Whoever says this does not know what he or she is talking about.  Either that, or possibly they are making a very narrow statement in order to make a bogus point.  Jesus said in John 5:39-40 to the teachers of the Law, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about me…”  Jesus surely is claiming to be the fulfillment of messianic prophecies here.  Also, Jesus said, in Luke 24:44, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”  Again, here he is telling his followers that he must complete the fulfilling of the many messianic prophecies.   I suppose one could say that Jesus is never quoted as saying “I Am the Messiah.”  (although he could have said this many times, but not had that quote recorded in Scripture).  When directly asked in Mark 14:61, Jesus refused to answer, but then again, he was in the process of fulfilling the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 “Like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

Yet, his other statements make it clear that he fully intended his followers to understand him to be the Messiah.  When Peter boldly and publicly called Jesus the Messiah in Matthew 16:16 “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”  Jesus did not deny it!  Surely he would have straightened Peter out if he were mistaken.

So, anyone trying to “prove” that Jesus is not the Messiah by pointing out that he “never claimed to be the Messiah,” either is being disingenuous (making a narrow statement which is technically true, to prove something which they know is certainly is not true), or is simply ignorant of the Scripture.  I am not sure which is the case with the “people” you are asking about.

John Oakes