The prophets and the hope of the Messiah
What the prophets promised, with Thomas Aquinas and the Catechism.
The last module ended with the fall of David's kingdom. The people lost their land and were carried off into exile. Yet hope did not die, because the prophets promised something new. Here we look at what a prophet is, what the prophets said about the Messiah, and how Jesus fulfils it.
Read the argument in short first. Then walk through it step by step, and at each step pick the most common objection to see how to answer it.
The argument in short
The argument in five sentences, to learn by heart.
- When the kingdom fell it looked as if God's promises had failed, but the prophets kept hope alive and promised a new covenant.
- A prophet speaks for God: about God himself, about how the people should live, and about what is to come.
- The prophets promised a king of David's line, filled with God's Spirit, but also a servant who would suffer for others.
- Jesus says himself that Scripture is fulfilled in him, and that the Messiah had to suffer and rise.
- The poor and humble who were waiting recognised him, and Mary is the purest image of their hope.
Step by step
or tap a box in the map to see the texts behind it.
Test yourself
Think of your answer first. Nothing is saved.
What is a prophet according to Thomas?
Someone who learns from God what lies beyond human knowledge, and announces it to build others up.
What did the prophets promise about the Messiah?
A king of David's line, filled with God's Spirit, a ruler from Bethlehem, but also a servant who would suffer for the sins of others.
Why did the Messiah not come at once?
People needed to realise that they needed a liberator. And the greater the king, the longer the line of heralds that went before him.
How do you answer someone who says the people expected a political Messiah?
Many did, and that is why Jesus accepted the title with caution. He showed that the Messiah had to suffer and rise, as the prophets had written.
Which mystery of the Rosary shows that those who were waiting recognised Jesus?
The fourth Joyful Mystery, when Jesus is presented in the Temple and Simeon says: my eyes have seen your salvation.