The wise men who came from the east came looking for the King of the Jews:
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Mat 2:1-2)
The priests, scribes and Herod believed he was born a king:
And when he (Herod) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ (the anointed one) should be born…
…for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (Mat 2:3-6)
Even Jesus himself:
… Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. (Mat 5:35)
In Prophecy:
Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. (Jn 12:15)
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David (Luk 1:32)
…I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (2Sa 7:13)
Accused of being a king:
…whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (Jn 19:12)
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? (Jn 18:33)
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born
…Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (Jn 19:14,15)
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Jn 19:19)
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. (Jn 19:21)
During the execution:
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. (Mar 15:32)
So, with so much evidence in Old Testament prophecy, belief of the people and religious leadership, some Roman leaders and even Jesus himself, how is it that the king of the Jews who was prophesied to go to war with the support of God himself — gets captured, condemned to death and executed, without a “shot fired”?
How could Messiah King of the Jews, the most important man in the Bible — have failed in a mission that was even prophesied about — go to war with the enemies of Israel and deliver Israel from the Romans and have lost so miserably?
This war was prophesied through the prophets of God years before and was predicted to prosper, free Israel from their oppressors, bring peace and safety and unite the world under the God of Israel.
Fortunately, thanks to some friends of Jesus, he was saved from sure death, nursed back to life and was hidden from the Romans and the religious leaders that wanted to see him dead, until he was well enough to flee to a safer land far away.
Next: More Articles 2 | The King That Was No King Part 2