Powerful Words from a Stranger
The only sound louder than the pounding of her footsteps on the dusty road was the thunder of her heartbeat in her chest. But even that was drowned out by the words still echoing in her mind—words that had shattered her defenses and stirred something deep in her soul. The sun blazed overhead; it was midday, and the heat clung to her as the dust did to her sweaty feet. Perspiration streaked her face, mingling with tears she hadn’t even noticed falling. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she barely noticed the dryness in her throat or the sting in her legs.
“Could it really be true?” she wondered, eyes scanning the familiar skyline of Sychar as she neared the city. Could the Jewish man at the well truly be the Messiah?
She played the conversation over in her head—every word, every glance, every piercing truth. He had spoken to her gently but directly, peeling back layers she had spent years hiding behind. She had tried to steer the conversation away from the raw and personal, pointing instead to abstract theological debates—where to worship and who was right. Her go-to deflection: “When the Messiah comes, He will explain everything.” A safe statement. A vague hope. But then—his answer. Steady. Unmistakable. “I who speak to you am He.”
Those seven words rocked her more than any accusation or compliment ever could.
Now, stumbling into the city square, breathless and disheveled, she didn’t care how she looked. She didn’t care what people thought of her. All she could do was tell them—everyone—what had just happened. “Come and see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done!” she cried, her voice trembling with urgency. “Could this be the Messiah?”
Curiosity stirred the crowd. And they came—first a few, then many—drawn not just by her excitement, but by something in her eyes. They listened to Jesus, watched Him, and questioned Him. And as they heard His words for themselves, something began to shift in their hearts, too.
By the end of their time with Him, they no longer needed her story to convince them. With awe in their voices, they said, “Now we believe, not just because of what you said, but because we have heard Him ourselves. This man truly is the Savior of the world.”
What was so Significant about Jesus’ Words?
What about Jesus’ statement of “I Am the Messiah” would have caused this woman, full of shame, who had snuck down to the well, at the hottest part of the day, to avoid the looks of scorn and disgust by her peers, to unashamedly run back and call attention to herself by calling others attention to a man at the well? To understand the significance of Jesus’ words, we need to have an idea of what the Hebrew term “Messiah” (Mashiach) came to encompass for the Jews and Samaritans.
Tracing “Messiah” through the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish Thought
In its original, literal meaning, the term mashiach referred to a person who was ceremonially anointed with oil as a sign that they were set apart for God’s service. This included kings such as Saul (1 Samuel 10:1) and David (1 Samuel 16:13), priests like Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 8:12, 30), and at times even prophets, as seen in 1 Kings 19:16.
After God promised King David an enduring dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12–16), the term mashiach began to take on a more specific meaning, becoming associated with a future king from David’s royal line. Over time, it came to represent the hope for a righteous and divinely appointed leader who would reign with justice and restore Israel’s former glory.
As Israel fell into decline and ultimately experienced the Babylonian exile in 586 BC, the hope for a future, ideal “anointed” king grew stronger. During this time of national crisis, the longing for restoration became more focused on the coming of a divinely appointed ruler. Prophetic writings such as Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-10, Jeremiah 23:5-6, and Ezekiel 34:23-24 fueled these expectations, painting a picture of a future leader whom God would support, rule with righteousness, and bring lasting peace to the world.
Messianic Prophecies
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament), there are hundreds of prophecies given concerning the Messiah. These predictions were given by God to His people so that they would know what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. Taken together, they form a fingerprint of the LORD’s Messiah, so that people would be able to identify Him when He arrived on the scene of history at the appointed time.
Most conservative Bible scholars agree that the Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during His first coming. Jesus fulfilling these prophecies helps us answer the same question the Samaritan woman in John 4 sought to know: Is Jesus the Messiah as He claimed to be?
Out of the approximately 300 prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, we will examine Isaiah’s description of what the Messiah would be like and do. Isaiah’s prophecy about the LORD’s Suffering Servant (the Messiah) was written 700 years before Jesus, yet it appears as if it were written at the foot of the cross on which Jesus hung.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Who is the Suffering Servant?
Before reading our passage together, it’s crucial to identify who the Suffering Servant is in these verses, as our understanding of the servant’s identity directly affects how we interpret the message. Bible scholars generally fall into three main interpretations of this passage.
First, some view the servant as a symbol of the nation of Israel or the faithful remnant within Israel, often referred to as the “ideal Israel” (Isaiah 49:3). This perspective became prevalent in medieval Jewish thought. However, it struggles to explain how Israel could atone for its own sins—let alone the sins of other nations when sinful itself.
Second, others believe the servant refers to a specific historical figure, such as Isaiah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Zerubbabel, or Moses. Yet, when we look closely at the servant’s description, it doesn’t match the life or mission of any of these individuals.
Third, many understand the servant to be the coming Messiah—the royal descendant of David, the perfect representative of Israel, and the one entirely devoted to God’s will. In this view, the servant is both a righteous individual and the fulfillment of Israel’s calling, accomplishing God’s plan through his life, suffering, and death. His mission to Israel and the nations, along with his substitutionary suffering, points prophetically to a future Redeemer.
Additional Reasons for Understanding and Accepting the Suffering Servant as the Coming Messiah
- The Hebrew Language
- The Hebrew word eved, used almost 800 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, is translated as either “slave” or “servant.” The word appears 31 times in Isaiah 40-53 and is often combined with “Lord.” The phrase “the servant of the Lord” is used of individuals in the Old Testament, such as Moses, David, and Abraham.
- The servant of the Lord is an individual who carries out the will of God willingly and submissively. The Torah provides background for helping us understand this concept more fully. According to the Torah, an Israelite who fell into debt or lost land could contract himself as a servant to a fellow Israelite. After six years, he would be released and able to repurchase his land if able. However, some chose to remain in service to their Master indefinitely. A special earring was placed in their ear to indicate they now served their Master voluntarily. Usually, they did this out of gratitude for having been treated well during their first six years of service.
- Combined, the Hebrew language and Torah help frame our understanding of the word “servant.” The image is of an individual (not a nation) who willingly serves their Master out of love, gratitude, or a sense of debt.
- The Testimony of Jesus and the New Testament
- As seen below, Jesus’ person and work, attested by the New Testament, affirm that Isaiah 53 is about an individual, specifically the Messiah, and Jesus is its fulfillment.
How Jesus Fulfilled Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Matched the Identity of the Messiah
| Isaiah Prophecy | Description | New Testament Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 52:13 | The Servant will be exalted and lifted up | Philippians 2:5–11; Acts 2:33 |
| Isaiah 52:14 | His appearance was marred beyond human likeness | Matthew 26:67; 27:26–30 |
| Isaiah 53:1 | Many will not believe the message | John 12:37–38; Romans 10:16 |
| Isaiah 53:2 | He grew up like a tender shoot, with no beauty or majesty | Luke 2:7, 52; John 1:10–11 |
| Isaiah 53:3 | Despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows | John 1:11-14; 7:5; Mark 8:31; 14:50 |
| Isaiah 53:4 | He took up our pain and bore our suffering | Matthew 8:16-17 |
| Isaiah 53:5 | Pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities | John 19:34–37; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24 |
| Isaiah 53:6 | The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all | 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24 |
| Isaiah 53:7 | Oppressed and afflicted, yet did not open His mouth | Matthew 26:63; 27:12–14; 1 Peter 2:21-23 |
| Isaiah 53:8 | Oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth | Matthew 27:27-37; John 19:1-5; Acts 8:32-35 |
| Isaiah 53:9 | Assigned a grave with the wicked, buried with the rich | Matthew 27:38, 57–60 |
| Isaiah 53:10 | Cut off from the land of the living in a humiliating way on behalf of God’s people. | Acts 2:23; Hebrews 2:10; Revelation 1:18 |
| Isaiah 53:11 | He will justify many by bearing their iniquities | Romans 5:18–19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:28 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | He bore the sin of many and interceded for transgressors | Luke 23:34; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25 |
Concluding Thoughts
I have a friend who pastors a Messianic Jewish Church in our area. One way that he tries to help Jewish people in the area see Jesus as the Messiah is by reading Isaiah 53 to them. Before reading the passage, he asks them to listen to the words and tell him whether they think it is from the Old Testament or the New Testament (he doesn’t tell them that he is about to read from Isaiah). Without fail, those he reads the passage for guess that it is from the New Testament because it sounds like it was written about Jesus – His crucifixion and the Church’s beliefs about Him in what He accomplished through His life and death.
It surprises them when he tells them that what was read to them is not from the New Testament but from the Old Testament, their Hebrew Scriptures. This comes as a shock to even the most devout Jews because Isaiah 53 is omitted from the weekly Scripture readings in synagogues. As my friend tells it, Isaiah is forbidden to be read in the synagogue.
While it is heartbreaking that Jews are not exposed to this remarkable prophecy about their Messiah and its fulfillment by Yeshua (Jesus), it is astounding to hear about the consistent reactions of those my friend shares this portion of Isaiah with; they see its words as describing Jesus. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 paints a picture of the Messiah’s person, character, and accomplishments; Jesus perfectly matches the prophet’s poetic artwork.
In light of our study of the Servant Song, I pray that if you are a believer, your faith in Jesus has been strengthened and that you are better equipped to share your faith in Him with others, pointing to the fulfillment of prophecies as a way to answer the hope you have in Jesus. And secondly, if you have yet to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, as your Savior King, that you would do so today! Want to know how? Watch the video below and respond to its invitation.
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