Which Old
Testament books or prophecies did Jesus draw on the most according to the
Gospels? According to one online source [Biblia
Blog], Jesus quoted the Psalms 11 times; the Book of Deuteronomy 10 times;
and the Book of Isaiah 8 times.
Without over-simplifying matters one could say
that Jesus cited Deuteronomy in matters moral, the Psalms in matters of prayer,
prophecy and personal anguish while he draws on Isaiah in matters of justice,
prophecy and mission. Jesus was, by all accounts, immersed in these scriptures.
He probably knew many passages by heart and would be able to stand up to
questioning from friendly or hostile questioners (the Book of Deuteronomy is
reserved for one special occasion in which Jesus converses with Satan!- see
Matthew chapter 4).
But Jesus
more than ‘knew his scriptures’. He lived them to the very end of his life,
where on the cross and according to the evangelist Matthew (27:46) he cried out
from Psalm 21 – ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ You have to keep reading beyond the first
verse of Psalm 21 to find out why.In the
course of his ministry, Jesus draws on Isaiah to confront spiritual hypocrisy
(is it ever any different in time?)
[chapter 6:9-10 and 29:13]. He quotes chapter 56 (v. 7) when he put the
run on the merchants in the Temple. His parable-telling about links to the
fifth chapter of Isaiah. Chapter 53 is a powerful testimony of the suffering
servant that applies to Jesus in his day but not only then as it applies to
everyone who is called to servant leadership. Above all, chapter 61:1-2
provides a concise mission statement for Jesus when he walks, coolly, into the
Synagogue ‘as was his custom’ and unrolled the Book of Isaiah and found the
chapter 61 verses to declare that (Luke 4:18-19):
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because
he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Over the
last 66 days, this Blog has provided a very truncated walk-through the Book of
Isaiah. Themes, messages and implications have been drawn from one verse per
chapter. Certain themes emerge from
across the book including repentance, warning, trust, healing, consolation,
following and mission. The Book of Isaiah – written some 2,700 years ago – is a
type of ‘fifth gospel’ for Christians. No, not what is referred to as the apocryphal
gospel of St Thomas’ but the introductory trailer for the main show. Some readers of Isaiah (including Christian scholars
as well as non-Christian believers in God) might find such referencing
problematic. Isaiah – as with other Books of what Christians refer to as the ‘Old
Testament’ need to be read for what they are – stories from a special people as
they wrestle with God (literally the root meaning of the word ‘Israel’ –
contended with God). We must not over read the tradition of the Old Testament.
Yet, for disciples of Jesus Isaiah is, for us at any rate, a key source and
text for understanding and following Jesus in the gospels.
In a
world wracked by wars, betrayal, climate change, promise, hope and work for social
justice and personal renewal, Isaiah is as relevant today as it was three
millennia ago.
#JourneyIsaiah
Links to
previous posts starting at the beginning are below:
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