...I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets.     Acts 24:14

All basic doctrines of the New Testament (Brit HaHadasha) have roots deep in the Tanach, so it is essential for a fuller understanding of these doctrines that we dig into their Hebraic soil. Their scriptural background permeated the hearts and minds of Yeshua and the Brit HaHadasha writers. Only by building on this foundation could the Spirit of God use these men to explain the true meaning of, or to "fulfill", the Law (Torah) of God.

Messianic (Hebrew) terms used in this teaching:

Yeshua -- Jesus

Messiah -- Christ

Torah -- The Law (The Pentateuch)

Tanach -- Old Testament

Brit HaHadasha -- New Testament

Not fully understanding the cross can cause problems for believers.

To comprehend what happened on the cross, we need to know more than just what the Brit HaHadasha reveals. We can assume when we read the Brit HaHadasha that the authors hoped their readers would study and know the Tanach as well. The cross as a means of execution was used only a couple of centuries before Yeshua, yet there are prophecies in the Tanach from much earlier which give deep insight about what was to occur on that "tree."

The Brit HaHadasha states that the prophets had many things revealed to them about Messiah except the exact time of His coming. "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of [Messiah] who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of [Messiah] and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you..." (1 Pet 1:10-11).

One of the most complete revelations of "[Yeshua the Messiah] and Him crucified" (1Cor 2:2) is found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. The following will help us see that looking into the Tanach to fully understand the Brit HaHadasha is a very fruitful way to study the Word. (Please note: comments below in brackets refer to additional or alternative meanings of the original Hebrew word.)

Commentary on Isaiah 52:13-53:12:

52:13     Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently [prosper, deal wisely, succeed in that for which He is sent], He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. In Yeshua's time there were Aramaic translations of the Tanach with commentaries, called the Targums. They give insight into the thinking of the Jewish people of that day. Targum Jonathan translates this verse beginning "Behold, My Servant Messiah ...." (1) Did Yeshua have this verse in mind when He said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32)? Here is an interesting quote: "Our Rabbis expound this...of the King Messiah, saying, 'He shall be higher than Abraham, exalted above Moses, and loftier than the ministering angels.'" (2)

52:14     Just as many were astonished [appalled, horrified] at you, so His visage [appearance] was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; This refers to the results of the beating and scourging Yeshua received before His crucifixion. By the time Messiah was crucified He was a bleeding, shocking sight. God is similarly repulsed by our sin.

52:15a     So shall He sprinkle many nations [gentiles]. This Hebrew word "sprinkle" is used for ceremonial cleansing through sprinkling of blood. Peter refers to this section of Isaiah several times in his first letter. For example: "...elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of [Yeshua the Messiah]..." (1Pet 1:2).

52:15b     Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. Compare this with Isaiah 49:7.

53:1a     Who has believed our report? John 12:37-38 quotes this as the reason why more Jewish people did not believe in Yeshua despite His miracles. "But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled...'Lord, who has believed our report...?'" Paul combines Isaiah 52:7 with 53:1 (Romans 10:15-16) showing that although the gospel was preached as prophesied, not all believed, also as prophesied.

53:1b     And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? Salvation comes only by revelation. Yeshua gave His Father all the glory for "opening Peter's eyes," making sure that "flesh and blood" did not get any credit for his "seeing" that He was "the [Messiah], the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16-17). Isaiah 52:10 proclaims "The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." In context (52:7-10), this occurs when Israel receives her salvation and is a root verse for Romans 11:12-15.

53:2     For He shall grow up before Him [God] as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness [glory, majesty, honor]; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. This is a description of Yeshua's humanity. Isaiah 11:10 points to a "root" also: "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious."

53:3     He is despised [held in contempt, disdained, vilified] and rejected by men, a man of sorrows [and pain] and acquainted [knows intimately] with grief [also sickness, both physical and mental]. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Some rabbis and Targum Jonathan saw this verse referring to Messiah whom Israel would despise (see Matt 27:30-31). (3)

53:4a     Surely [but] He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows [borne/carried = removed something, carried it away; griefs/sorrows = physical suffering, infirmities]. This was and still is fulfilled in Yeshua's healing ministry. "...He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah'...He Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses.'" (Matt 8:16-17).

53:4b     yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. See Psalm 69:26 which also points to this situation.

53:5     But He was wounded [profaned, defiled] for our transgressions [rebellion!], He was bruised [crushed, broken] for our iniquities [faults, perversity, depravity]; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Four times "He" and "we" are contrasted, emphasising that His suffering was for us, a vicarious atonement. The first two are the reason why He suffered - for our sins; the last two are the results of His suffering - our peace and healing. Rabbi Simeon b. Yochai states: "... since the Messiah bears our iniquities, which produce the effect of His being bruised, it follows that whosoever will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself." (4)

53:6     All we like sheep have gone astray [erred, wandered, been seduced, been deceived, staggered as if drunk]; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid [made fall] on Him the iniquity of us all. "...so [Messiah] was offered once to bear the sins of many" (Heb 9:28). "...we have turned, every one, to his own way..." is a very short, very precise definition of sin.

53:7     He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. This predicts a servant's willing submission, which we see in Mark 15:3-5. In Revelation 5:6,12, His death as a slain lamb is very evident in heaven and contributes to the Lamb's glory.

53:8a     He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? This was the verse that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading when the Spirit led Philip to share the gospel with him. Philip "... beginning at this Scripture, preached [Yeshua] to him" (Acts 8:32-35).

53:8b     For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken [plagued]. Again we see the concept of substitutionary atonement. The modern Rabbinic argument for why this cannot mean Yeshua says that Isaiah 53 refers to Israel as a nation. This verse shows that Isaiah 53 cannot be referring to the nation of Israel as a whole because they were Isaiah's/God's people for whom "He was stricken." But Isaiah does point to someone who is cut off, i.e., has died, for Israel. Daniel 9:26 is a confirmation of this verse: "... Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself...."

53:9     And they made [assigned] His grave with the wicked, but [yet] with the rich [a rich man] at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. (see Matt 27:57-60; 1Pet 2:22)

53:10a     Yet it pleased [delighted, it was the desire of, the will of] the LORD to bruise Him [break, crush]; He [God] has put Him to grief. God the Father was the One who bore ultimate responsible for the crucifixion of Yeshua. "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psa 118:22-23; see also Psa 69:26; 102:10). Yeshua Himself understood that His death was His Father's will: "Then [Yeshua] said to Peter ... 'Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?'" (John 18:11).

53:10b     When You make His soul [life, blood] an offering [sin offering or trespass offering] for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. This verse points to both Yeshua's death, as an offering for sin, thus fulfilling the entire sacrifical system (Heb 8:1-10:18), and His resurrection, because it states that "He shall prolong His days."

53:11     He shall see the travail [labor, trouble] of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many [will cause many to be accounted righteous; many - not all!], for He shall bear [carry] their iniquities [again vicarious atonement]. In Acts 13:38, Paul proclaims the fulfilment of what Isaiah was prophesying: "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins...." (see Prov 11:9 in connection with knowledge)

53:12     Therefore will I divide [issue, assign] Him a portion with the great [many, mighty], and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out [uncovered, emptied] His soul unto death, [see Phil 2:5-8] and He was numbered with the transgressors [see Mark 15:27-28], and He bore [lifted up, carried] the sin of many, and made [better is 'will make'] intercession for the transgressors [His present priestly role: Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25]. Targum Jonathan applies this verse to Messiah, speaking about Messiah dying and interceding for the transgressors. (5)

In Luke 22:37, Yeshua Himself recognizes Isaiah 53 as a picture of His death: "For I say to you, that this which was written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."

Finally, one other rabbinic comment: "And when Israel is sinful, the Messiah seeks for mercy upon them, as it is written, 'By His stripes we were healed, and He carried the sins of many; and made intercession for the transgressors.'" (6)

For to this you were called: because [Messiah] also suffered for us,
    leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
'Who committed no sin,
    nor was guile found in His mouth';
Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return;
    when He suffered, He did not threaten,
    but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
    that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -
    by whose stripes you were healed.
For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned
    to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

1 Pet 2:21-25

Chuck and Karen Cohen, Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen is on the pastoral staff of King of Kings Assembly, Jerusalem.

References:

1    F. Kenton Beshore, The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds & Rabbinical Writers World Bible Society, Box 1, LA, CA 90053, chart 15
2    Ibid.
3    Beshore, chart 21
4    Robert R Gorelik, Messiah, Another Jewish View, Eshav Books, Irvine, CA, p27
5    Burt Yellin, Messiah, A Rabbinic and Scriptural Viewpoint, Congregation Roeh Israel, Denver, Co., p.43, note 37
6    Beshore, chart 26