The “Servant Songs”

• Isaiah 42:1-9 – See Matthew 12:15-21.

  • Matthew 12:20 – The imagery shows that Jesus would not give up on sinners.

• Isaiah 49:1-13 – See Acts 13:46-49.

• Isaiah 50:4-11

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12

  • Isaiah 52:13-15 – appearance marred
    • Matthew 26:27; 27:26-30
  • Isaiah 53:1-2 – no majesty
    • John 4:25-26; Mark 6:1-3
  • Isaiah 53:3-4 – despised
    • John 1:11-12; 3:19-20
  • Isaiah 53:4-12 – guilt offering
    • I Peter 2:21-25
  • Isaiah 53:9 – with a rich man
    • Matthew 27:57-60
  • Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30

Apologetic value

• 740-700 BC – Isaiah prophesies: Isaiah 1:1

• AD 980 – Masoretic Text: Oldest Old Testament copies until discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

• AD 1947 – Dead Sea Scrolls discovered (dated 100s BC)

  • Includes entire book of Isaiah, written about 100 BC - before Christ!

• Was there more than one Isaiah? No. No evidence was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

• The story of Barry Leventhal, a Jew who came to faith in Jesus after being confronted with the prophecies in Isaiah.

• Acts 8:34-35