for the Jewish Seeker — What does scripture say about the Messiah? Key Bible Passages
Explore the promises of the Tanakh to Messiah, discipleship and multiplication using YHWH's own words
If you are Jewish and curious about Jesus, you do not have to begin by reading the Bible as though Israel's story did not exist.
Start with the Tanakh.
Start with Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets.
Then ask a simple question:
What did God promise, and does Jesus of Nazareth fit what was promised?
Christians believe that Jesus—Yeshua—is Israel's promised Messiah and that His coming is not disconnected from the Tanakh but is the continuation and fulfilment of the story that begins there.
You should not simply accept that because a Christian tells you so.
Read the passages for yourself.
Look at them in their context. Ask questions. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Ask God to show you the truth.
Leave commentaries and YouTube alone. Look at scripture for yourself! If you are not use to doing this you can check out this article for a guide to self discovery bible study.
The passages below form a journey:
Promise → Messiah → Jesus → Follow Him → Make Disciples
1. Tanakh / Old Testament
Building the Messianic Foundation
Long before the New Testament was written, the Hebrew Scriptures established expectations about God's rescue, His promised King, His Servant, His covenant and His purposes for Israel and the nations.
Christians understand the following passages as important pieces of that developing picture.
1. Genesis 3:15
From humanity's fall onward, God promises a descendant who will ultimately defeat the serpent and evil.
2. Genesis 12:1–3
God promises Abraham that through his family all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
3. Genesis 22:15–18
Abraham's offspring will become the means through which blessing reaches all nations.
4. Genesis 49:8–10
The promised ruler is connected with the tribe of Judah.
5. Deuteronomy 18:15–19
Moses promises that God will raise up another prophet whom Israel must hear and obey.
6. 2 Samuel 7:12–16
God promises David a descendant whose kingdom and throne will ultimately endure.
7. Psalm 2:1–12
God establishes His anointed King—His Messiah—whose rule ultimately extends to the nations.
8. Psalm 22:1–31
David describes extraordinary suffering, rejection and eventual vindication and worldwide worship.
9. Psalm 110:1–4
David speaks of his greater “Lord,” who is both ruler and an everlasting priest.
10. Isaiah 9:1–7
A coming Davidic ruler will bring light, peace and an everlasting kingdom.
11. Isaiah 11:1–10
A descendant of Jesse will rule righteously and become a hope not only for Israel but also for the nations.
12. Isaiah 42:1–7
God's chosen Servant will bring justice and become a light to the nations.
13. Isaiah 49:5–6
The Servant restores Israel, but His mission also extends God's salvation to the ends of the earth.
14. **Isaiah 52:13–53:12
God's Servant suffers innocently, bears the sins of others, dies and is afterwards vindicated. This important passage is not part of the regular synagogue Haftarah cycle. Read it directly in the Tanakh for yourself and ask: Who is the Servant, what happens to him, and what does his suffering accomplish?
15. Jeremiah 31:31–34
God promises a new covenant with Israel and Judah, involving forgiveness and His law written on the heart.
16. Daniel 7:13–14
“One like a son of man” approaches God and receives an everlasting kingdom over every people and nation.
17. Micah 5:2–5
Israel's promised ruler comes from Bethlehem and will shepherd God's people.
18. Zechariah 9:9–10
Israel's King comes humbly, riding on a donkey, yet His rule ultimately reaches the nations.
19. Zechariah 12:10
Jerusalem is pictured mourning over the one who has been pierced.
Stop and Ask
Before moving into the New Testament, consider:
What sort of person are these passages causing us to expect?
Look especially for recurring themes:
- A descendant of Abraham
- From Judah
- Connected with David
- God's anointed King
- A Servant
- A prophet
- A shepherd
- A sufferer
- A bringer of forgiveness
- A ruler whose influence reaches the nations
- Someone connected with God's promised new covenant
Now we can ask:
What happens when we meet Jesus?
2. New Testament
Identifying Jesus as Israel's Messiah
The New Testament does not begin by throwing away Israel's Scriptures.
It repeatedly appeals to them.
Jesus' earliest followers were Jewish. They argued that what God had promised through Moses, David and the prophets was being fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
The question for the seeker is therefore not merely:
“Do Christians believe in Jesus?”
A better question is:
“Why did the first Jewish followers of Jesus believe He was the Messiah?”
20. Matthew 1:1–17
Jesus is deliberately introduced as the son of David and son of Abraham.
21. Matthew 5:17–18
Jesus says He did not come to abolish the Torah and Prophets but to fulfil them.
22. Matthew 16:13–17
Peter identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
23. Matthew 26:63–66
Jesus connects Himself with the Messiah and Daniel's “Son of Man” coming with heavenly authority.
24. Luke 4:16–21
In the synagogue, Jesus reads from Isaiah and declares that its promised work is being fulfilled in Him.
25. Luke 24:25–27
Jesus explains that Moses and the Prophets pointed toward the Messiah's suffering and glory.
26. Luke 24:44–47
Jesus says the Torah, Prophets and Psalms point toward His suffering, resurrection and the proclamation of repentance to the nations.
27. John 1:29–45
Jesus' first Jewish disciples identify Him as the Lamb of God, Messiah and the one written about by Moses and the Prophets.
28. John 3:14–17
Jesus uses Moses' bronze serpent to explain how God will provide salvation through Him.
29. John 5:39–47
Jesus tells His hearers that the Scriptures they search testify about Him, including the writings of Moses.
30. Acts 2:22–36
Peter uses the Psalms to proclaim to a Jewish audience that the crucified and risen Jesus is Messiah and Lord.
31. Acts 3:13–26
Peter presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and connects Him directly with Abraham, Moses and the prophets.
32. Acts 8:30–35
Beginning with Isaiah 53, Philip explains the good news about Jesus.
33. Acts 13:16–39
Paul walks Jewish synagogue hearers through Israel's history and presents Jesus as the promised Davidic Saviour.
34. Romans 1:16–17
The gospel is God's saving power to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.
35. Romans 9–11
Paul wrestles with Israel, Jewish unbelief, Gentile inclusion, God's faithfulness and the hope of restoration.
36. Hebrews 8:6–13
Jesus is presented as mediator of the new covenant promised in Jeremiah 31.
37. Hebrews 9:11–15
Messiah's sacrifice provides cleansing and redemption beyond what the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant could accomplish.
38. Hebrews 10:1–18
Jesus' once-for-all sacrifice is presented as accomplishing what repeated sacrifices could never finally accomplish.
Stop and Investigate
Do not rush past this point.
Ask:
Are the New Testament writers inventing a new story, or are they claiming that Israel's existing story has reached its promised Messiah?
Go back and compare the passages.
For example:
Jeremiah 31 → Hebrews 8
Isaiah 53 → Acts 8
Psalm 110 → Acts 2
Deuteronomy 18 → Acts 3
Read both sides of the connection.
Then decide whether the claim makes sense.
3. From Believing in Messiah to Following Him
Discovering who Jesus is is not intended to end merely with:
“I now believe certain facts about Jesus.”
Jesus called people to follow Him.
In the language of the New Testament, the goal is to become a disciple—a learner and follower who listens to Jesus, obeys Him and increasingly becomes like Him.
39. Mark 1:14–20
Jesus' call is not merely “believe something about Me,” but “Follow Me.”
40. John 8:31–32
A genuine disciple is someone who continues in Jesus' teaching.
41. John 10:27
Jesus describes His sheep as people who hear His voice, are known by Him and follow Him.
42. John 14:15
Love for Jesus expresses itself through obedience to what He commands.
43. John 15:5–8
Remaining in Jesus produces fruit, and abundant fruit demonstrates genuine discipleship.
44. John 15:16
Jesus appoints His disciples to go and bear lasting fruit.
What Does Jesus Ask of a Disciple?
The pattern is simple:
Hear Jesus.
Trust Jesus.
Follow Jesus.
Obey Jesus.
Become like Jesus.
But Jesus does not stop there.
A disciple is intended to help other people become disciples too.
4. From Disciple to Disciple-Maker
The DMM Journey
DMM means Disciple Making Movement.
The idea itself is much more important than the modern label.
Jesus did not simply gather people around Himself so that they could remain passive recipients.
He formed disciples who could make disciples.
Those disciples then helped others follow Jesus.
The message moved through households, communities, cultures and nations.
That multiplication pattern can be seen throughout the New Testament.
45. Matthew 4:19
Jesus' basic discipleship pattern is:
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.”
First we follow.
Then Jesus changes us.
Then we help others find and follow Him.
46. Matthew 28:18–20
Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptising them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded.
47. Luke 10:1–9
Jesus sends ordinary disciples ahead of Him, instructing them to look for receptive people and households—often described in DMM language as people of peace.
48. Luke 10:16
Those sent by Jesus represent Him; receiving their message ultimately means receiving the One who sent them.
49. John 17:20–23
Jesus anticipates future believers coming to faith through the message of existing disciples.
50. Acts 2:37–47
New believers repent, are baptised, learn together, share life, pray and form a new community centred on Jesus.
51. Acts 8:1–4
Persecution scatters ordinary believers, who take the good news wherever they go.
52. Acts 11:19–26
Scattered disciples cross cultural boundaries, resulting in new believers, new disciples and a new church.
53. Acts 13:1–3
A local community of believers listens to the Holy Spirit and sends disciple-makers into new places.
54. Acts 14:21–23
Paul and Barnabas proclaim the good news, make disciples, strengthen them and establish local leadership.
55. Acts 17:10–12
The Bereans examine the Scriptures for themselves to determine whether the message they are hearing is true.
This is a very good model for any Jewish seeker today: investigate the Scriptures rather than simply accepting someone's religious claims.
56. Acts 18:24–28
Priscilla and Aquila help Apollos understand God's way more accurately, and he then becomes able to help others.
57. 1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul can say:
Follow my example as I follow the example of Messiah.
Discipleship becomes something that can be seen and imitated.
58. 2 Timothy 2:2
Here is one of the clearest pictures of multiplication in the New Testament:
Paul → Timothy → reliable people → others also
One disciple helps another disciple.
That disciple equips another.
That person equips others.
The process continues.
59. 2 Timothy 3:14–17
Scripture equips God's people for every good work and remains the authority by which teaching and discipleship are tested.
60. 1 Peter 2:9–12
God's redeemed people are called to proclaim His excellencies so that those outside the community can see what God has done.
The Whole Journey
When we put the story together, an extraordinary line runs through the Scriptures:
Abraham
↓
Israel
↓
The promised Messiah
↓
Jesus
↓
Repent and believe
↓
Follow and obey Jesus
↓
Become His disciple
↓
Help someone else follow Jesus
↓
Teach them to help others
↓
Form obedient communities of disciples
↓
Multiply disciples among the nations
This takes us from one of God's earliest promises to Abraham all the way to Jesus' Great Commission.
Genesis 12:3
Blessing for all nations
↓
Matthew 4:19
Follow Me
↓
Matthew 28:18–20
Make disciples of all nations
↓
2 Timothy 2:2
Teach faithful people who will teach others also
Four Passages to Remember
If sixty passages seem overwhelming, begin with just four.
Genesis 12:1–3
God's plan through Abraham was always going to reach beyond one family to all nations.
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Read carefully about God's suffering Servant and ask:
Who is this describing?
Matthew 4:19
Jesus says:
Follow Me. I will change you. I will make you someone who reaches others.
2 Timothy 2:2
What you learn is not intended to stop with you.
Pass it on to someone who will pass it on again.
Don't Just Take Zuko's Word for It
This page makes a Christian claim:
Jesus is Israel's promised Messiah.
But faith should not be built merely on Zuko saying so.
Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11.
Open the Scriptures.
Read the surrounding chapters.
Check the references.
Ask difficult questions.
Compare the Tanakh with the New Testament.
And most importantly, ask God:
“If Jesus really is the Messiah You promised, please show me the truth.”
Then continue reading.
Because discovering the Messiah is not intended to be the end of the journey.
It is the beginning.
Find Him.
Follow Him.
Obey Him.
Help someone else follow Him.
The overall journey
Abraham → Israel → promised Messiah → Jesus → repent and believe → follow and obey Jesus → become His disciple → help others follow Him → form obedient communities → multiply disciples and churches among the nations.
Genesis 12:3 → Matthew 4:19 → Matthew 28:18–20 → 2 Timothy 2:2
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