[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 15/Dec/2024]
For some time now I have been working my way through the Bible and after wading through the history and poetry books I have finally reached what I see as the jewel in the Old Testament crown – the book of Isaiah.
Many Old Testament books contain prophecies about Jesus, but Isaiah has at least nine, some of which are read in traditional carol services. Isaiah 7 v14 says: “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In Isaiah 9 v6 we read: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Whenever I hear “the Government will be on his shoulders” I have a mental picture of Jesus with the Prime Minister sitting on one shoulder and the Chancellor on the other, but of course that is not what is meant. The verse makes it clear that a child will be born who will be God himself, the Everlasting Father. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day would have studied Isaiah, yet they twice tried to stone him for blasphemy because, as they said to him: “You, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10 v33)
There are many more passages about Jesus in Isaiah, including 11 v1-9 which talks about the Messiah being a descendant of Jesse, David’s father and 28 v16 in which God says he will lay a precious cornerstone in Zion (see 1 Peter 2 v6).
The character and work of God’s chosen servant are described in chapters 42 v1-4, 49 v1-6, 50 v4-9, 61 v1-4 and supremely in 52 v13-15 and 53 which describes the suffering of God’s servant. Chapter 53 v 6 says:
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
All these passages, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, point so clearly to him, yet those who studied the Scriptures failed to recognise him, as Isaiah prophesied when he said: “Who has believed our message?” (53 v1).
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Last Sunday’s reflection: What do you want for Christmas? by Michael Goble
December 2024
Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © Helen Ruffhead