What were they expecting?

When the first humans were lured by a dissident spiritual being to rebel against their maker, their creator promised them that one day a descendant of theirs (lit. the woman’s offspring) will triumph over evil but suffer himself.

(The creator speaking to the deceiver:)
“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

(Genesis 3:15, NKJV)

Abraham, who is regarded as the forefather of Jews, was told that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him.

“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)

In the foundational story of the Israelite nation their leader, Moses, leads them away from slavery into freedom. Moses’ story is recorded in the first five books of the Jewish sacred texts (The Old Testament part of the Bible). In his final speech he tells the people that God will raise “another like him” from among their people. Later Moses was often referred to as “The Servant of the Lord”.

Centuries later, in times of political turmoil, a seer recorded several visions of a “Servant of the Lord”. But this servant is rejected by his people, suffering terribly because of people’s evilness, even dying, but yet seeing the light of day again.

By the time we come to the end of all the Jewish sacred texts (our Old Testament), this “another Moses” has yet to appear.

More about the Servant of the Lord

King David, who lived a thousand years before Jesus, began his life as a shepherd boy in the town of Beth Lechem (the house of bread) A seer told him that his “throne will be established forever.”

This led those studying the sacred texts to expect that the Promised One, the Anointed, would be David’s descendant, “Son of David”.

Later the seer Micah wrote that the Anointed One would come from Beth Lechem, David’s home town.

The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus was born in Beth Lechem. According to the gospels, some people called Jesus “The Son of David”. Jesus says of himself “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) His ancestral home was “the house of bread” and indeed he has become the bread of life for all Christians taking communion.

A Jewish seer, Daniel, exiled in Babylon, had a vision of someone like “the Son of Man”, who his description indicates was a divine figure. This was hard to interpret for those studying the texts, for Judaism is monotheistic, so multiple divine figures is a very controversial thought . But this seer was highly regarded and the discussion was lively. What did the text imply?

 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Dani7:13-14)

Jesus’ preferred title for himself was “The Son of Man”. During his trial he identified with the figure in Daniel’s vision and he was instantly condemned to death for blasphemy.

Yet another seer wrote a few hundred years before Jesus’ time:
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zachariah 9:9 NIV)

When Jesus decided to arrive in Jerusalem riding on a donkey to celebrate the festival of Pesach, everyone who knew the holy texts, understood what he was indicating.

Within days from this event, Jesus was dead.

King David, also a musician and a seer, wrote many songs. One describes him suffering terribly in the hands of evil, succumbing to death, but rejoicing afterwards. It has strange details about a form of torture unknown in his time - his hands and his feet being pierced. Surely he was not describing himself?
Read the song here

According to eye witness accounts in the gospels, some of the few words Jesus uttered during his torture were from this song. He was identifying with the sufferer in the song.

Read more about this prophecy here