Many Christians believe that Jesus was perfect, a man without sin. They point to Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9 and say "only Jesus fits this description -- he was innocent and non-violent." Was he? These missionaries conveniently forget Jesus attacking the money changers in the Temple -- just one act of violence. "And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables." John 2:15, (see also Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15, and Luke 19:45). He killed a fig tree for not having fruit out of season (Matthew 21:18-21, Mark 11:13-14). This is both theft and violence. Jesus killed a herd of pigs by allowing demons to purposely enter their bodies (Matthew 8:32, Mark 5:13, Luke 8:33). This is both theft and violence. Yet this image of Jesus as innocent and without violence is one most missionaries cling to in their image of the perfect Jesus. Michael Brown is a Christian missionary, born a Jew, but became a Christian in his teen years. Brown once said: "He (Jesus) bore the sin of many, but he himself did not sin. This description fits (Jesus) perfectly. In no way does it describe the (Jewish) people." Is Brown correct? Not at all. Isaiah does not say the servant is "without sin" -- Indeed, Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:10 tells us that the servant must admit his guilt (mistranslated by Christians as a "guilt sacrifice"). Isaiah says of the servant "if his soul would acknowledge guilt" he will live a long life and have children -- something which did not happen for Jesus. . . Isaiah says the servant must admit his guilt, his wrongdoings -- thus the servant cannot be "without sin." When Isaiah says in this verse that the servant is innocent he is not speaking of never dong wrong -- he is saying the servant is innocent of any reason that would excuse him being put to death -- as in a legal execution. Isaiah is not saying that His servant was completely innocent (as in "without sin") or had never performed even one violent act in his life. . . which BTW Jesus DID do (remember the money changers int he Temple? Jesus got pretty violent!). . . No, all Isaiah is stating here is that the servant went to his deaths (PLURAL -- deaths, not death) innocent of anything worthy of a legal execution. All Isaiah is saying is that his oppressors are killing him unjustly – this does not make him “completely innocent” or “without sin”. "He submitted himself to his grave like wicked men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his EXECUTIONS (plural) for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9 . Contrary to Brown (and other missionaries) claims -- the T'nach (bible) tells us that the Jewish nation IS righteous. The Hebrew word is צדיק / tzadik -- and it translates to a righteous one. "Open the gates, so that a righteous nation, awaiting the realization [of G-d's promise], may enter." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 26:2. and "And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 60:21, So Brown, and many other missionaries, are incorrect when they say "This description fits (Jesus) perfectly. In no way does it describe the (Jewish) people." The prophet Isaiah himself disproves their contention. Revisit the entire claim which begins with the last three lines of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:. The speaker is G-d (through Isaiah). G-d tells us that the gentile nations thought His servant was rejected by Him, lowly and subhuman -- only to be shocked to discover that the opposite is true. The speakers then shift to those gentile nations who speak in verses 1 - 8 of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53 -- those gentile nations mistreated the servant thinking he was subhuman, disgusting -- only to learn the despised one is actually G-d's beloved servant. . . . They are speaking in the messianic era when they are shocked to see the formerly abused servant raised high, and lofty. Now, with Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9 the speaker is again G-d (through Isaiah). G-d is saying that the servant: "submitted his grave to evil people; submitted to his executions with the wealthy, for committing no crime, and with no deceit in his mouth." First notice that the servant will suffer multiple executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav). Go back now and read verse 8, the line preceding this verse. . . "He was released from captivity and judgment; who could have imagined such a generation? For he was removed from the land of the living; because of my people's sin (the sins of the non-Jewish nations) they (the Jews) were afflicted." The line ends with "they were" / לָֽמוֹ lamo -- plural, further emphasizing that Isaiah is speaking of multiple people and multiple deaths. . . Thus בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav (“in their deaths”) in verse 9 is plural referring back to the phrase נֶ֥גַע לָֽמֹו / nĕga lamo ("they were afflicted") at the end of verse 8, yet, most Christian translations have "death" (singular) and "he was stricken" singular -- both incorrect. The KJV correctly translates מוֹתֵ֧י / motov in Ezekiel 28:10 as "deaths" (plural), showing yet again that when a word is not a "proof" of Jesus Christian translators will often translate it correctly. Jesus was one person -- he did not suffer multiple deaths (executions) -- ergo he does not "fit" the servant of Isaiah. Missionaries will say: Isaiah can't "fit" the Jewish nation -- because not every Jew who ever lived was innocent. Some committed crimes and violence. This is distorting the words of the prophet. Isaiah never said that the servant had always been perfect or non-violent. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9: says the servant was killed (plural deaths) "for committing no crime." They were put to death even though they did not commit death penalty crimes. In other words, Isaiah is not saying that every Jew who ever lived and who has been persecuted was totally flawless. No, the prophet is saying that the Jews put to death by the gentile nations did not deserve the inhuman treatment to which they were subjected. Also, Isaiah's servant is not every Jew who ever lived. Isaiah 53 is speaking of the righteous remnant of Israel which is foretold by Moses himself: G-d will then scatter you among the nations, and only a small number will remain among the nations to which G-d will lead you. D'varim / Deuteronomy 4:27. The T'nach often tells us that the Jews will be resurrected from their graves in the time of the messiah. Y'chezkel / Ezekiel 37:13-14: "Then you shall know that I am the L-rd, when I open your graves and lead you up out of your graves as My people. And I will put My spirit into you, and you shall live, and I will set you on your land, and you shall know that I, the L-rd, have spoken it and have performed it," says the L-rd." The claim that Jesus was innocent and without violence is untrue based on the Christian bible's description of the man. Jesus said: "Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34 and Luke 12:51). The list maker references Mark 15:3 as fulfillment of the claim of no violence -- but the passage does not fit the claim. Mark 15:3 says "And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.." That has nothing to do with innocence or a lack of violence. . . To understand Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53: it must be read in context and one must be aware of who is "speaking." The first three lines are the last three lines of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:. The speaker is G-d (through Isaiah). G-d tells us that the gentile nations thought His servant was rejected by Him, lowly and subhuman -- only to be shocked to discover that the opposite is true. The speakers then shift to those gentile nations. . . They are shocked that the one they thought to be hated by G-d is actually His servant. They are speaking in the messianic era when they are shocked to see the formerly abused servant raised high, and lofty. Here is a translation along with the Artscroll Stone Edition footnotes at the bottom of each response to aid in your understanding of the passage. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. 14 Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. 53:1 Who would believe what we have heard! For whom has the arm of HaShem been revealed? 2 In the past he grew like a sapling or like the root from dry ground; he had neither form nor beauty. We saw him, but without a desirable appearance. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to being sick. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised and we had no regard for him. 4 But in truth it was our ills and he carried our pains -- but we had regarded him diseased, stricken by G-d and afflicted! 5 He was wounded as a result (because of) our rebellious transgressions, and oppressed as a result our iniquities. The chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds we were healed. 6 We have all strayed like sheep each of us turning his own way and HaShem inflicted upon him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was persecuted and afflicted but did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 he was removed far away from the land where they lived and a plague came upon them (לָֽמוֹ / lamo) through the transgression of my people (the gentile nations). He submitted to the grave with the wicked and joined with the wealthy in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) 9 He submitted himself to his grave like evil men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his executions for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth. 10 HaShem desired to oppress him and He afflicted him; if his physical being would acknowledge guilt he would see offspring and live long days and the desire or HaShem would succeed in his hand. 11. He (he servant) would see (the purpose) and be satisfied with his life's (not immortal soul) distress. With his knowledge My servant will cause the multitudes to be righteous; it is their וַעֲוֹנתָם / iniquities (for impulsive, lustful wrongdoings) that he will carry. 12. Therefore, I will assign him a portion in public and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his life for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the many, and prayed for the wicked. Footnotes from Artscroll Stone Edition: Isaiah 52:13 i.e. G-d's servant the people of Israel (Rashi) 52:15 Just as Israel had once been astonishingly degraded, so it will astonish the nations by its exaltedness when the time of redemption arrives. 53:1-3 this is the prophecy foretelling what the nations and their kings will exclaim when they witness Israel's rejuvenation. The nations will contrast their former scornful attitude toward the Jews (vv. 1-3) with their new realization of Israel's grandeur (vv 4-7). 53:5 we brought suffering upon Israel for our own selfish purposes; it was not, as we had claimed, that G-d was punishing Israel for its own evil behavior. 53:6 We sinned by inflicting punishment upon Israel. Such oppression is often described as "Hashem's punishment" (see 10:5, Habakkuk 1:12), for He decreed that it should happen (Abarbanel). 53:8 When Israel's exile is finally ended the nations will marvel that such a generation could have survived the expulsion from "the land of the living, i.e. Israel, that the nations had sinfully inflicted upon it. 53:9 Ordinary Jews chose to die like common criminals, rather than renounce their faith; and wealthy Jews were killed for no reason other than to enable their wicked conquerors to confiscate their riches (Radak). 53:10 That is, Israel. G-d replies to the nations that Israel's suffering was a punishment for its own sins; and when the people realize this and repent, they will be redeemed and rewarded. 53:11 Israel will teach the nations of G-d's righteousness.
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