What is the significance of the following prophecies - Isaiah 9:6, 53:3-7, 61:1-2?

Question:

What is the significance of the following prophecies - Isaiah 9:6, 53:3-7, 61:1-2?

Answer:

What wonderful passages to look to in the Old Testament (OT) as they perfectly exemplify the expression that the New Testament (NT) is the OT revealed and the OT is the NT concealed. These passages each speak to the coming glory of the King Messiah and the wonderful revelation of His full and complete humanity and divinity, the torture and meek condition He would assume, and the powerful redemptive message that He would bring forth.

Isaiah 9:6 – This passage speaks specifically to Christ being fully God and fully Man at the same time – this remains a fundamental theological stance that must be adhered to as many have attacked or modified what is perceived to be a conflicting statement. One seems to think one must be Aristotelian (disjunctive choice) in their thought process and state that it is either A or B. However, in this case we must understand the conjunctive choice (Jewish philosophical understanding) that is present and that it can be A and B. The reason we can understand this as we exegete the passage is the reference to “a child is born” and yet we see the terms used to describe that child. Unquestionably, the first 3 terms (Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father) have never been applied to humans and are a clear indication of Christ’s deity.

Isaiah 53:3-7 – In this passage we can observe the humility of the Christian faith founded upon the “despised and rejected” condition that the God of all would come down as the incarnate fleshly Jesus Christ. In the midst of this dreary narrative describing the taking up of “our infirmities” and carrying of “our sorrows” we still see hope. It speaks of not only the condition and the hope but also the method of propitiation (turning away of God’s wrath by offering). The beauty of this theological understanding requires that we acknowledge that one must pay the price for a crime/sin based on who/what one commits the crime against. In our case we are sinning against God and therefore an infinite penalty is required and yet because we are human a human must pay that price. Additionally, an infinite sin therefore requires a punishment for an infinite duration. This allows us to realize how the sin bearer had to be fully human to bear our nature but also fully God.

We also have here the specific mention of the piercing of Christ. The Hebrew word for “pierced” being châlal [pronounced khaw-lal’]. This is especially powerful as it leads us to understanding the method of salvation beginning with the crucifixion, even before this form of execution was invented! How amazing is that? It is like saying someone will be shot 400+ years prior to the gun being invented. Furthermore, this passage can be linked to Zechariah 12:10 where we see God stating that He was pierced.

Isaiah 61:1-2 – This final passage is critical as Jesus himself exposits this passage in Luke 14:17-21. As Isaiah was able to present a freedom opportunity to the Jews in Babylon, Christ points to this scripture in fulfillment of Himself as He proclaims freedom to the lost. In this passage we can see Jesus clearly stating His qualification (as the Spirit was on Him) and His role as healer, deliverer, and comforter.

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