The events recorded in 1 and 2 Maccabees had a major impact on Jewish thinking in the 1st century A.D. That history influenced Jewish expectations for a messiah. The term “Messiah” had political and military connotations, and Jesus challenged these presuppositions when the term was applied to him. Since the canonical Bible does not include any of this history, how should churches fill in this gap so people will have a better understanding of what the Jews expected and why Jesus challenged their notion of Messiah?
