The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-1, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

I have two questions, both related. During the time of the crucifixion the Jews were looking for some kind of a "knight on a charging horse," who would come in and throw the Romans out and kill the Gentiles. But the priesthood, the Jewish priesthood, as opposed to the Jewish people were teaching the Jewish people this kind of thing, in other words, they weren't looking for a God! So my question to you is, "Were the Jews guilty of killing a God or killing a man?

Answer

Well, from their viewpoint they would have been guilty of killing a man, I mean from their perspective. 

Question (continued)

So then the Jewish mob, that is, the mob that we see here; they wouldn't be guilty of killing a God--they would only be guilty of killing a man? 

Answer (continued)

When you see in the Gospel of John, "and the Jews cried this," and the "Jews said" this, and the "Jews said, `we will not have this man to reign over us,'" and "the Jews said, crucify Him," an so forth--John uses "the Jews" primarily as an epithet in reference to the religious leaders, it is not dominantly used of the people. In fact, most of the people hailed Him as the Messiah when He rode into the city, it says, "The Jews stirred up the people," the religious leaders stirred up the people and there was sort of a mob thing. But it was not primarily by the large consensus of the population of Israel, but rather by the Jews themselves, who in John's terms refer to the leaders.

Question (continued)

My second question is related and it is short. What are the Jews looking for today. What are they looking for in terms of the Messiah?

Answer (continued)

Most Jewish people today, well there are four different groups of Jews: you have what are known as Hasidic Jews. Hasidic Jews are very, very orthodox--they are Pharisees, they are the modern Pharisees and they are as Pharisaical as the Pharisees were. I mean they have all the same kind of approach as the Pharisees. Then there would be the Orthodox, and by the way there are all different sort of branches of this and sects. Then you have the Orthodox who go strictly by the Old Testament law and the traditions. They aren't quite legalistic as the Hasidics. Then you have the Conservatives who would accept the Old Testament as the Word of God. Then you have the Reformed, who don't even believe the Old Testament is the Word of God. All they have is the tradition. Now all of them are looking for something different. The Hasidic Jews and the Orthodox are actually looking for a Messiah, but they are in the minority. 

Question (continued)

[Looking for] God or a "man" from God? They are not looking for a God even now?

Answer (continued)

Probably a man from God. You say, "a God," they only believe in one God. The fact that we claim Christ to be God, to some of them a blasphemous statement because now we have two Gods. So they would be looking for a "man" who was a deliverer. They are looking for a David, they are looking for a Moses. The Conservatives, some of them are looking for (I suppose some could be looking for a real Messiah), but most of the Conservative Jews today are looking for a Messianic Age; they are looking for a Utopia; they are looking for a world where their nation is the Messiah. You see, the way they read Isaiah 53 is that it refers to the nation and not to a person. So they are looking for the Messianic fulfillment, the Messianic Kingdom--not necessarily for the Messiah--the Conservatives are. The Reformed are not looking for anything--they don't even believe it. So it depends on what group that you are talking about.