Secrets of Christianity Season 1 Episode 2 The Messiah Before Jesus

In the second episode of the first season of Secrets of Christianity, titled The Messiah Before Jesus, viewers are taken on a journey through early Jewish history as the programme explores the concept of the messiah, its significance to early Jews, and how it translates to the coming of Jesus.

The episode opens with a detailed introduction of the messiah as a figure in ancient Jewish scripture, and how the early Jews developed their concept of a saviour who would deliver them from their oppressors. Through interviews with scholars and historians, viewers are shown the development of the concept of the messiah, and how different interpretations shaped the Jewish understanding of the concept.

The programme then takes a closer look at the historical figure of King David and his role in the messianic tradition, exploring how the figure of David was central to Jewish perception of the messiah as a king or leader who would establish a new era of peace and prosperity for the Jewish people.

Further into the episode, viewers are introduced to the Essenes, a Jewish sect active in the 2nd century BCE, and their beliefs about the coming of the messiah. The programme examines how the Essenes' understanding of the messiah as a supernatural being differed from the more conventional Jewish understanding of a messiah as a mortal leader, and how this may have influenced the wider Jewish community.

Finally, the programme explores how the concept of the messiah evolved in the centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus. The programme examines how the Jewish people experienced lost their independence to foreign powers such as the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, and how this influenced their understanding of the messiah as a political figure who would liberate them from their oppressors. Through interviews with experts, viewers are shown how the expectation of a messiah grew more urgent as the Jewish people faced increasing political, social, and economic pressures.

The episode closes with a discussion of how early Christians came to believe that Jesus was the messiah, and how this new interpretation of the concept of the messiah came to dominate Christian theology. Through interviews with scholars and historians, viewers are shown how Jesus overturned traditional Jewish expectations of the messiah, presenting himself as a humble servant rather than a powerful king. The programme examines how this reinterpretation was both profoundly radical and deeply controversial within the early Christian community, and how this ultimately shaped the development of Christianity as a religion.

Overall, The Messiah Before Jesus provides invaluable insight into how the Jewish people came to understand the concept of the messiah, how this understanding evolved over time, and how this ultimately influenced the development of Christianity as a religion. Through detailed analysis and expert interviews, viewers gain a nuanced understanding of the complex historical forces that helped shape our world.