Isaiah 53 · a question people ask
"Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?" (Acts 8:34)
That is the Bible's own question. A man of Ethiopia asked it of Philip about the words of 53:7-8 (Acts 8:32-34), and "Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus" (Acts 8:35). The chapter itself doesn't name the servant; it says "My righteous servant" (53:11). The New Testament gives words from this song of Jesus in several places: John gives words of 53:1 (John 12:37-38), Matthew of 53:4 (Matthew 8:16-17), Peter of 53:9 (1 Peter 2:21-22), and Mark of 53:12 (Mark 15:27-28). Jesus himself said of 53:12's words, "this which is written must still be fulfilled in me" (Luke 22:37). Elsewhere in Isaiah the LORD says my servant of several: of Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3), of Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20), of David (Isaiah 37:35) and, from chapter 41, of Israel (Isaiah 41:8). Christians read how the servant passages of these chapters fit together in more than one way. Chapter 49's honest question sets out the main readings, each resting on its verses, and chooses none; each reading it sets out agrees that the New Testament applies 52:13-53:12 to Jesus. This chapter settles nothing more.
The verses
“Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?” Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus.”
“After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.”
“But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?””
“When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.””