Is the “The Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah 53 about Jesus?

Answer

Perhaps the most significant of all Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures / the Old Testament) concerning the arrival of the Jewish Messiah is found in the 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah. This portion of the Prophets, also known as the “Suffering Servant,” has long been interpreted by the historical Rabbis of Judaism to refer to the Redeemer who will eventually come to Zion. Here is a selection of what Judaism has traditionally believed regarding the identity of the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah 53:

The Babylonian Talmud states: “The Messiah, what is his name? The Rabbis say, The Leper Scholar, as it is written, ‘surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God and afflicted…’” (Sanhedrin 98b).

Midrash Ruth Rabbah explains: “Another interpretation of Ruth 2:14: He is referring to king Messiah; ‘Come hither,’ approach the throne; ‘and eat of the bread,’ that is, the bread of the kingdom; ‘and dip thy morsel in the vinegar,’ this alludes to his chastisements, as it is written, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.’”

The Targum Jonathan declares: “Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high and increase and be exceedingly strong.”

The Zohar mentions: “‘He was wounded for our transgressions,’ etc….There is in the Garden of Eden a palace called the Palace of the Sons of Sickness; this palace the Messiah then enters, and summons every sickness, every pain, and every chastisement of Israel; they all come and rest upon him. And were it not that he had thus lightened them off Israel and taken them upon himself, there had been no man able to bear Israel’s chastisements for the transgression of the law: and this is that which is written, ‘Surely our sicknesses he hath carried.’”

The esteemed Rabbi Moses Maimonides (Rambam) states: “What is the manner of Messiah’s advent….there shall rise up one of whom

None have known before, and signs and wonders that they shall witness performed by him will serve as evidence of his true origin; for the Almighty, when declaring his thoughts on this matter, says, ‘Behold a man whose name is the Branch, and he shall branch forth out of his place’ «and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: », (Zechariah 6:12). Isaiah also speaks of the time when he shall appear, without father or mother or family being known, He came up as a sucker before him, and as a root out of dry earth, etc….in the words of Isaiah, when describing the manner in which kings will harken to him, At him kings will shut their mouth; for that which had not been told them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have perceived.”

Regrettably, modern Rabbis of Judaism believe that the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah 53 may refer to Israel, or to Isaiah himself, or even Moses or another of the Jewish prophets. However, Isaiah is explicit – he speaks of the Messiah, as many ancient rabbis concluded.

The second verse of Isaiah 53 confirms this clarity. The figure grows up as “a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground.” The shoot springing up is undoubtedly a reference to the Messiah, and, in fact, it is a common Messianic reference in Isaiah and elsewhere. The Davidic dynasty was to be cut down in judgment like a felled tree, but it was promised to Israel that a new sprout would shoot up from the stump. King Messiah was to be that sprout.

Without a doubt, the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah 53 refers to the Messiah. He is the one highly exalted before whom kings shut their mouths. The Messiah is the shoot who sprung up from the fallen Davidic dynasty. He became the King of Kings. He provided the ultimate atonement.

Isaiah 53

Must be understood as referring to the coming Davidic King, the Messiah. King Messiah was prophesied to suffer and die to pay for our sins and then rise again. He would serve as a priest to the nations of the world and apply the blood of atonement to cleanse those who believe. There is One alone to whom this can refer, Jesus Christ!

Those who confess him are his children, his promised offspring, and the spoils of his victory. According to the testimony of the Jewish Apostles, Jesus died for our sins, rose again, ascended to the right hand of God, and He now serves as our great High Priest who cleanses us of sin (Hebrew 2:17; Hebrew 8:1). Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the one Isaiah foresaw.

Rabbi Moshe Kohen Ibn Crispin said, “This rabbi described those who interpret Isaiah 53 as referring to Israel as those ‘having forsaken the knowledge of our Teachers, and inclined after the stubbornness of their own hearts, and of their own opinion, I am pleased to interpret it, in accordance with the teaching of our Rabbis, of the King Messiah.’” This prophecy was delivered by Isaiah at the divine command for the purpose of making known to us something about the nature of the future Messiah, who is to come and deliver Israel, and his life from the day when he arrives at discretion until his advent as a redeemer, in order that if anyone should arise claiming to be himself the Messiah, we may reflect, and look to see whether we can observe in him any resemblance to the traits described here; if there is any such resemblance, then we may believe that he is the Messiah our righteousness; but if not, we cannot do so.