Question:
Hi Rabbi, I have a question
Christians do believe that the very concept of zechariah 9:9 did happen in jesus’ watch and that it is the sign of his legitimacy, what do Jews think of this?
Answer:
- You don’t have any proof from the verse that it is talking about him over 10 billion other people, but let’s leave that aside.
- Please read the next verse, (verse 9-10) that states that there will be no more wars, peace will reign in the whole world, and he will reign in the entire world. This is not quite what happened in his times or for the last 2000 years, so obviously he isn’t the messiah. After all he didn’t manage to fulfill even the next verse!
- Besides he surely didn’t reign in the entire world, rather he was killed… meaning that others reigned over him.
- Aside from that he surely wasn’t a king and he didn’t have dominion over any lands. That can’t be the messiah. (The verse in Zechariah makes no mention of giving the Messiah a second chance!)
- One other point- but a very central one. In order for him to be the Messiah, he has to be a direct descendant father to son, father to son from David, and according to the Christians, that he is a son of God etc. then he categorically can’t be the Messiah.
For this and other reasons, Judaism cannot accept that the verse in Zechariah is referring to him.
