Bible study the messiah in isaiah the suffering servant. Isaiah 53 is the fiftythird chapter of the book of isaiah in the hebrew bible or the old testament of the christian bible. Thus begins mitch glasers introduction in the gospel according to isaiah 53. Chapter 53 of the book of isaiah may be the most hotly disputed passage in all of scripture with good reason. The suffering servant songs in the book of isaiah there are a group passages called the suffering servant songs. Evangelicals tend to read this passage as how the suffering servant removes sinners guilt before god or how people need the servant to bear their guilt cf. Isaiah 53 must be understood as referring to the coming davidic king, the. The servant of god has no question about his call from god. We will focus on the fourth suffering servant song since it is the most disputed portion of isaiah. The substantial new book the gospel according to isaiah 53. Is isaiah 53 the suffering servant a prophecy about. Who is the servant of the lord depicted in isaiah 53. This passage is commonly referred to as the suffering servant passage in isaiah because it pictures the messiah of israel not as a conquering political hero as some of the people thought he would be but as one who would save his people through suffering. Isaiah 53 nasb the suffering servant who has bible gateway.
For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground. While much attention has been focused upon this biblical chapter, there are four important passages that isaiah penned on the ministry of the. Some scholars have called these passages songs, or. Encountering the suffering servant in jewish and christian theology. Isaiah 53 nasb the suffering servant who has bible. It is exegetical in that it is based on a careful study of the text. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet isaiah, and is one of the neviim. I have been discussing the bible with a jewish gentleman.
Chapters 4055 are known as deuteroisaiah and date from the time of the israelites exile in babylon. Verses 46 read like an eyewitness account of the crucifixion of jesus christ at calvary. D espite strong objections from conservative christian apologists, the prevailing rabbinic interpretation of isaiah 53 ascribes the servant to the nation of israel who silently endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of its gentile oppressors. The suffering servant passage is a case of genuine messianic prophecy. However, prophecy often works on more than one level. The suffering servant of isaiah 53 is introduced by isaiah 52. The suffering is the what and, for our good, the passage offers the why as well. This beloved chapter in isaiah is often called the su. We have sung a couple of songs dealing with his death o sacred head and now wounded, lamb of god, and we have heard some special music on the same theme. We have gathered tonight to remember the death of jesus christ as the payment for our sin. The gospel writers identify jesus of nazareth as fulfil l ing these verse. I have tried to show him that the prophecies of isaiah 53 were fulfilled by jesus. Why is the gospel of mark said to present jesus as the. Rabbinic judaism sees this passage, especially gods suffering servant, being written over 2500 years ago, without a reference to the king.
In verse 9, the servants suffering is voluntary, willing and silent, which has never been true of israel. The first part protoisaiah prophesies death and destruction, but keeps lightening it up with cheery prophecies of a good and holy kingdom at the end of time. Jews for judaism isaiah 53 and the suffering servant. The 53rd chapter of isaiah has often been called the suffering servant passage. It is quite common today to hear rabbis say that this passage speaks not of messiah, but of. One cannot say enough about the importance of this inspired book. The servant songs are four songs in the book of isaiah in the hebrew bible, which include.
Following in the footsteps of the previous chapter isaiah. Mark portrays jesus as the suffering servant most likely in fulfillment of the servant passages in isaiah specifically isaiah 52. No passage of second isaiah has intrigued readers and interpreters especially among christians more than the four passages that are dedicated to describing a figure known as the suffering servant. Commentary on isaiah 5253 the suffering servant tough.
The suffering servant who has believed our message. The suffering servant is a famous passage from isaiah 53, which christians claim is a messianic prophecy about jesus. Before partaking of the lords supper brethren will often read from. There are four times in the book of isaiah that the suffering servant is discussed, but the fourth is the most significant of all the passages and thats the one i want to look at this morning. We are given a view of his life and character in the days of his flesh, his. It is the fourth in a series of passages dealing with the servant or the servant of the lord. Beyond doubt, the suffering servant of isaiah 53 refers to messiah. In three parts the book expounds how the prophecies of isaiah 53 relate to and are ultimately fulfilled in the person of jesus.
The speakers, in this mostdebated chapter, are the stunned kings of nations who will bear witness to the messianic age and the. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him. In the gospel of luke, jesus quotes from this passage and suggests its. This long section of isaiah is so clear in its description of the suffering messiah that it has caused enormous problems for teachers of judaism. The suffering servant isaiah 53 grace bible church. It is exegetical,expositional, devotional, and christological. Indeed, its direct and indirect use by our lord jesus christ and its vast role. Isaiah 53 is central for understanding the identity of jesus christ. A prophecy of jesus christ is a major new study of the fiftythird chapter of isaiah. What biblical passages and traditions is isaiah 53 drawing on. When we study this passage in the light of historythe life, death and resurrection of jesus christit becomes quite evident that he is the suffering servant of yahweh. Throughout the passage the servant is portrayed as a singular personality and not a nation.
Christians have long insisted that this suffering servant is jesus, while jews contend that he is the nation of israel. Christianity claims that these verses in isaiah 53 foretell a specific, individual person as the messiah, or savior of the world from sin, while judaism maintains they point instead to a faithful remnant group of the jewish people. The gospel according to isaiah 53 is an outstanding resource for evangelists, pastors, teachers, seminary professors, and parachurch organizations who want to learn the truth of the suffering servant and use that truth in reaching the lost with the message of salvation through the messiah. Messiah is the shoot who sprung up from the fallen davidic dynasty. Someone could easily be fooled to believe this argument if isaiah is read out of context and without a proper translation. The suffering servant is an enigmatic figure described in the book of the prophet isaiah. Isaiah 53 has often been called the suffering servant passage. He is the one highly exalted before whom kings shut their mouths. The majority of scholars relate their perspective to the exilic period. It is isaiah chapter 52 starting at verse and goes to the end of chapter 53. It is exegetical, expositional, devotional, and christological. The presence of the suffering servant psalms in 2 isaiah and their importance for new testament christology tends to draw attention away from the theological content of the book.
He was called from the womb, so this was not an afterthought. What is described here is the ideal sufferer, the suffering servant. The passage is divided into five stanzas of three verses each. The most crucial passage in the whole book of isaiah is 52. The suffering servant of isaiah the bart ehrman blog. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and. However, isaiah contains some passages which describe someone who does not fit the typical picture of a messiah the suffering servant. You can break isaiah down into roughly three parts. The messiah does not appear in the flesh to simply give us a moral example or help us out by showing what. Henri blocher, in the servant songs, entitles the four songs. Well, the suffering servant in isaiahs famous passage is clearly an individual, for 53. In the gospel of luke, jesus quotes from this passage and suggests it.
1514 1331 627 459 890 482 1294 381 1291 926 576 492 588 624 1529 631 566 1086 1280 1137 776 1093 920 1165 1454 878 727 730 713 319 1264 18 1316