Why Many Jews Missed Jesus as the Messiah — And Why Scripture Shows He Truly Is

I’ve been diving deep into one of the biggest questions in history: why didn’t most Jews in Jesus’ day accept Him as the Messiah? And maybe more importantly, does Scripture itself back up the Jewish expectation of a conquering king, or the Christian belief in a Messiah who first suffers and later reigns?

I want to be clear: this is not a post of judgment, superiority, or debate. I deeply love and respect my Jewish friends — some of the dearest people in my life are Jewish, and they are among the kindest, most genuine, and faith-filled people I know. I pray for them often, with gratitude and affection.

In fact, I learned many years ago that I have a small percentage of Jewish ancestry myself, which makes this subject even more meaningful to me. I’m approaching it not as an outsider looking in, but as someone filled with genuine curiosity, reverence, and love for the people through whom God chose to reveal His Word to the world.

My goal here isn’t to argue but to study, to learn, and to pursue truth. The more I’ve looked into the Scriptures, the more I’ve come to see that Christ is at the very center of them all.

By the time Jesus arrived, Israel had been under foreign rule for centuries — Babylon, Persia, Greece, and now Rome. The Jewish people longed for deliverance. Their picture of Messiah was shaped by prophecies like:

• Isaiah 9:6–7 — a child who would reign on David’s throne, establishing justice and peace forever.

• Zechariah 14:9 — the Lord reigning as King over the whole earth.

• Isaiah 2:4 — swords beaten into plowshares, nations no longer at war.

Naturally, they expected a political and military king — someone to overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s kingdom.

But their expectation wasn’t only political — it was deeply spiritual. Many rabbis of the period taught that the Messiah would only come when Israel was righteous, pure, and ready. Some said He would come when the people finally repented; others said He would come when the world had become so sinful that only divine intervention could save it. Ancient Jewish writings, later reflected in the Talmud, expressed both sides: “If Israel repents, they will be redeemed; if not, they will not be redeemed” (Sanhedrin 97b). Another said, “The Son of David will not come until the whole world is either guilty or worthy” — meaning, until the world reached its lowest point or its holiest.

So when Jesus began His ministry during a time of Roman occupation and spiritual division, some expected a deliverer who would purify the land and restore holiness to Israel before God’s kingdom could come in fullness.

So when Jesus came healing, teaching forgiveness, and then was crucified by Rome, He didn’t look like the Messiah they were waiting for.

The Stumbling Block of the Cross:

Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” To many Jews, this meant that a crucified man could not possibly be God’s chosen one.

That belief connected not only to personal sin but to the holiness of the land itself. The Torah taught that the land of Israel was holy because God’s presence dwelled there:

“You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

— Numbers 35:34 (ESV)

To those steeped in that understanding, a Messiah executed outside the holy city by Gentiles seemed not only impossible but offensive. How could the one sent to cleanse Israel be put to death in a way that appeared to defile the land?

Paul reflects on this tension in 1 Corinthians 1:23: “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” By “stumbling block,” Paul meant that the cross directly contradicted Jewish expectations.

But Paul also gives the Christian answer in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” Far from disqualifying Him, the crucifixion was the very way Jesus carried the curse of sin on humanity’s behalf. What looked like defeat was actually the ultimate victory.

What Does Scripture Say About the Suffering Messiah?

The Hebrew Scriptures don’t just speak of a conquering king — they also describe a figure who would suffer, be rejected, and die for others.

• Isaiah 53:5–6 — “He was pierced for our transgressions … the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

• Psalm 22:16–18 — “They pierced my hands and my feet … they divide my garments among them.”

• Daniel 9:26 — “After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.” (This had to happen before Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70.)

These passages are hard to reconcile with the idea of a Messiah who only comes once in glory. But they perfectly describe Jesus’ crucifixion and rejection — events that happened within the prophesied timeline.

How Judaism Interprets These Passages:

Jewish tradition generally takes a different view:

• Isaiah 53 is often interpreted as the nation of Israel itself — suffering on behalf of the world, not as an individual Messiah.

• Psalm 22 is read as David’s personal lament, not as prophecy.

• Daniel 9:26 is sometimes applied to other historical figures, not Messiah.

In other words, Jewish interpretation explains these “suffering” texts away, keeping the focus on the “kingly” Messiah.

“The Crown Without the Cross“

Here’s where the Christian view makes sense of the whole story:

• The Messiah had to suffer first — dealing with humanity’s greatest problem: sin and separation from God.

• Then He will return to reign as King, bringing peace and justice.

As Jesus Himself said after His resurrection: “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:26).

The Jewish expectation of a Messiah crowned in glory was not wrong — but without the suffering, it was incomplete. It was the crown without the cross.

The King Yet to Come . . .

Christians believe the “reigning king” prophecies are not forgotten — they are waiting for Jesus’ second coming.

• Zechariah 14:4, 9 — His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, and the Lord will be King over all the earth.

• Isaiah 11:6–9 — The wolf will dwell with the lamb; the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

• Daniel 7:13–14 — The Son of Man receives everlasting dominion and a kingdom that all nations will serve.

• Revelation 19:11–16 — Jesus returns as “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

• Revelation 21:3–4 — God dwells with His people, wiping away every tear.

Now, it’s true that Jews don’t accept the New Testament as Scripture, so they don’t recognize Revelation or Jesus’ application of Daniel 7 to Himself (Matthew 26:64). For them, the canon ended with the Hebrew Bible.

But Christians believe the New Testament — including Revelation — should be trusted because:

• Apostolic authority: It was written by eyewitnesses of Jesus (like John, the author of Revelation) or their close companions.

• Continuity with the Old Testament: Revelation constantly echoes OT imagery (Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah), showing itself as part of the same prophetic stream.

• Historical reliability: Thousands of ancient manuscripts confirm the New Testament’s early and consistent transmission.

• Archaeological support: Places, rulers, and customs described in the NT have been confirmed by historical discoveries.

• Early church acceptance: By the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, Revelation and the other NT books were already being read and revered by Christian communities, many of them Jewish believers in Jesus.

In other words, Christians don’t see Revelation as an isolated Christian invention, but as the Spirit-inspired continuation and fulfillment of Israel’s story.

Prophecies in Two Stages: First and Second Coming

When you put the prophecies side by side, the picture becomes clear.

First Coming — Fulfilled in Jesus

• Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 1:22–23)

  
  

  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

  
  

  → “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet…”

• Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2 → Matthew 2:1)

  
  

  “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.”

  
  

  → “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king.”

• From the line of David (Jeremiah 23:5 → Luke 3:31)

  
  

  “The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch.”

  
  

  → “The son of David …the son of Adam, the son of God.”

• Heralded by a messenger (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 → Matthew 3:1–3; Mark 1:2–4)

  
  

  “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD.’”

  
  

  → “John the Baptist came preaching … This is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah.”

• Ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1–2 → Matthew 4:13–16)

  
  

  “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

  
  

  → “He withdrew to Galilee … so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.”

• Performing miracles and bringing healing (Isaiah 35:5–6 → Matthew 11:4–5)

  
  

  “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.”

  
  

  → “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed.”

• Speaking in parables (Psalm 78:2 → Matthew 13:34–35)

  
  

  “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter hidden things.”

  
  

  → “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet.”

• Rejected by His own people (Isaiah 53:3 → John 1:11)

  
  

  “He was despised and rejected by mankind.”

  
  

  → “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”

• A suffering servant who bears our sins (Isaiah 53:5–6 → Luke 23; crucifixion)

  
  

  “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities.”

  
  

  → “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

• Silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7 → Matthew 27:12–14)

  
  

  “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth.”

  
  

  → “He gave no answer, not even to a single charge.”

• Betrayed by a close friend for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13 → Matthew 26:14–16; 27:3–10)

  
  

  “So they paid me thirty pieces of silver … and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”

  
  

  → “They counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.”

• Pierced hands and feet (Psalm 22:16 → John 20:25–27)

  
  

  “They pierce my hands and my feet.”

  
  

  → “Put your finger here; see my hands.”

• Casting lots for His clothing (Psalm 22:18 → John 19:23–24)

  
  

  “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

  
  

  → “So they said, ‘Let’s not tear it, but cast lots to see who will get it.’”

• Despised and mocked (Psalm 22:6–8 → Luke 23:35)

  
  

  “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.”

  
  

  → “The rulers sneered at Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself.’”

• Cut off before the temple’s destruction (Daniel 9:26 → fulfilled before 70 A.D.)

  
  

  “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.”

  
  

  → Jesus was crucified decades before the temple’s destruction.

• Buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9 → Matthew 27:57–60)

  
  

  “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death.”

  
  

  → “Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, laid Him in his own new tomb.”

• His side pierced (Zechariah 12:10 → John 19:34–37)

  
  

  “They will look on Me, the one they have pierced.”

  
  

  → “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear.”

• Light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6 → Acts 13:47)

  
  

  “I will make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

  
  

  → “The Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles.’”

• Resurrection foretold (Psalm 16:10 → Acts 2:25–32)

  
  

  “You will not abandon Me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.”

  
  

  → “God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death.”

• Ascension prophesied (Psalm 68:18 → Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:9)

  
  

  “You ascended on high, leading captives in your train.”

  
  

  → “While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.”

Second Coming — Awaiting Fulfillment

• The Messiah returning in glory and power

(Daniel 7 :13–14 → Matthew 24 :30 / Revelation 19 :11–16)

“Behold, with the clouds of heaven came one like a Son of Man… His dominion is an everlasting dominion.”

→ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven… they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory.”

• Every eye will see Him

(Zechariah 12 :10 → Revelation 1 :7)

“They will look on Me, the One they have pierced.”

→ “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”

• His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives

(Zechariah 14 :4 → Acts 1 :11–12 / future event)

“On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives… and the mountain shall be split in two.”

→ “This same Jesus… will come back in the same way you saw Him go into heaven.”

• He will destroy the lawless one / Antichrist

(Daniel 8 :25 → 2 Thessalonians 2 :8 / Revelation 19 :19–21)

“He shall be broken—but by no human hand.”

→ “The Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by the splendor of His coming.”

• Israel’s national repentance and salvation

(Zechariah 12 :10 → Romans 11 :25–27)

“I will pour out on the house of David a spirit of grace and supplication.”

→ “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob.”

• The nations gathered for judgment

(Joel 3 :2 → Matthew 25 :31–32)

“I will gather all nations and bring them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.”

→ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory… He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

• Messiah reigning as King over all the earth

(Zechariah 14 :9 → Revelation 11 :15 / 20 :4)

“The LORD will be King over the whole earth.”

→ “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”

• Universal peace and restoration

(Isaiah 11 :6–9 → Millennial Kingdom)

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb… they will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain.”

• The nations streaming to Jerusalem to worship

(Isaiah 2 :2–4 → future Millennial fulfillment)

“All nations shall flow to it… He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.”

• The glory of the LORD filling His temple

(Ezekiel 43 :1–5 → Zechariah 6 :12–13 / Revelation 21 :22–23)

“The glory of the LORD entered the temple.”

→ “The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

• Resurrection and reward of the righteous

(Daniel 12 :2–3 → John 5 :28–29 / Revelation 20 :4–6)

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.”

→ “Those who have done good will rise to live.”

• Every tear wiped away — sorrow ended forever

(Isaiah 25 :8 → Revelation 21 :3–4)

“He will swallow up death forever; the Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces.”

→ “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; death shall be no more.”

• New heavens and new earth

(Isaiah 65 :17 → 2 Peter 3 :13 / Revelation 21 :1)

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.”

→ “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

• God dwelling with His people forever

(Ezekiel 37 :27 → Revelation 21 :3–4)

“My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

→ “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… He will dwell with them.”

The only way to reconcile both sets of prophecies is to see them fulfilled in two comings: first the cross, then the crown.

Why Jesus Fits — And No One Else Does

• Timeline: Daniel 9 points to Messiah arriving before the temple’s destruction in AD 70. Jesus did; no other candidate has.

• Resurrection: The birth of the Christian movement within Judaism, rooted in the empty tomb, has no parallel explanation.

• Global Light: Isaiah 49:6 said Messiah would be “a light to the nations.” Today, billions around the world worship the God of Israel because of Jesus.

No other figure in history fulfills both the suffering and the reigning prophecies. Only Jesus fits. Hallelujah!

Why Many Jews Rejected Him . . .

To many Jews of His time, Jesus’ death disqualified Him. They wanted liberation from Rome, not a crucified teacher who spoke of forgiveness. To this day, many Jews see the world’s brokenness and conclude: Messiah has not yet come.

This expectation was partly rooted in their understanding of holiness. In some rabbinic traditions, the Messiah would only come when Israel as a whole turned back to God, or when righteousness filled the land. The rabbis taught that Messiah’s arrival was tied to repentance — that the people must first purify themselves before the Redeemer could appear. When Jesus came preaching grace and personal faith rather than national revolution, He didn’t fit that pattern.

But Christians believe the brokenness is exactly why Messiah had to come first — to heal the deeper wound of sin. His second coming will bring the peace and kingdom Israel longed for.

What About Jewish Christians?

It’s important to note that not all Jews rejected Jesus then, and not all do today. The very first followers of Jesus were Jewish — Peter, James, John, Paul — all faithful Jews who believed He was the promised Messiah.

Today, there are still Jewish Christians, sometimes called Messianic Jews: Jewish by heritage, Christian by faith. They continue to embrace their Jewish identity while recognizing Jesus as Messiah. They beautifully embody the truth Paul describes in Romans 11: Israel’s rejection is partial and temporary. Their “hardening in part” has allowed Gentiles to come in, but God’s covenant with Israel isn’t broken. In the end, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

This shows that Israel’s story is not over — their heritage and promises are still honored by God.

The Scriptural Verdict:

When you weigh it all together, Scripture itself points toward the Christian understanding:

• Messiah must suffer (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9, Psalm 22).

• Messiah must reign (Isaiah 9, Zechariah 14, Isaiah 11, Daniel 7, Revelation 19).

• The only way to hold both truths is to see two comings: first the cross, then the crown.

My Conclusion Based on Scripture, the Grace of God & History: The Messiah Is Christ

The Jewish people were right to hope for a king. But by missing the suffering servant, they missed the heart of God’s plan.

Jesus is the only one who fulfills both halves of the Messianic picture: He came once to bear sin, and He will come again to reign as King. The timeline, the Scriptures, the resurrection, and the worldwide impact all testify to this truth.

I share this not to condemn, but out of love and compassion. I have the deepest respect for the Jewish people — their faithfulness, resilience, and heritage of Scripture that Christians themselves treasure. And I especially think of my own Jewish friends, who I love dearly and consider some of the best humans I know. My study of these things isn’t about division, but about truth. And the truth I see written across history and Scripture is this: the Messiah has come, and His name is Jesus.