Jesus Christ as Messiah stirred varied perceptions among the people of His time. When Jesus asked His followers who men said He was, responses ranged from John the Baptist returned from the dead, to a second Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets like Jeremiah. Peter, one of His disciples, declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," yet even he momentarily misunderstood Jesus' true mission, viewing Him as a human Messiah destined to lead the Jewish nation to independence and glory. This belief was shared by all of Jesus' disciples, who were later shocked and disappointed by His unexpected death, having anticipated an insurrection to restore Israel as a sovereign, glorious nation. Public opinion about Jesus was divided and often confused. Many were unsure of His identity despite the signs foretold in ancient scriptures by the prophets. Some deemed Him less than sane, saying, "He has a demon and is mad. Why listen to Him?" Even those who grew up with Him expressed concern, stating, "He is out of His mind." Yet, Jesus drew large crowds of common people, intrigued by His teachings, which provoked jealousy among religious leaders who complained, "Look, the world has gone after Him!" The Roman official Pontius Pilate, hearing the Jews accuse Jesus of claiming to be the Son of God, grew fearful and questioned, "Where are You from?" Even Jesus' own disciples pondered His nature, asking, "Who can this be?" Despite His miracles, preaching, and fulfillment of prophetic writings, confusion and doubt persisted about who Jesus was. The people were astonished at His teaching, for He spoke with authority unlike the scribes. The educated elite were shocked by His depth of learning and wisdom, though He was not seen as an intellectual, political leader, or established religious scholar. The religious leaders mocked Him, saying, "We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." Though impressed by His knowledge and philosophy, many were unwilling to change themselves, despite the clear indications in the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus Christ came as foretold.

The accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke present a vivid record of the birth of Jesus Christ, portraying Him as the promised Messiah. The angel's announcement to the shepherds, as recorded by Luke, declares, "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord," linking His birth to Old Testament prophecies. This title, likely expressed as Messiah Adonai in the Aramaic spoken by the shepherds, suggests that this newborn is not merely a special child but God Himself born as a human being. The sudden appearance of a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God with the hymn "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men," underscores the monumental significance of His arrival. Their presence and song reflect the joy and importance of this event in God's plan, affirming that Jesus Christ, as Messiah, initiates the process of bringing true peace to the earth, beginning with His birth in Bethlehem.

As God leads us through conversion, He challenges our concept of Him, sharpening our mental image of His character and nature through the Scriptures, which testify of the Father and the Son. A significant aspect of this revelation involves Jesus Christ as the Messiah, fulfilling the Messianic prophecy and the Day of Atonement ritual. In Isaiah 53:6, the Lord, the Father, laid our iniquities on the Messiah, mirroring the high priest's action of laying sins on the azazel in Leviticus 16, where the azazel bears all iniquities as a type, with the Messiah as the antitype. Isaiah 53:4-5 describes the physical trauma He endured, being stricken, smitten by God, afflicted, wounded, bruised, chastised, and scourged. Isaiah 53:11-12 further states that justification results from the Messiah bearing iniquities, having borne the sins of many. Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree, not as an abstract legal pronouncement, but through real suffering, experiencing shame, reproach, anguish, piercing, crushing, bruising, smiting, grief, and other terrible effects during hours of extreme agony. This bearing of sin underscores the gravity of His sacrifice. Additionally, healing comes from His stripes, as referenced in Isaiah 53 and reiterated in the notion of spiritual healing, which is infinitely more important than physical healing, turning us from straying sheep to the Shepherd. The Scriptures reveal a challenging reality: God the Father made Christ to be sin, as seen in the parallel with the azazel, which symbolically became sin when iniquities were laid upon it. Christ also became a curse for us, fulfilling the dreadful role of the azazel during His suffering. His sacrifice occurred outside the gate, unlike typical sin offerings killed at the tabernacle. Like the azazel, led outside the camp after becoming sin, Christ was led away and suffered for hours while bearing our sins on the tree, feeling every second of the burden. God, in His mercy, provided this way for us to be healed and reconciled to Him through the Messiah's terrible yet necessary role of becoming sin and a curse, bearing all chastening in His body so that we might have life with Him.