What Is the Difference Between Messiah and Jesus?

Messiah Son of Joseph with Dr. David Mitchell

Christians know Jesus as the messianic son of David. The fact that the messiah is referred to by other titles and terms (e.g., Servant, Branch, Root) is also well known. But there is one title or trajectory about the Jewish messiah that is relatively unknown, save to a handful of rabbinic teachers who intentionally do not want attention paid to it. That trajectory is the Messiah son of Joseph. In this episode we discuss this topic with Dr. David Mitchell, perhaps the solitary scholar who has brought all the relevant ancient “Josephite Messiah” material together into one book. Dr. Mitchell writes extensively of how Jewish sources such as the Talmud speak of a figure called Messiah ben Joseph, who comes forth from Galilee to die, pierced by his enemies at the gate of Jerusalem, whose death confounds Satan, atones for sin, and abolishes death itself. 

Books David C. Mitchell, Messiah ben Joseph (Campbell Publications, 2016) David C. Mitchell, Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word (Campbell Publications, 2021) David Mitchell homepage