Skip to main content

Isaiah 53 in Jewish and Christian Perspective


The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 Edited by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser







The prophetic writings of the Old Testament include some of the most challenging and illuminating passages in the whole canon. The interpretation of these prophetic passages in the New Testament provides a lens by which we understand the coming of Jesus. The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 is a collection of rich essays by evangelical scholars focusing in on the value of Isaiah 53 for academic and apologetic discussion. The book's divisions are threefold: Interpretations of Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 and Biblical Theology, and Isaiah 53 and Practial Theology. What I found to be very helpful in these divisions is the insistence in bringing together various interpretations of Isaiah 53 and the role these understandings have on belief (in and outside the church).




Part I of the book relates interpretations of Isaiah 53 in Jewish and Christian thought with analysis taking into consideration non-evangelical sources as well. Richard Averbeck's diagram taken from the work of Franz Delitzsch was helping in pointing out three levels in understanding the Servant Songs (a single servant, a remnant, and the elect nation as a whole, 37). Furthermore, against the tide of mainstream scholarship Averbeck argues for a single authorship of the book of Isaiah with a unique twist. He writes, "..yet I add that this one Isaiah went through a number of distinct stages in his life and prophetic activity" (38). I think this is an important issue because it brings out some coherency and consistency within the message of the prophet of Isaiah that could lost if we were to take a multiple author view of Isaiah. Overall, this first part was good in providing a foundation in understanding for why Jewish people see Isaiah 53 as having already been fulfilled or still waiting to be fulfilled.



Part II was important in providing rationale for the importance of Isaiah 53 in the New Testament. Michael J. Wilkins points out that its much more than just direct quotations from Isaiah 53 that we find in the Gospels, but allusions and echoes scattered throughout the narratives. Wilkins goes on to point out that in Matthew 8 that "Matthew draws upon this prophecy to link Jesus' healing ministry with the substitutionary atonement theme of Isaiah 53" (122). The healings of Jesus by various sick people point towards the ultimate healing that people will find in the death of Jesus for sin. This second part of the book is remarkable in taking the quotes and illusions of Isaiah 53 in the NT and shedding light on the whole of God's plan for all of creation.



The last part of the book looks at the way in which Isaiah 53 can be used to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen Ministries, an organization with a view to evangelizing Jews gives some important keys to talking to Jewish people. He points out that using Isaiah 53 alone usually will not lead to change, but the ideas of making a friend, being a servant, and seeking to avoid monologues goes a long way in providing a voice for the good news (245-246). The reminder of Francis Schaeffer is helpful here that the gretest apologetic tool one can give is the witness of a life devoted to Christ.



The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 was a remarkable work! I had not even considered seeing the apologetic value of using Isaiah 53 in talking to people about Jesus before. The great takeaway for me from the book was the unmistakable connection between a sound interpretation of Isaiah 53 in its own context and the willingness to see how it was used in the NT as creedence for the coming of Jesus. There is great value in seeing that understanding the specifics of Isaiah 53 and applying them to Jesus works much better than just seeing Israel as the suffering servant. Interpreting Isaiah 53 as speaking proleptically of Jesus is not out of line with a good interpretation of the prophet, but speaks more clearly of all the details involved in the Servant Songs. I hope this book has a wide reading in Christian and Jewish circles. Secondly, this book is a great resource for those wanting to start conversations with those from a Jewish background.



Much thanks to Kregel Publications for the complimentary review copy of this book.

 For more information on upcoming Kregel Academic and Professional book see the website below: http://www.kregel.com/ME2/Audiences/Default.asp?AudID=48EE099661BD428783A124400F04D2E6

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Casper

Saving Casper: A Christian and an Atheist Talk about Why We Need to Change the Conversion Conversation by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Casper-Christian-Conversion-Conversation/dp/1414364881 Many readers will quickly know the authors of this book from their previous release Jim and Casper Go to Church.  Jim and Matt’s new book entitled Saving Casper focuses on the way we talk about conversion in the church and the devastating ways we have pushed away atheists and other non-believers by our posture.  Both Jim and Matt traversed the national landscape, meeting in churches and asking hard questions about faith, conversion, and life. The basic premise of the book and travel is laid out here in their words, “Part of what Casper and I are trying to achieve when we speak to a group of Christians is to help people move a little bit on their “judgment meter.”  This capacity, while intellectually and often theologically uncomfortable,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Essential Christian Doctrine

  Essential Christian Doctrine , General Editor John MacArthur Pastor John MacArthur has for years been teaching the Word of God in both pulpit ministry, books, and conferences with an aim to displaying God’s revelation to his listeners in a winsome and foundational manner.  This new book, Essential Christian Doctrine takes an entire life of teaching and preaching and encapsulates the main contours of the Christian faith for its readers.  John in a systematic way highlights the most necessary teachings from Scripture including God’s Word, the Trinity, while also including sections on Man and the Future. One of the most helpful ways the authors bring to light biblical truth and theology is the way in which they group together particular themes.  In the section on the Holy Spirit, instead of a complex discussion of personhood, word pictures of the Holy Spirit are introduced in a discernible and profitable manner.  The metaphors for the Holy Spirit include fir...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wisdom for All

Interpreting the Wisdom Books: An Exegetical Handbook by Edward Custis Among the many wonderful books on the OT wisdom literature, this fine new book helps the reader interpret, exegete, and apply God’s Word to his people in succinct and helpful way.  The book is laid out nicely with bolded words that emphasize necessary themes in the study of the wisdom books and short chapters that get to the point of the biblical books.  This series of exegetical handbooks is a great treasure for students and pastors because it synthesizes much of the academic work on a biblical book into digestable portions helpful  for preaching and teaching. The opening chapter on the wisdom books brings out a helpful grid for understanding wisdom literature.  Custis writes, “Biblical wisdom, in contrast to Israel’s neighbors, reflects “Yahwistic theology” through its regular use of terms like “fear of the Lord,” its affirmation of God’s providence, and its recognition th...
Post a Comment
Read more