In a Canadian city a Christian man named Mr. Glass was able to witness to a bright Jewish youth. The youth bitterly opposed him, not accepting that Jesus Christ was the Messiah that the Jewish nation waited for. However, when Mr. Glass read to him the 53rd chapter of Isaiah he could not reply.
Soon after, the young man went to hear special lectures given by a rabbi who was speaking to counteract that influence of the Christians. The young man asked the rabbi, “The Christians always turn to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah saying it is a perfect picture of the suffering Messiah and that it is none other than Jesus Christ. As far as I can see, it certainly resembles the crucifixion of Jesus. What can you tell me so that I can refute and silence them?”
The rabbi answered, “This chapter refers to the nation of Israel as the suffering servant of Jehovah as she suffers for the other nations.”
“In that case,” replied the youth, “what does the Prophet mean by the statement ‘For the transgression of MY PEOPLE was He stricken'? If Israel is meant here as the suffering servant, whom does he mean by MY PEOPLE; and who is the ‘HE’ that was stricken?”
The rabbi, very embarrassed, could produce no reasonable or logical answer.
The young man said, “I see you have no answer"; and turned and left. He soon accepted Christ as his Saviour.
ML-04/13/1980