The promise of the Messiah, who is Christ, is a central theme throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, and it is particularly significant in the context of God's covenant relationship with the Jewish people. This promise is woven through the narrative of the Old Testament, beginning with the early patriarchs and continuing through the prophets, establishing a foundation for the coming of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of these prophecies.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The promise of a Messiah is first intimated in the covenant God made with Abraham. In Genesis 12:3 , God declares to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." This promise of blessing to all nations is understood as a foreshadowing of the coming Messiah, through whom salvation would be extended beyond the Jewish people to all humanity.

The Davidic Covenant

The promise of a Messiah is further clarified in the covenant with King David. In 2 Samuel 7:12-13 , God promises David, "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." This covenant establishes the expectation of a future king from David's lineage, whose reign would be eternal, pointing to the coming of Christ.

Prophetic Promises

The prophets of Israel provided additional details about the coming Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 prophesies, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel." This prophecy is seen as a direct reference to the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6-7 further describes the nature and reign of the Messiah: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore."

Micah 5:2 specifies the birthplace of the Messiah: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me one to be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Fulfillment in Christ

The New Testament writers affirm that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of these Old Testament promises. In Matthew 1:1 , the genealogy of Jesus is traced back to David and Abraham, underscoring His rightful place in the lineage of the promised Messiah. The angel's announcement to Mary in Luke 1:31-33 echoes the Davidic promise: "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end."

The apostle Paul, in Galatians 3:16 , emphasizes that the promises made to Abraham find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ: "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, 'and to seeds,' meaning many, but 'and to your seed,' meaning One, who is Christ."

Thus, the promise of Christ to the Jews is a testament to God's faithfulness and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through history, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.Genesis 49:10
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Daniel 9:25
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Christ, Though Known to the Jews under the Law, yet Only ...
... his person, was formerly made known to the Jews, as we ... and proves that every thing
which it promised is fulfilled ... When Christ says that the Law and the Prophets ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 9 christ though known.htm

Salvation to the Jews
... and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who ... The Jews were God's chosen people,
through whom He had ... been the first to recognize Him as the Promised One ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 35 salvation to the.htm

Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews
... of the Scriptures unless they first believed in Christ. 6. That the Jews should
lose Jerusalem, and should ... second circumcision of the spirit is promised instead ...
//christianbookshelf.org/cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/

The Jews in Vain Promise Themselves Salvation, which Cannot be ...
... Chapter XLIV."The Jews in vain promise themselves salvation ... and a hope of inheriting
the promised good things ... to become acquainted with this Christ, to be ...
/.../chapter xliv the jews in vain.htm

Of the Mission of the Holy Ghost Fifty Days after Christ's ...
... themselves, repented, and were converted, so that thousands of Jews believed on ... kingdom,
neither did they look any more for Christ, the promised king, in a ...
/.../on the catechising of the uninstructed/chapter 23 of the mission of.htm

The Jews Hate the Christians who Believe this How Great the ...
... Chapter XXXIX."The Jews hate the Christians who believe this ... it is declared in the
Scriptures that Christ must suffer ... of what you ask, as I promised, I shall ...
/.../chapter xxxix the jews hate the.htm

Christ's Millennial and Heavenly Glory in Company with his Saints.
... of Jud??a, however, which even the Jews themselves, induced by ... interpretation is
spiritually applicable to Christ and His ... relates to what is promised in heaven ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxv christs millennial and heavenly.htm

Easter Tuesday
... being guests from the country of the Jews, Paul is ... delivers a fine, lengthy discourse
concerning Christ: how in the Scriptures he had been promised unto the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/easter tuesday 2.htm

That the First Circumcision of the Flesh is Made Void, and the ...
Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews. ... the human race might be preserved; and
Melchizedek, the priest according to whose order Christ was promised. ...
/.../three books of testimonies against the jews/8 that the first circumcision.htm

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity God's Testament and Promise in ...
... and boasts, and to show that the Jews were not ... through the coming seed, which had
been promised also to ... unnecessary to give the promise of blessing in Christ. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/thirteenth sunday after trinity gods.htm

Why do Jews and Arabs / Muslims hate each other? | GotQuestions.org

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