Guidance through the Word

“Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: ‘He was led like a sheep to slaughter; And like a lamb that is silent before its shearer, So He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His justice was taken away.’” The Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7-8. This is the “Prophecy of the Suffering Servant” (Isa. 52:13-53:12). He was reading the most explicit messianic prophecy in the Old Testament. How amazing this divine providence is.

“The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?’” The eunuch’s question is very important. He understood that this prophecy was about a particular person. His question was whether that person was Isaiah or someone else. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.”  Philip used the Old Testament for personal evangelism. (1) Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah. (2) The suffering servant Isaiah prophesied about is Jesus. (3) This message must have resonated deeply with the eunuch, who had just celebrated the Passover.

Jewish Interpretation of Isaiah 53

Let’s review the Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 53. (1) The ancient rabbis unanimously agreed that Isaiah 53 was a messianic prophecy. The early church held the same view. (2) However, in the 11th century, the famous rabbi Rashi introduced a new interpretation, stating that the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 referred to the nation of Israel. Rashi likely opposed the Christians using this prophecy for evangelism. (3) In modern Judaism, Isaiah chapters 52 to 54 are excluded from the synagogue readings. (4) The majority opinion among modern Jewish rabbis is the interpretation that the suffering servant refers to the nation of Israel. However, there are a few rabbis who support the messianic interpretation. (5) Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself: “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was counted with wrongdoers’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:37). Isaiah 53 is the most powerful tool for evangelism to the Jews. Furthermore, it is also greatly used in evangelizing to the Gentiles. God’s love is fully revealed in the cross of Christ.