The Prophecy of the Suffering Servant

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This amazing passage from the Hebrew Prophets was written over 700 years before the birth of Jesus. It is found in Jewish Bibles today, though it is left out of the weekly synagogue readings, as are many other texts of the Bible. When people read Isaiah 53 without knowing which part of the Bible it comes from, they often wrongly assume is from the New Testament. Did Isaiah foresee the sufferings of Jesus to pay for our sins?  The passage actually begins with the end of Isaiah chapter 52. Read it for yourself.

It may surprise you that many great rabbis of the past believed this passage was about a suffering Messiah! See their views. Because the Hebrew Scriptures seem to give two versions of the Messiah, some rabbis developed a "Two Messiah Theory."

Some more recent rabbis claim this prophecy is about Israel. See why this is not a possibility. 

There is a curious idea about a "Leper Messiah" in rabbinic writings. Read about it here!

This is not just an intellectual exercise. You need to personally know the Suffering Servant and embrace what he has done for those who believe. 

Click here for suggestions for further reading.