What do Muslims believe about Messiah?

The Noble Quran has many references to Isa (Jesus) the Messiah. Jesus was son of Mary yet created from dirt just as Adam was. He grew in great favor from Allah from infancy to adulthood. He began his ministry as a teacher and taught many parables given to him by Allah. He performed many miracles even as a child by the will of Allah. He was a prophet sent by Allah. It was said that the Jews killed him and crucified him but he was taken away by Allah to the fourth heaven. There he waits until Judgment Day. Al-Ma’ida 5:110 sums it up nicely where it says: And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and your mother: how I supported you with the holy spirit so you spoke to people in ˹your˺ infancy and adulthood. How I taught you writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. How you moulded a bird from clay—by My Will—and breathed into it and it became a ˹real˺ bird—by My Will. How you healed the blind and the lepers—by My Will. How you brought the dead to life—by My Will. How I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but pure magic.”

 My Muslim friends believe that Messiah has come in the form of Jesus The Prophet. He taught and gave clear proofs that he was Messiah. The Children of Israel rejected him and sought to kill and crucify him but Allah safely carried him away to Paradise where he awaits the end of times when he will be revealed as the true Messiah.

What do Jews believe about Messiah?

The Tanakh is filled with prophecy regarding Messiah. There is no place in the Law, prophets or writings that Messiah is actually revealed. The main themes of these prophecies are:

Man became estranged from God through his disobedience and sin.

God desires to be reconciled with man and continually offers opportunities form man to find reward for obedience.

God provides a plan for his reconciliation with man through Messiah.

Messiah will come and be revealed to man through a series of miraculous signs.

Messiah will live a perfect life.

Messiah will be a teacher and prophet.

Messiah will be rejected by man, tortured as the suffering servant and offered as a sacrificial lamb.

Messiah will then be revealed as the conquering king and set up his eternal kingdom.

My Jewish friends believe that since the Tanakh, The Oral Law and Rabbinical Writings (body of Jewish literature) do not reveal the identity of Messiah that he has not yet come. They reject the New Testament (Christian) writings about Messiah. They await the arrival of their Messiah who is yet to be revealed.

What do Christians believe about Messiah?

The Tanakh reveals Messiah as we discussed in the ‘What do Jews believe about Messiah’ frequently asked question. Christians believe all the prophecies that are in the Tanakh. They generally embrace their Jewish roots. They believe that Messiah was revealed in the first century CE in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He is called Christ which means Messiah. The role of Jesus as Messiah is summed up in a letter written to the Church at Colosse by the Apostle Paul:

 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

         He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

         Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – (Colossians 1:13-22)

 Christians believe that Jesus came to earth as the Son of God. He lived a pure and blameless life. He taught many parables and performed many miracles in exact accordance to the prophecies found in the Tanakh. He was rejected, tortured and crucified even though he was innocent. This he did out of love for you an me. Jesus was buried and then rose from the dead, conquering death and buying forgiveness for our sins. Now we are new creations thought Christ and now have direct access to God having been reconciled as Colossians says above. Jesus was taken up into heaven where he waits until the end times to return as our conquering king. He will set up his eternal kingdom and we will live forever there with him.

What do you believe about Messiah Dr. Smith?

 I believe that Elohim loves me more than anyone on this earth has ever loved me. That includes my mother and father, wife and children and friends. I believe that Elohim loved me so much that he sent his beloved Son to earth in the form of Jesus, the Messiah. I believe that Jesus, as part of Elohim, also loves me. He was willing to lay down his life in my place. He was willing to be the Ram on Abraham’s altar. I believe that Elohim brought Jesus back from the dead and in so doing made a way for me to be with him. I believe that God is for me and not against me.

 All it took for me to receive God’s gift of salvation and redemption and reconciliation was a simple acknowledgement that I believed his message. I then had to accept and receive the gift Jesus had for me – cleansing, washing, purification and removal of all my sin. Having received that gift, it is now just as if I had never sinned. I have right standing before God. He then gave me yet another gift. He filled me with his Spirit to empower me to live an upright life. I can walk with Elohim in the cool of the day. We can talk about anything, my hopes, dreams and desires, my concerns and cares. I look forward to the Eternal Kingdom of Messiah!