Not Everyone Wanted a Messiah

Not all Jews of this period believed in or wanted a coming Messiah. But those who did, and they were many, cherished a frequently repeated set of expectations as to what the anointed one would do when he arrived. He would fight the battle against Israel’s enemies—specifically, the Romans. He would rebuild, or at least cleanse and restore, the Temple …. He would bring Israel’s long history to its climax, reestablishing the monarchy as in the days of…