Quizzes
Jewish Worldview and Messianic Expectations
How is God going to fulfill His promises to Israel?
Now that you know a little more about life in the Roman world at the time of the New Testament, let’s think a bit about what Jewish life was like at that time. In the Old Testament, God promised that after exile He would restore His people and make things right. They may be in the promised land, but the kingdom hasn’t been restored — Rome is in charge! How do Jewish people respond to this situation? Well, not all in the same way.
As you watch the video, try to put yourself in the shoes of a 1st-century Jew living in Galilee or Judea. How would you react to Roman rule?
In the video, we explored the centers of life that were key features of the Jewish worldview. But we also saw how different groups within Judaism reacted differently to Roman rule and had different expectations of how God would act to make things right.
Messiah, is that you?
How does the hope for a messiah fit into the 1st-century worldview? What is a messiah anyways?
Holding onto hope
Although there was a variety of messianic expectations at the time of Jesus, a generalized expectation was that the messiah would liberate Israel and re–establish the nation. This individual or these individuals would be important for what they do for the nation: setting Israel free to be God’s kingdom again. Then as is now, Jesus bursts our expectations. He is always mightier and better than we expect.
Test Yourself
Answer
Talk it Through
Read and reflect on the following questions:
- When it comes to Roman rule, which Jewish group’s response do you most resonate with?
- How do you think someone from that group would respond when they hear news about Jesus’s ministry?
- What would they want from Jesus?