We often hear about Jesus and about the fact that he saved us by dying on the cross for us. And whoever believes in him has eternal life.
Saving our lives - that is the role of the expected Messiah... But is Jesus the real Messiah, or we have to wait for someone else?
Most of the information about the chosen one, the one who will save all of us, we are getting from the book of the prophet Isaiah, who lived and prophesied at around 8th century BC. Roughly, it was 700 years before Jesus was born.
＜和平的国度＞ 从耶西的本｛原文是不｝必发一条；从他根生的枝子必结果实。 耶和华的灵必住在他身上，就是使他有智慧和聪明的灵，谋略和能力的灵，知识和敬畏耶和华的灵。 他必以敬畏耶和华为乐；行审判不凭眼见，断是非也不凭耳闻； 却要以公义审判贫穷人，以正直判断世上的谦卑人，以口中的杖击打世界，以嘴里的气杀戮恶人。 公义必当他的腰带；信实必当他胁下的带子。( 以赛亚书 11:1-5 )
We expect the Messiah to be a descendant of the king David…
＜耶和华的仆人＞ 看哪，我的仆人──我所扶持所拣选、心里所喜悦的！我已将我的灵赐给他；他必将公理传给外邦。 他不喧嚷，不扬声，也不使街上听见他的声音。 压伤的芦苇，他不折断；将残的灯火，他不吹灭。他凭真实将公理传开。 他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理；海岛都等候他的训诲。 创造诸天，铺张穹苍，将地和地所出的一并铺开，赐气息给地上的众人，又赐灵性给行在其上之人的 神耶和华，他如此说： 我──耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你作众民的中保｛中保：原文是约｝，作外邦人的光， 开瞎子的眼，领被囚的出牢狱，领坐黑暗的出监牢。( 以赛亚书 42:1-7 )
Here we see that the “servant” will be humble, won’t raise his voice in public, will open the eyes of the blind…
What else does Isaiah tells in his book about him? How will the Messiah be treated by other people? What happened to him and what is the meaning of that for us? To answer that, Isaiah fast-forwards to the future and talks directly to us, about the Messiah that we have already rejected.
我们所传的｛或译：所传与我们的｝有谁信呢？耶和华的膀臂向谁显露呢？ 他在耶和华面前生长如嫩芽，像根出于干地。他无佳形美容；我们看见他的时候，也无美貌使我们羡慕他。 他被藐视，被人厌弃；多受痛苦，常经忧患。他被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样；我们也不尊重他。 他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦；我们却以为他受责罚，被 神击打苦待了。 哪知他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚，我们得平安；因他受的鞭伤，我们得医治。 我们都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。 他被欺压，在受苦的时候却不开口｛或译：他受欺压，却自卑不开口｝；他像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。 因受欺压和审判，他被夺去，至于他同世的人，谁想他受鞭打、从活人之地被剪除，是因我百姓的罪过呢？ 他虽然未行强暴，口中也没有诡诈，人还使他与恶人同埋；谁知死的时候与财主同葬。 耶和华却定意｛或译：喜悦｝将他压伤，使他受痛苦。耶和华以他为赎罪祭｛或译：他献本身为赎罪祭｝。他必看见后裔，并且延长年日。耶和华所喜悦的事必在他手中亨通。 他必看见自己劳苦的功效，便心满意足。有许多人因认识我的义仆得称为义；并且他要担当他们的罪孽。 所以，我要使他与位大的同分，与强盛的均分掳物。因为他将命倾倒，以致于死；他也被列在罪犯之中。他却担当多人的罪，又为罪犯代求。( 以赛亚书 53:1-12 )
We see the rejected and despised Messiah died for our sins, like a slaughtered lamb. He died without descendants, but yet he “will have a long life” and “will have many descendants”. This likely means that the Messiah will be resurrected after his death, on earth or in Heaven, and will have children biological or spiritual.
Now, as an exercise for yourself, and to decide whether Jesus is the expected Messiah, read testimonials about Jesus Christ from Matthew, Mark, John who physically spent a good part of their lives alone with Jesus, and doctor Luke, who meticulously gathered facts about the life of Jesus Christ the Nazarene…