Isaiah 53; Rabbinical Judaism vs. Christianity

As followers of Christ, we are asked to give an account for the hope that lies within (1 Peter 3:15) but with so much division over different translations and denominations that grew out of the Protestant Reformation, never mind the earliest split between eastern and western orthodoxy, it's any wonder how the church has survived to this point!  Divisions over the difference between "for" and "because of" when it comes to sinful man and what the "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53 did for us is one area where Rabbinical Judaism attempts to show that Jesus was not who we have made him out to be.

Christian Orthodoxy points to this chapter of Isaiah as clearly pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, while Rabbinical Judaism claims it to be a continuation of the theme of the previous "servant songs" which clearly point to Israel.  Liberal Christian scholars have long agreed with their rabbinical counterparts on the proper interpretation of this chapter, but let us not forget it is also those same "scholars" who have brought same-sex marriage into the church which clearly goes against both Old and New Testament teachings.  So what do the Scriptures say?

To begin, we must first understand that any interpretation has to come from an understanding of the theme of the Scriptures in their entirety, not just from a couple of lines and verses.  Furthermore, to fully understand this chapter you have to begin in the previous chapter in the 13th verse, remembering that there were no chapter and verses when the Scriptures were written.

"Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.  Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand. 

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of  YHWH been revealed?  For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But  YHWH  has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.  By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But YHWH was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of  YHWH  will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors."

As mentioned previously, Rabbinical Judaism claims that the "My Servant" of Isaiah 53 refers to Israel (even though, in the previous chapters the other "servant songs" clearly spell out Israel) and backs it up with Scripture from other writers, namingly Jeremiah and David (Jer. 30:10, 46: 27-28; Psalm 136:22), but when we look at the verses from chapter 52 we see a clear separation between the people of Israel and this particular Servant.

Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men.

No parsing of verses, trying to fit something where it doesn't belong.  The above is one complete sentence and clearly points to a transition of whom God is speaking of in Chapter 53 from the previous "servant songs" of Isaiah.

So one major argument that Rabbinical Judaism makes, and that liberal Christian scholars agree with, is simply shattered in pieces because a clear transition of whom God is speaking about is there for all to see.

Rabbinical Judaism goes on to argue that even Jesus' disciples did not recognize him as the one who was spoken of in Isaiah 53. From the website aish.com;

Even in the Christian scriptures, the disciples did not consider the Suffering Servant as referring to Jesus (see Matthew 16:21-22, Mark 9:31-32, Luke 9:44-45). When Jesus said, "I am going to Jerusalem where I will suffer and die," the Apostle Peter did not relate this in any way to the suffering described in Isaiah 53. Rather, Peter rebuked Jesus, saying, "Be it far from you Lord, this shall not be unto you." In other words, "God forbid – that cannot happen to you!" Peter never expected the Messiah to be tortured and killed.

Of course one glaringly obvious thing left out of this argument is Jesus' response to Peter in the very next verse!

Matthew 16:23;

 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." 

Let us not forget that ALL the disciples at this point, didn't GET it!  It was not until after Jesus' death and resurrection when he was with them for 40 days and was teaching them from Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms, all that the Scriptures said concerning himself.  (Luke 24: 25-27, 44-47)  It was at this point that Jesus revealed himself to be the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53!  What is the proof text from Scripture for this assertion you ask?

The account of Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in the Book of Acts:

30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken away;
Who will relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”

34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 

So now go and make disciples of ALL men!  To the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles.