Who is the Suffering Servant?*

      

     Around 325 A.D., the known Church at that time officially removed the treasured Jewish roots from the Christian faith, creating a divide that still exists today. This division has sometimes taken the form of antisemitism, such as we see in the Christian Nationalism movement, as well as the falsehood of Replacement Theology that states that the Church has replaced Israel. In His Word, the LORD made a covenant with Israel specifically and intends to keep that covenant. We, as Christians, have been grafted into the natural olives tree of the Jewish faith. (Rom. 11:16-18). The early church was made up of Jews first and shortly thereafter Gentiles, with thousands of Jews converting to belief in Jesus as Messiah/Christ, including Jewish priests, after the resurrection of Christ according to the Book of Acts. 

     The divide between the two faiths of the same olive tree is also reflected in portions of scripture, such as Isaiah 53, that are no longer read by Jewish people in Sabbath portions.  These omitted sections of scripture may even be covered in black cloth in the scrolls to prevent the reading of them. These scriptures, like Isaiah 53, are also given an interpretation that does not agree with the words as written. As we read these verses, we will find that the suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 is very obviously a prophecy about one Person whom we can instantly recognize as being Jesus, and they are not referring to the whole nation of Israel. Jewish interpretations teach that Isaiah 53 refers to the whole nation of Israel as the suffering Servant who died for sin. Let us look at this chapter from Isaiah to read the words as they are written:

     "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?...he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.: (Isa. 53:1-3). Isaiah is prophesying about a person here, and not a whole nation of Israel. 

     Isaiah then begins to describe the cause for the wounds of this suffering Servant of God: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (v. 5-6).

     Isaiah described hundreds of years before the crucifixion of Jesus how the suffering Servant remained silent like a lamb led to slaughter. He prophesied about this person being taken from prison and judgment. Again Isaiah wrote: "...for the transgression of my people was he stricken." (Isa. 53:7-8). As Isaiah prophesied, Jesus remained silent when He was confronted by Pontius Pilate in the judgment hall, even when Pilate reminded Him that he had the power to release Him. (Jn. 19:9-11, 13).

     Isaiah continued: "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence. neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities...he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (v. 9-12, excerpt). This suffering Servant is described as being "righteous". Neither the nation of Israel, nor any other man on earth, could be described as righteous, when the Word of God says that there are none righteous, no not one. (see Ps. 14:1-3, Rom. 3:10-12, 23). There is only One who is righteous, and that is the Lord, Jesus. (see 2 Cor. 5:20-21, 1 Jn. 2:1-2).

     The nation of Israel, although it has a vital purpose in the prophetic plans and covenant of God, did not die for the sins of many. A Man made that sacrifice, and that Man was Jesus. He died with "the wicked" as two criminals were crucified on either side of Him, as Isaiah prophesied, and His body was laid in the tomb of "the rich" man, Joseph of Arimathea. (Mt. 27:57-60). Isaiah, the prophet of God, wrote of every accurate detail so that there can be no mistaking this suffering Servant for anything or anyone other than Jesus, Yeshua (the Hebrew name of Jesus meaning "Salvation").

     It had not always been the case that the Jewish religious leaders chose to interpret the meaning of Isaiah 53 as being about the whole nation of Israel rather than the one Person who fulfilled all that Isaiah described. The original interpretation of the Jewish rabbis of this chapter of Isaiah, was that the suffering Servant being described was a Man who would die in the place of others. This long-held interpretation, which reflected the words written by Isaiah, was changed within the first two centuries after the crucifixion of Christ.

     The apostle Paul, a rabbinically trained Jew and a Pharisee, preached the contrast between our faith in Jesus and the unbelief of many of the Jews, in part, by quoting from several chapters of Isaiah, including Isaiah 53 by saying: "But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" (Rom. 10:16 also v. 19-21, Isa. 53:1, also Isa. 65:1-2). Paul understood that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the suffering Servant of Isa. 53. 

     Paul also wrote that the Jews, "...being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end (telos - the last in a series, eternal, the end to which all things relate or the aim or purpose) of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. 10:3-4). Christ fulfilled the purpose of the law - the righteousness of God. Paul quoted Isaiah again, saying, "Whosoever believeth on him (Jesus) shall not be ashamed." (Rom. 10:11, Isa. 28:16). Jesus said that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. He also said that the scriptures testify of Him.

     Paul wrote of the attaining of the salvation of God through Jesus Christ this way: "...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." (Rom. 10:9-12). How is this Word of salvation to come to all? It is to be preached, Paul wrote. (see Rom. 10:14-15, quoting Isa. 52:7).

     Paul wrote that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the good news of the salvation of God, is for both the Jew and the Gentile - all who will receive and believe it. (see Rom. 10:12-13). The prophet Isaiah said that the sacrifice of the suffering Servant will be a stunning testimony to all nations: "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage (mare/ra'a - appearance, countenance, spectacle, look upon/look, behold, consider, perceive, foresee, heed, be visible) was so marred (mishat - disfigurement of face, destruction, to be marred) more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle (naza - spurt, spatter, sprinkle, startle, sprinkle especially in expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isa. 52:13-15). Kings of nations will be able to see something. When they look upon it, they will be stunned into silence. Paul had the opportunity to bring the Gospel before kings also. The Shroud of Turin amazingly fits this prophecy of Isaiah's and has stunned many who have looked upon it, as it brings the suffering, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to our sight. The startling image transcends different languages, customs, religions and traditions. (See how you can purchase a copy of Dr. Stevenson's book, "NAZAH - White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", or the free ebook on the subject of the Shroud below.)

     The prophet Zechariah also wrote of those who will "look upon" this suffering servant, as the LORD delivers Jerusalem and Judah from the surrounding nations who seek to destroy God's people and land: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:10).

     The LORD expects us to look upon the image of His Son, Jesus, the faithful suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, as Isaiah asked, "Who will believe our report?"

     We have seen that Paul quoted Isaiah chapters 52 and 53 throughout the above chapters from Romans. It is necessary to share the good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with all, both Jew and Gentile. The Jewish people are not excluded from this message. It was promised to them by God throughout all of the scriptures from Genesis onward, including the prophets like Isaiah and Zechariah mentioned above. Let's spread the good news to all. Time grows short.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 5/18/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at Kenneth Stevenson. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. The book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling is available on Amazon.

**NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.