One thing is abundantly clear from Scripture, there will yet be a mighty collective ingathering of the Jews into Jesus Christ. Romans ch 11 undeniably teaches this.
1. The present state of the Jews, collectively, and nationally, is that they have 'stumbled', 'fallen', are 'cast away' and are 'broken/cut off', cf. Rom 11:11,12,15,17,19. This is due to national and collective unbelief, v20.
2. This casting away of the Jews is for the purpose of gathering in the Gentiles, v25.
3. At present there is a remnant from among the Jews, according to the election of grace, being daily gathered into Christ, v5.
4. However, Paul speaks of a day when they will not be nationally cut off for ever. He speaks of their fulness, v12, their reconciling v15. All Israel shall be saved, v26. Let's never mistake the gathering of the remnant for the saving of the nation.
In their immediate context the words of Isaiah 53 refer to that time when the Jews shall collectively and nationally turn to Christ their true Messiah. These words from v2 onwards are confessional and penitential. Here is a people acknowledging their rejection of the true Messiah and in the midst of weeping over that rejection, they outline the things that caused them to stumble in unbelief.
Here is why so few believed this prophet's or any other's preaching. Verse 2 of this passages commences with a description of the lowly origin's of Jehovah's Servant.
Consider this subject this communion sabbath morning:
I. This is why Jehovah's Servant was called a 'Nazarene'.
II. Jehovah's Servant was to be as a root out of dry ground.
III. Jehovah's Servant was to grow up as a tender plant. |
