“Many, if not most first-century Jews expected the messiah to be a man of war, and for the liberation to come through violent force. We see this reflected in the disciples’ own expectations for Jesus. Jesus, however, did not come to take life, but to give his own life. The gospel is indeed about the messiah’s “victory” over evil and injustice, but that messianic victory does not come through violent conquest and military force, but through restoration and healing.”
