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Ethiopian Eunuch, God raised Jesus from the dead, Isaiah 53, Jesus was a Jew, Messannic kingdom, Nathanael, Philip, Qumran Scrolls, resurrection, Suffering Servant, two Messiahs

The Messiah’s Secret – Isaiah 53

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The Messiah’s Secret – Isaiah 53                                                                                   
“David foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus, God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” Acts 2: 31, 32.                                                                                            
Isaiah 53: 1-12. Luke 24: 13-47
Since the book of Isaiah was written, the ‘Suffering Servant’ in chapter 53 has led many to interpret its meaning to there being two Messiahs. Evidence was found in Qumran Scrolls.

 Qumran Scrolls 
Between 1947 – 1956 972 scrolls were found in caves in Qumran by the Dead Sea. They have since been radiocarbon dated it estimated that they were written between 385BC and  82 AD.  Several of the fragments of parchment reveal that the Essene, a religious sect of Judaism wrote of their belief in two Messiahs. One from the tribe of Aaron and the other of Judah, priest and king. This view is disputed among leading Theologians today.

“Many scholars believe that the Essenes were connected with the rise of the Pharisees in the centuries before the birth of Jesus.” John Drane ‘Introducing the Old Testament.”

The Essenes view at that time was not held by the majority of Jewish teachers at Jerusalem, they held the traditional belief of the Messiah who would be a descendant of King David. 

Formulation of the Jewish Talmud.
In the second century AD,  during the formulation of the Jewish Talmud Jewish rabbis studied the messianic prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures, especially Isaiah 53 and they concluded that there were two Messiahs. Arnold Fruchtenbaum “Jesus was a Jew” page 24.

The First Messiah.
Isaiah had depicted a man as the ‘suffering servant,’ the rabbis named him ‘the son of the  Joseph,’ he would undergo a great deal of suffering that would end in death. This servant would suffer and die for the sins of others. The passage goes on to indicate that this servant would be resurrected.

The Second Messiah.
The rabbis believed that the second Messiah would raise the first Messiah back to life, he would come as a conquering king who would destroy the enemies of Israel and set up the messianic kingdom of peace and prosperity.  Arnold Fruchtenbaum “Jesus was a Jew” page 24.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum  writes: “An ancient eleventh century Jewish writing by (Rabbi Shlomoh Yizchaki, better known as Rishi.  Rabbi Rishi put forward his theory of two Messiah’s from Isaiah 53.” He uses the suffering servant as an allegory, the first Messiah son of Joseph, and the second Messiah king David’s descendant both representing the people of Israel in their suffering in a Gentile world.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s own view.
Arnold Fruchtenbaum suggests: “But to make the passage in Isaiah speak of a collective body of Israel seems to force the interpretation. The passage taken by itself seems to have only one individual in mind.” In his book he refers us to the passage and points out where the words clearly speak of an individual and where they speak collectively. Isaiah includes himself with the collective body of Israel.

Summary of Isaiah 53: 1-12.
 I. The Jewish people confess they do not recognize the Servant in his person and calling.

2. The people noted that there was nothing special about him. His childhood was no different from any other child. His personality and his outward appearance did not make him stand out from others.

3 The prophet would suggest that he was not charismatic, he did not attract people to him, but instead he was despised and rejected by men in general. He was sorrowful and grieved for the loss of people’s hearts towards God. 

4. The people confess that at the time of his suffering, they considered his suffering to be the punishment of God for his own sins. 
Now, however, they acknowledge that the Servant’s suffering was on behalf of others. The Servant was afflicted, taking the punishment would be laid upon him.

 5. The people will understand the Servants suffering more deeply, through his suffering he will heal their sicknesses and diseases, “By his stripes we are healed.”                                                                                                                                                
6. Only God could bring about reconciliation through a substitute being made for sins.The people confess that they had gone astray; they each had gone their own way.                         
7. The prophet appears to be speaking as he describes the suffering that leads to the Servants death. The Servant submits to all the hostility against him.

8.The sentence of death was from a judicial court of law, although he was innocent of all the charges made against him, he did not deserve death. The Servant was executed as a criminal.

9. The Servant was buried not as a criminal, but his burial was in a rich man’s tomb.

10. It is hard for us to understand how God allowed his precious Son to die for the sins of mankind. His death brings about forgiveness and reconciliation with God. He prolongs the Servants days as God would raise him from the dead.


11. God accepts the offering of his Servants sacrifice of his life laid down. The Servant will justify many through faith in him.


12.The Servant greatly blessed by God having brought to fruition the redeeming plan of God for all creation. Through his love for God his Father and for us his children, he was mocked, ridiculed and despised.

Matthew in his Gospel identifies Jesus’ healing ministry  with Isaiah’s ‘Suffering Servant’ “This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” 
Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled these scriptures in Isaiah 53 in his suffering and death becoming our substitute for our sins against God, followed by his resurrection.  Through faith in Jesus we are redeemed, set free from sin and raised with him in newness of life that is eternal.  We enter into a relationship with Jesus in receiving the Holy Spirit. 

A more recent Jewish view.
Even today Rishi’s view of the Suffering Servant being the people of Israel is held by the rabbi of the Menorah Synagogue in Manchester England, but he also stated that the Messiah was the land of Israel.
Shoah Seminar – May 5th 2000 held at the Menorah Synagogue, Manchester. ( Notes taken at the seminar)
Twelve years ago I was invited to attend the Shoah Seminar at Menorah Synagogue in Manchester England. This day was in preparation for the first Holocaust Memorial Day in our area that took place on 27th January 2001.
The Rabbi of Menorah Synagogue when he spoke on the Holocaust, Holocaust meaning ‘burnt sacrifice.’ He referred to the Jews that had been taken by the Nazis to the concentration camps fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 53 ‘the suffering servant’. The people of the Holocaust were the burnt offerings for the atonement for their nation’s sin against God. Also the rabbi stated that God established the new covenant when the state of Israel came into being after the Second World War, and that the land of Israel, was their Messiah.

Whilst I respect Rabbi’s interpretation of his own Jewish scriptures, and I feel great sorrow for their suffering in the camps during the second world war, as a Christian through the churches study of the Hebrew Scriptures, I see the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the ‘Suffering Servant’ in Jesus, his suffering and subsequent death. Jesus being the sin bearer for the people of Israel and all humanity.

King David prophesied that the Messiah’s body would not be burnt by fire. Jesus’ body was not consumed by fire, nor was he corrupted by sin.  
“David foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus, God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” Acts 2: 31, 32. Psalm 16: 10. 49: 9.  
In Jesus’ bodily resurrection he did a complete work of redemption. Not only redeeming the believing Jewish people, but all those who have faith in him. The Messiah, the descendant of King David establishing his kingdom in the hearts of people. (Jesus will return and conquer the Antichrist)  

Philip called Jesus son of Joseph
At the early stage of Jesus’ ministry he had spoken nothing concerning his suffering and death. John the disciple records the conversation between Philip and Nathanael. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1: 45. 
                                                                          
The all knowing Lord our God put in place through this conversation between the disciples, the true interpretation of Isaiah 53, in that any later reference to the son of Joseph, would point to being fulfilled in Jesus. The fulfilment of the one Messiah in Jesus’ suffering and death and resurrection were God himself raised Jesus from the dead.
Yet to be fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus being the governor of Israel. Matthew 2: 6. Micah 5: 2.                                                                   
The Early Church.
The majority of the Jews in the gospels were looking for the coming of the descendant of King David. Luke 1: 31-33.
They were expecting the Messiah the Son of David the deliverer of Israel.  In our reading on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and the other disciple in conversation with the stranger said, “But we had hoped that he was the one who would redeem Israel.” They believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the descendant of King David. 
When they arrived at the village they invited the stranger to stay with them and he did so.  When they sat down for the evening meal, he broke and blessed the bread and gave it to them. At that moment these two disciples recognized Jesus, the stranger was Jesus and then in a moment he was gone, no longer sat at the table with them. 
Take hold of the promise in Revelation 2: 20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” It speaks of having fellowship with Jesus, like the disciples invited Jesus to stay with them at the village. Jesus would have you invite him into your life, as he knocks gently on the door of your heart.                                                                                                                                 
Under Law.
We also understand that the people at the time of Jesus had been taught that when the Messiah comes he would remain forever. John 12: 34. 
It had been part of God’s plan to keep the chief priests and rulers from understanding the scriptures that related to the one Messiah’s suffering, death and resurrection, also including his disciples.
When these two disciples returned to Jerusalem to the house where the disciples and followers were staying soon afterwards Jesus appeared in the room where they were gathered. The resurrected Jesus, whom God had raised from the dead, revealed himself to them and breathed on to them the Holy Spirit and also he had opened up their minds to understand the scriptures concerning his suffering and resurrection. Luke 24:21, 44-47.
The bringing in of the messianic kingdom would have followed soon after Jesus’ ascension. Acts 3: 17-end. 

The Messiah’s Secret. 
It was a call to the nation, but the chief priest Caiaphas and many of the council rejected Jesus as the Messiah at and after Pentecost that was when the disciples proclaimed the prophesies concerning the suffering death and resurrection had been fulfilled by Jesus. 

After the dispersion of the Christian community at Jerusalem Philip went to the city of Samaria and proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ (Greek for Messiah) He was later directed by an angel to go towards the south on the desert road that went down from Jerusalem to Gaza. He responded and as he walked along the road a chariot came by. In the chariot was an Ethiopian man, who he recognised as being a minister of the Ethiopian Queens’s treasury. He had been to Jerusalem to worship there and was returning home.
Philip led by the Holy Spirit went alongside the chariot and as he did so he heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah, Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. The man replied that he needed someone to guide him in the understanding of the scripture; he invited Philip to join him in his chariot. The passage that he was reading was this: “As a sheep is led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe this generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” Isaiah 53: 7,8.
The man asked Philip,”About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Philip than began to tell him the good news about Jesus and in response to hearing about Jesus the man was baptised and he went on his way rejoicing. Philip was caught up by the Spirit and was found at Azotus and from there he went to Caesarea, preached the good news about Jesus along the way. Acts 8: 26-40

”The man asked Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”                                                                                                                      
The Ethiopian man thought that the scriptures were referring to the one Messiah. After hearing from Philip that this scripture had been fulfilled in Jesus, he discovered it was true, Jesus.the suffering servant resurrected by God from the dead, the redeemer of Israel and of all those who believe in his name, he gave power to become the children of God.
(Link with earlier blog “A Kept Secret”)                                                                                                                             
Andrew., Ethiopian Eunuch, Gifts of Spirit, Kate Middleton, Lamb of God., Nathanael, Philip, Prince William

The Messiah’s Secret – Lamb of God

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Clarence House in London announced, heralded the good news about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement on 16th November 2010.

Almost 2,000 years ago John the Baptist heralded the good news of the coming of the Messiah to the people of Israel. As part of the preparation for his coming John called the nation to repentance, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Matthew 3: 3. Isaiah 40: 3.

At Bethany John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, he was standing with two of his disciples, John remarked, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1: 28, 29.

The ‘Lamb of God’ identified as being a man, the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah reveals this to us in 53: 7. “Led like a lamb to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is dumb, he opened not his mouth.”
We have another reference to the ‘Lamb of God’ being a man. Abraham was instructed by God to take his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loved to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham did as the Lord requested, he saddled his ass, placing the wood for the burnt offering upon it, and taking with him two servants, and his son Isaac; they set out. After travelling three days they arrived at the place. Abraham told the young men to stay with the ass while he and Isaac went away up the mountain. Abraham gave Isaac the wood to carry for the burnt offering and he carried the fire and the knife. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

The writer of Hebrews informs us that Abraham believed that God would provide the sacrifice.
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.” He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead.” Hebrews 11: 19

When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place where God had told him, he built an altar, upon the wood he bound Isaac and just as he was about to slay him, an angel spoke to him telling him not to do so.
Abraham looked up and immediately saw a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. He took the sheep and offered it as a burnt offering. Genesis 22: 1-14

God knew that Abraham loved and trusted him and would not withhold his son from him.

Reading this account today causes us to realise that God did not withhold his son from making the sacrifice in order to take away the sins of the world.
The cost to God, God is love and the magnitude of the depth of his love is beyond my comprehension.
I see it, like looking at an iceberg, we can only see the tip above the water, the huge amount of ice that lies below the water is hidden from view. The unfathomable, unsearchable depths and riches of God.

Next day John the Baptist saw Jesus walking along the road. Two of John’s disciples standing with him, they heard John say, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
These two disciples followed Jesus, he stopped and invited them to the place where he was staying. After spending all day with Jesus, Andrew, one the two disciples afterwards he went and told his brother Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” Peter responded and went to find Jesus.
The next day Jesus went to Galilee where he found Philip and asked him to follow him. John 1: 30-43

Here we read of three ways to find Jesus:
o Hearing the evangelist or preacher’s message.
o Through personal witness giving testimony to Jesus being the Messiah
o Jesus spoke directly to Philip.

As a result of the dispersion of the community of believers at Jerusalem, The Apostle Philip visited a city in Samaria where he preached the message about Jesus. Those who believed he baptised, Jesus’ baptism.

Philip was directed by the Holy Spirit to travel towards Gaza following the Jerusalem road.
Philip made his way along the road when he and came upon a chariot. Inside the chariot there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, he had been to Jerusalem to worship and he was returning ; seated in his chariot, he was reading from the prophet of Isaiah. Philip led by the Holy Spirit came alongside the chariot, he heard him reading from Isaiah. He asked the eunuch did he understand what he was reading? He replied, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” He invited Philip to sit with him.
The passage that the Ethiopian was reading: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” Isaiah 53: 7, 8.
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself our some one else?” Then Philip beginning with this scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. As they went along the road they came to some water, the Ethiopian stopped the chariot and was baptised in the water. The Ethiopian eunuch went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8: 4-38

The Messiah’s Secret – Introduction page 10
Luke the writer of Acts recorded this incident perhaps to convey to Theophilus and the Jews reading this account that these verses that were prophesied by Isaiah were definite references to the suffering and the death of the Messiah. The Ethiopian’s baptism in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sin and the prophecy of Joel, the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon all flesh in the last days.

For Jesus the ‘Lamb of God’ to take away the sin of the world he was prepared to deal with the origin of sin. Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote about separation that took place between God and Adam and Eve in Genesis.

Adam and Eve began life knowing God in a personal way, their lives were changed when they accepted a lie from Satan, who manifested himself to them, as a serpent.
God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan suggested first to Eve and through Eve to Adam, that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would be like God knowing good and evil.
They both disobeyed God and as a result they were separated from God and they became gods unto themselves.
Their nature changed to become self orientated which led to self rule, and leading self centred lives. Also this opened a door to death, sickness, wars etc; and enmity against God. Since then their fallen nature has been inherited by every person in every generation.

(Most of the World religions are based on self improvement and training the soul.)

God chose Abraham through Isaac and his descendants to make him known amongst the nations. The Mosaic covenant was put in place by God to identify sin and its causes. A blood sacrifice was repeatedly made at the temple for the forgiveness of sin. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” Leviticus 17: 11. Hebrews 9: 22.
A person brought their sacrifice a lamb or a bird to the gate of the court of the priests. The person laid their hand upon the head of the offering and transferred by prayer their sin to it. The lamb became their substitute taking their punishment and it was slain and its blood caught in a vessel by the priest and then the blood was sprinkled upon the altar to atone for their sin.

Today when we recognise that our sin separates us from knowing God and we find out that God has made it possible for a person to be forgiven by Jesus becoming our substitute. If we can picture in our mind the person who came to the temple and by prayer they laid their sin on the lamb uniting it with the person, so we are united with Jesus our substitute and his blood has made for us the final sacrifice for our sin against God. The term for it: is being crucified with Christ and just as the person in the temple received forgiveness, so we receive forgiveness.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was tempted not to go to the cross and die. But he did go to the cross and was led like a lamb to the slaughter in meekness and love he gave his life and took upon himself the sins of the whole world.
Jesus was resurrected from the dead, because death and Satan had no dominion over him.
Through faith in Jesus, we die to our sin and we are raised by the action of God, our hearts and nature given newness of life, to have fellowship with God in the Spirit.

A prayer asking for God’s forgiveness:
Lord God thank you that you love us so much that you sent Jesus to be my substitute for all my sin, please forgive me, as I forgive those who have sinned against me. I ask that you would make yourself known to me and fill me with the newness of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“But what does it say? The word is near you, on our lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:8, 9.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit equips every Christian with gifts to give witness to Jesus being alive and risen from the dead and to the promise of eternal life.
In the church these gifts are distributed among the believers for the work of making Christ known and to herald the news to the world that Jesus is alive, risen from the dead. And he is coming back again and we with him shall reign for ever more.

Place on a board the Gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12: 28 Distribute pictures relating to those gifts which include all the ministry of the whole congregation.

Healing – Prayer, Doctors and Nurses, First Aiders

Next day Jesus went to Galilee
After Philip met Jesus in Galilee he went and found Nathanael and told him that they had found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth.

Moses told the Hebrew people that God would send to them a prophet like him from among their people. God would give him his words that would come to pass. Deuteronomy 18:18
Jesus fulfilled this requirement of the Law. “They shall leave none of the lamb until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it.” Numbers 9: 12
The soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs on the cross because he was already dead. John 19: 33

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied the Messiah being the chief shepherd of his people, “ My servant David shall be King over them and they shall have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and observe my statutes. They shall dwell in the land for ever.” Ezekiel 37: 24

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Isaiah 11: 1

Nathanael doubted Philip’s words to him and said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth.”
Perhaps Nazareth was thought of in Jesus’ day as being a city of no consequence.

Philip took Nathanael to see Jesus and as they approach him, Jesus said, “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no falsehood.”
I’m sure Nathanael was pleased to hear these words, he replied, “How do you know me?” Jesus said, “Before Philip called you, I saw him under the fig tree.” This reply caused him to discern that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.
The connection is with Jesus seeing Nathanael as being honest, truthful and a sincere man and also him being seated under the fig tree was confirming the coming of the Messiah.
The prophet Zachariah prophesied the branch, the Messiah would bring in the Day of Vengeance a day of judgement. And in that day those who were saved would invite their neighbour to sit under his fig tree.
“ In that day I will remove the guilt of the land in a single day. In that day, says the Lord of Hosts every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3: 8-10.

Jesus said to Nathanael, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” John 1: 29-50

The greater things – Jesus’ baptism of water and Spirit
Water is something that we all use for cleansing purposes and when we add a cleansing agent to it it removes stubborn stains, dirt and germs.
So when we think of Jesus’ baptism: the water and the cleansing agent, the blood of Jesus, applied to our heart we can understand the implications, it removes sin and its causes, things that spoil our relationship with God and other people; selfishness, pride, envy, covetousness, murder, deceit, fornication, slander and theft.
So the water and the blood cleanse us then God adds the fiz to the water, the Holy Spirit. We are made alive, a new creation, born again into the kingdom of God.

“This is Jesus who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself . . . .And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in the Son.” 1 John 5: 6-11