The Passion Narratives and the Suffering Servant Described by Isaiah

The Passion Narratives and the Suffering Servant Described by Isaiah
Name:
Institution:
Course Code:
Date:
Introduction
The new testament is a continuation and a fulfillment of the old in many ways. Hahn echoes Benedict’s XVI assertion that the two testaments are equally important. He notes that ‘On a practical level, this means that Benedict always reads the New Testament in light of the Old, and the Old Testament in light of the New. Individual passages in Scripture are "read and understood only in terms of the whole.’ Thus, in understanding why Jesus came and what was expected of him, God used his prophets in the Old Testament to deliver this message. There are many instances in the old testament God communicated about the coming of the Messiah and the new covenant that he will form under him. Prophets gave intricate details of his life and his purpose for coming. One of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah was Isaiah. In chapter 53, he describes the life of the coming Messiah in depth from where he will be born, his interaction with the people who will reject him, crucifixion, death and resurrection. Isaiah also points out why the coming of the Messiah will usher in a new era of God’s covenant with his people. The very life Jesus lived and how he died is the fulfillment of these prophecies foretold centuries before his birth.[It is a description of what Benedict XVI thought when he described the coming of the Messiah. This passage shows how the Bible and specifically the two testaments are interrelated and inseparable. This describes why a Christian must read each in the light of the other.]
Comparison
First, in Isaiah 53, the prophet foretold the coming of the Messiah in detail. The description of Jesus life according to Isaiah is that he would have a rough time on his days on earth. This is the reason the description of Jesus in Isaiah 53 came to be referred to as the suffering servant. Firstly, Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah will come from unconventional background unlike other Israeli kings. He will come from a humble family and background and therefore his life he is not likely to live a life full of material abundance. The people expected that the greatest king who was to come would come from a royal background. He goes ahead ad also points out that nothing of his appearance that we should desire him.
There are many comparisons that can be drawn from the passion narratives of Jesus Christ in the gospels and Isaiah’s prophecy of a suffering servant in Isaiah 53. First, Isaiah talks about the rejection, pain and suffering he will be subjected. In many instances in the passion narratives it is clear that he was killed because the people despised him and killed him for who he was and what he had done. In Matt 27:17-22 when the crown demanded that they would rather have Jesus crucified than Barabbas. He was also subjected to immense suffering leading to his death. Jesus was also killed in the most painful way possible; by crucifixion and alongside other hardcore criminals. In the passion narratives the pain he had to endure was immeasurab...