A reluctant Messiah?

I would say John

People looked to him as the messiah

But he knew that he was not even worthy of baptizing Jesus

Was he annointed? Yes

Was He saviour? No

Did he want to be? No

Jonah.. Anointed? Yes

Did he want to go where God wanted him to go? No, not at first. He was reluctant.

Israelite society is initially tribal, and with tribal leadership the people do not find a human king necessary. Human intermediaries might determine God’s will or follow God’s guidance, but God is king of the Israelites during the period of the Judges. The Israelites eventually demand a human king, although the prophet Samuel warns them that the king will require thousands to plow his ground and reap his harvest, as well as women to cook and bake for him, and “will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers” (1 Sam 8:14). The Israelites, according to the story, are nevertheless determined to have a king, so God sends them Saul, a mixed blessing. When we look at the biblical history of kingship, in fact, we can count the “good” kings on one hand: David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah. The rest seem to be corrupt, or corruptible, and even David and Solomon are far from perfect.

The Israelite king has a special title in Hebrew: mashiach, or messiah, which means anointed one. The inauguration of kingship is the anointing with oil by a priest. So any king is called a messiah, or anointed one. But other figures in Israelite religion are also anointed: namely, priests and prophets. The Torah describes the anointing of priests again and again (e.g., Exod 28:41; 29:7, 21), and prophets are anointed in Isaiah 61:1 and Ezekiel 28:14. In other words, we see at least three important figures in Israelite religion being anointed – prophet, priest, and king. Israelites generally understand messiah to refer to an earthly king. Moreover, “messiah” is a relatively UNIMPORTANT term in TaNaKh: “king” is much more central. But the concept of “messiah” assumes importance in the Pseudepigrapha of the first and second centuries BCE, and in the political and theological conflicts in the first and second centuries CE. “A Portable God: the Origin of Judaism and Christianity” by Risa Levitt Kohn and Rebecca Moore

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Someone who didn't want to be - I have no idea who would be a reluctant messiah. The Messiah I know chose to be it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(novel)

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, authored by pilot and writer Richard Bach was first published in 1977.

I've heard of a reluctant colon, but not a reluctant messiah. Are they similar?

Jesus is the Messiah!

Maybe Jesus was reluctant in that He asked God if there was another way for our salvation. However He went to the cross wilfully and in full obedience.