The Messiah is to preach the Good News of His Father's Kingdom in two visits, His message taking the form of two witnesses. His first visit, nearly 2,000 years ago, was introduced by reading Isaiah 61:1-2 in Nazareth's synagogue, yet many Galileans failed to recognize Him. At His second visit, many will again be filled with wrath and seek to destroy Him. To avoid delusion and recognize Him, we must learn from events and people during His first witness. In John 7, during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, two groups failed to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. The first group, expecting the Messiah to appear suddenly out of nowhere, dismissed Him because they knew His origins and family. The second group rejected Him based on the false notion that no prophet arose from Galilee, ignoring prophecies of His Galilean ministry. Both groups lacked a love for God's truth, leading them to believe a lie and fail to recognize their Messiah. In contrast, Luke 2 describes a group who recognized Jesus as the Messiah shortly after His birth. These devout individuals, including Simeon and Anna, displayed key characteristics: they had God's Spirit, heard God's Word regularly, fellowshipped with like-minded believers, fasted often, prayed regularly, understood prophecies about the Messiah's coming, and valued assembling together. Through their devotion, they received understanding from God and recognized their Messiah, unlike those who rejected Him. As we stand at the threshold of His second witness, the choices we make will determine whether we recognize our Messiah. Following the example of the devout—loving the truth, using God's Holy Spirit, studying His Word with fastings and prayers, and fellowshipping with God's elect—will enable us to stand before the Son of Man and recognize Him for who He is.

The disciples failed to recognize direct evidence of Jesus Messiahship even as they recounted events that proved it. Their background had conditioned them to disbelieve that the Messiah could suffer and die. Jesus explained from the Scriptures how the Messiah was to suffer these things and how all parts of the Old Testament from Moses the Prophets and the Psalms spoke about Him as the Messiah. Their eyes were opened when He broke the bread allowing them to recognize Him.

Many Jews in Palestine expected the prophesied Messiah to appear in the early first century based on their memorized scriptures and the Seventy Weeks Prophecy. They covered a general time frame from multiple proclamations to start counting the sixty-nine weeks of years. God sent His Son right on time around 4 BC with the ministry beginning in AD 26 or 27. People actively sought Him in Jerusalem and throughout the country. Simeon waited with a guarantee from the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before death. Anna spoke of Him to all who looked for redemption in Israel. A group of people sought their Savior. Priests, Pharisees, and Levites questioned John the Baptist to determine if he was the Messiah. John denied it and pointed to the One coming after him. Disciples from the Sea of Galilee recognized Jesus as the Messiah after John the Baptist's testimony and committed themselves as followers. Samaritans also looked for the Messiah. The woman at the well told her city she may have found Him. People debated whether Jesus fit their expectations of the Messiah's origins and actions. They had already seen false messiahs like Simon of Peraea, Athronges, Judas of Galilee, and others who led rebellions. These false messiahs modeled their role on passages such as II Samuel 7, Amos 9, and Isaiah 9. They expected a warrior of Davidic lineage who would save Judah from oppressors, restore the nation, and establish the Kingdom through military might. They ignored prophecies of the Suffering Servant and focused on vengeance and judgment. They viewed the Messiah as a righteous avenging king who would kick out Romans and Edomites.