Lesson 6 — What Will Messiah Be Like?
- May 30
- 10 min read
Isaiah 40:11, Isaiah 41:1, Isaiah 42:6–7, Isaiah 43:14–15, Isaiah 11:2–4, Isaiah 45:22–23, .Ezekiel 34 ,Ezekiel 36:26–27, Psalm 22,23,24, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 31:31, Psalm 78, Psalm 14:3
The day dawned to the pitiful sound of lambs making a racket outside Simon’s window. The lambs had just been separated from their mothers, and they did not like it one bit! But it was almost time for the Passover, the big feast in Jerusalem. In a few days, the entire extended family would make their way south to Jerusalem for the feast. The men were required to go, but everyone always enjoyed the journey. Each family would take along a perfect lamb to sacrifice at the temple, and then enjoy the Passover meal together. Simon enjoyed the journey, as it often gave young people the chance to connect with friends.
Ignoring the fussing of the lambs, Simon and Andrew grabbed some bread and dried fish and headed toward the synagogue both deep in thought about the upcoming trip. Soon, the others joined them and they all arrived at the school. They spilled into the room with laughter, thinking about the journey. James and John’s extended family had connections in Jerusalem. Their family even knew the high priest! Typically, they all were able to camp together in the city with John’s distant relatives. Their excitement was beginning to build as they chatted about all they hoped to do.
Looking at the rabbi sheepishly, the boys peeled off their sandals, and sat in their usual places, settling down for their lesson.
The rabbi glanced at the scrolls set out for today’s lesson, and took a deep breath. “Boys, we have learned where Messiah would come from. We have learned that He would be the Seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent. The seed line of the Promised One would flow through Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Judah– even through David. We have also studied Him as The Greater Moses, and the Coming King. He will march through the desert riding on the clouds. He will rule the nations from the throne of David. But today we ask another question.
“We have learned there will be two different “comings" of the Promised One. One, as a baby born in Bethlehem to a virgin. Later, as a man, He will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, and will suffer and die for us. The second time, He will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, setting up his Kingdom in Jerusalem. But we are still learning about Him. He paused. Today we will look for clues in the scriptures for today’s question, 'What will the Anointed One be like? How will we know Him, recognize Him? How can we tell if he is THE one?'”
“Let’s go back to Isaiah. The rabbi unrolled the scroll of Isaiah and began to read.
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.”(Isaiah 40:11)
The boys smiled. They had all seen shepherds on the hillsides. Simon thought about the lambs that woke him up this morning.“What kind of king carries lambs close to his heart?” the rabbi asked.
“A gentle king,” said Andrew.
“Yes,” said the rabbi. “Messiah is strong enough to rule nations, yet tender enough to carry the weak.”
“We will know Him because he is gentle?” Simon asked, puzzled.
“I think it means that he will be caring and loving,” explained John.
“And, he will care about all his people, even the little ones,” added Philip.
“So, the Messiah will be like a shepherd! He will take care of us. I like that!” said Andrew.
John asked, “Will he be like the shepherd of Psalm 23? Will he restore our souls? Lead us where we should go, in the paths of righteousness? Be with us, even in the valley of the shadow of death? Help us defeat evil, by being with us always to protect and comfort each of us? And then let us dwell with Him in his house forever? Is Messiah the Great Shepherd?”
The Rabbi’s eyes twinkled. “Let’s see what Ezekiel the prophet has to say. Remember, Ezekiel prophesied from Babylon. He was taken there in the second deportation of our people from Jerusalem under King Nebuchadnezzar. Here are three different scriptures." He read them out loud slowly, letting the words of the Great Shepherd sink in.
“Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11–12).
“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick” (Ezekiel 34:16).
“I will establish one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, My servant David" (Ezekiel 34:23 ).
The rabbi looked at Simon. “What do you hear in these scriptures?”
Simon answered quickly, “He gathers the scattered! He does not wish even one to go missing! He will pursue each one of us! He will bind up the broken and strengthen the sick and the weak!”
“Yes. Messiah will regather Israel, heal the broken, strengthen the weak, and unite the people under one Shepherd-King. Work on memorizing these Psalms, the Shepherd Psalms! This will be your homework.” Then the rabbi smiled and quoted the titles of the Psalms.
Psalm 22 — The Suffering Shepherd
Psalm 23 — The Caring Shepherd
Psalm 24 — The Glorious King of Glory
“These three Psalms describe just one Shepherd, the Promised One,” he said. “Yet he can be seen in suffering, caring, and triumph.”
“Rabbi,” James asked. “Why does Ezekiel say the one Shepherd will be David? Will David rise again as Messiah? Or be a ruler under Messiah?”
“That is a bit of a mystery,” admitted the Rabbi. “Could this be the actual David, risen from the dead in the last days? Or is this a reference to Messiah himself since he is from the lineage of David? We must remember to ask this question to Gamaliel when he comes again to teach us. But there is more. Jeremiah gives us two clues, two more verses about this.”
“Jeremiah was also a prophet at the same time as Ezekiel. But Jeremiah was in Jerusalem. Sadly, he watched the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the nation of Judah.” The rabbi called James up to an empty chair in the front to read the scroll of Jeremiah. James followed along with his finger, flowing left to right. His voice rang out loudly, filling the room.
“Behold, the days are coming, that I will raise to David a Branch of Righteousness. A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”(Jeremiah 23:5-6).
John’s eyes widened. “ So we have another new name for Messiah! The Lord our Righteousness! Rabbi, how can a king be called by the name of the Lord? How can a man BE our righteousness? How is that possible? We could have a righteous king, but how could HE actually BE righteousness?” John continued to shake his head.
The rabbi nodded. “That is the mystery. Messiah will come as a man from David’s line, yet He bears the name of God Himself! Earthly kings often rule with selfishness and pride. But the Messiah will rule with justice, wisdom, truth, and holiness. Let’s examine another description of The Promised One, again from Isaiah. John, would you like to read?” He handed the Great Scroll to John, and pointed where he wanted him to start. John took a deep breath and began:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He shall judge the poor with righteousness. And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:2–4).
“Our Messiah, during both of his comings,” said the rabbi, “will never be deceived. He will judge perfectly. No bribery, no corruption, no hidden evil can stand before Him.”
Andrew asked, “If God’s spirit is upon him, he truly is the Anointed One. Isn’t that another way to tell? Just like the anointing that was on David, and Elijah, and Elisha?”
“Yes,” added the Rabbi. “We who love God will be able to tell. We will know him by his actions, his fruit. We will know Him because He will be wise and understanding. And Psalm 78 tells us he will speak in parables. Also, we know his words will be able to slay the wicked!”
“Rabbi,” asked Philip, “ How do we know if we are of the righteous or the wicked? Does not the scripture say we all have gone astray? That none of us are truly righteous? If the Messiah is coming to judge, I want to be sure!”
The rabbi took a moment to answer. “Clearly, Psalm 14:3 says, "There is none who does good, no, not one.’ But, the Messiah judges by a different standard. It is important to understand that he is our Redeemer.”
“Philip, Come up and read a few verses from Isaiah about this to the others,” directed the rabbi. Philip found the place and began to read.
“Fear not… I will help you,” says the Lord, “and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:1). “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, ‘ I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.’” (Isaiah 43:14–15).
Philip spoke softly, “So Messiah is not only King, He is our Redeemer? The Holy One of Israel?”
“Yes,” said the rabbi. “He does not merely command His people. He rescues them. Remember the book of Ruth? Boaz “redeems” not only Naomi, and her land, but marries Ruth as well. This is a picture of our Kinsman Redeemer.”
The boys sat quietly. “How does He do that? Andrew asked.
“To redeem,” the rabbi explained, “means to buy back, to rescue, or to deliver what was lost. Messiah will free His people from a bondage far greater than Egypt—bondage to sin, corruption, and death.”
“Rabbi, are you saying that we are in bondage, and that The Promised One is going to rescue us?” Andrew asked.
“Yes. He does that through the sacrifice of His blood. Remember the guilt offering, the Lamb of God? The shedding of His blood will cover our sins, and redeem us from corruption and death.”
“From death?” Philip asked.
“Yes,” said the rabbi. Then the rabbi opened the Great Scroll of Isaiah to one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture. His voice rang out with passion.
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth.”
The rabbi let the words settle in the room. “What kind of ruler is this?” he asked.
James answered, “Strong, but not harsh. A redeemer.”
“Yes,” said the rabbi. “Messiah does not crush the weak. He restores them.” He continued reading, “I will give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison” (Isaiah 42:6–7).
Andrew whispered, “Not only Israel?”
The rabbi smiled. “No, Andrew. The nations also. Messiah’s light will reach the ends of the earth.” The rabbi then turned to another scroll.
“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath” (Isaiah 45:22–23).
The boys were silent.
“All nations,” said the rabbi. “Every people. Every ruler. Every tongue. Messiah’s kingdom will not be local or temporary. It will be universal and everlasting.”
At last the rabbi opened the scroll of Jeremiah again. “Behold, the days are coming… when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:31).
Then he read from Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will put My Spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
John looked up. “Rabbi, the law, written inside us?”
“Yes,” he said. “Messiah will do what no earthly kingdom can do. He will change hearts.”
“Not just new rules,” said Philip.
“Exactly,” said the rabbi. “A new heart. Forgiveness. God’s Spirit within His people.
The rabbi stood and looked at the boys one by one.“What will Messiah be like?” He answered from the Scriptures:
He will be the Shepherd who gathers, heals, and leads.
He will be the Righteous King who judges with justice.
He will be the Redeemer who rescues His people.
He will be the Servant of the Lord—gentle, faithful, and victorious.
He will be a Light to the Gentiles.
He will bring the New Covenant—forgiveness, a new heart, and God’s Spirit within.
The rabbi rolled up the scrolls.
“Boys, when Messiah comes, you must recognize Him—not only by where He is born, but by who He is.”
The room was silent. “Rabbi,” Simon asked, “Will you be going with us to Jerusalem for the Passover?”
“Yes,” the Rabbi said. “I would not miss it.”
“Will you help us look for Him there?” Simon questioned.
“It would be my honor,” the rabbi said. “We will be watchmen on the wall! This year in Jerusalem! Maybe he will suddenly appear in the temple!”
Discussion Questions: (For Lesson Plans for this Lesson, CLICK HERE!
What do you think Yeshua was like when he was on the earth? Brainstorm a list of character traits on a sheet of paper.
What does this lesson teach that Messiah would be like? Does this describe Jesus?
Take some time to read the three shepherd Psalms outloud. What do these Psalms teach us about Messiah?
What new names for the Messiah are introduced in this Lesson? (The Shepherd, The Righteous One, The Servant of the Lord, and the Bringer of the New Covenant, Redeemer, Light to the Gentiles)
The boys were excited about the upcoming festival in Jerusalem, the Passover. Do you think the Messiah might really be there? Why or why not?
What is your favorite part of this lesson?
If you were to use an Old Testament scripture to teach the boys what Jesus would be like, which one would you use?
(21:14)
Comments