Who do the Gospels say Jesus is? The title and role of "Messiah" ascribed to Jesus in the Gospels has long been regarded as a late add on, a fabricated claim or an insignificant feature. Michael Bird, however, argues that the Gospels' messianic claims are the most significant feature of their portrayal of Jesus. Bird describes how each Evangelist portrays Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, what they think is at stake in that claim, and how the claim that "Jesus is the Messiah" drives the purpose and shape of the Gospels. Emphasizing that Christianity was a messianic movement rooted in its Jewish context, Bird points toward the profound theological implication of Jesus' identity: that Jesus' messiahship is the "mother of all Christology."

Author Biography

Michael F. Bird is lecturer in theology and Bible at Crossway College in Toowong, Australia. He is the author of several books, including Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission and Are You the One Who Is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question, as well as numerous essays, articles and reviews.