Tish Be-Av is a day the Jewish community commemorates the tragic loss of the temple. This commemoration is right before the Rosh Hashanah celebration. Most rabbis designate the Saturdays between the two dates as the Sabbaths of Consolation.
During this time of grief and reflection of loss; it is traditionally suggested by most rabbis to read the “comfort” chapters from the book of Isaiah. Every chapter is recommended with the exclusion of Isaiah 53.
Most people take the rabbi’s words as if it comes from God Himself and never question or look into the words of the dismissed Isaiah 53. Why is this?
My feeling is because when one actually reads Isaiah 53 it is quite evident that Jesus is reflected very clearly as the Messiah. In Jewish tradition to give Jesus the title of Messiah is forbidden. Isaiah 53 paints a pretty clear picture of the Messiah, and coincidentally, Jesus fits the description to a “t”.
If you are of Jewish decent, you have a mind and free-will of your own. I challenge you to read the scriptures that have been traditionally forbidden (and hidden in plain sight).
Read for yourself and ask yourself if denying that Jesus is the true Messiah comes from your personal investigation with evidence against it; or if it is just a family tradition blindly accepted as to not create a stir in your personal home and Jewish community.
Going against the grain is not easy, it is not popular but those who are hungry for the truth will look into every aspect and every side of the issue for themselves.
To the ones who are brave enough to set aside every pre-conceived idea or prejudice you have developed from your community, I urge you to keep searching for the truth—I pray that the Lord bless you and you to see all that He wants you to know.
Isaiah 53:
1. “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2. For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He hat no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquaintened with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4. Surely He hath borned our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not His mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was He stricken.
9. And he made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit n His mouth.
10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath but Him to grief; when thou shalt make His soul as an offering for the sin, he shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
11. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan