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Y8 Theology: Isaiah

Key facts

  • 740BC-670BC. Isaiah lived in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but warned of and lived through the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to Assyria.
  • Isaiah wrote 4.5 books in the OT (Isaiah, 1Samuel, 2Samuel, 1Kings and the first half of 2Kings) and is the most quoted OT writer in the Gospels
  • He had two sons, whom God told him to name Shear-Jashub (a remnant shall remain – a message of hope) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey – warning of the Assyrian invasion)

 

Image credit: Isaiah (Sistene Chapel) Michaelangelo

Christian vs Jewish interpretation

Christian vs Jewish interpretation

  •  Many of these passages are agreed by both Christians and Jewish people to be Messianic
  • The exception is Isaiah 53, the Suffering Servant passage, which Christians say point to Jesus but Jews say cannot describe the Messiah because he cannot die until his work is done.
     

Key quotes

Christian and Jewish Messianic quotes

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
[Immanuel means ‘God with us’]

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace  there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him… (Isaiah 11:1-2)

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.  (Isaiah 11:6)

 “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation… (Isaiah 28:16)

 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1) 

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation,  who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isaiah 52:7)

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour…(Isaiah 61:1-2)
 In Luke 1:16-21 Jesus reads this well-known Messianic passage and says “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”, proclaiming himself to be the Messiah and leading the people to try to stone him.

For behold, I create new heavens  and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered
    or come into mind. (Isaiah 65:17)

Christian only Messianic quotes

Isaiah 53 is often described as the “Suffering Servant” passage about the Messiah, and Christians believe it describes Jesus’ rejection, suffering and death on the cross for our sins. It is not traditionally regarded by Jews as a Messianic passage – as Peter’s horrified response to Jesus’ claim that he would soon die for the sins of all shows ("God forbid it, lord! This shall never happen to you" - Matthew 16:22).

 …he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:2-3)

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9) 

Further sources: Isaiah

Musical interlude: Isaiah the Christmas prophet!

Modern worship songs and hymns

Music: Isaiah the Messiah man!

A huge part of Handel's Messiah is based on Isaiah, reflecting the book's importance as a Messianic prophecy

Handel's Messiah Part 1: The traditional Jewish Messiah

  • “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40, vv.1–3)
  • “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight and the rough places plain:” (Isaiah 40, v.4)
  • “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40, v.5)
  • “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.” (Isaiah 7, v.14; Matthew 1, v.23)
  • “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40, v.9); “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60, v.1)
  • “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 60, vv.2–3)
  • “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9, v.2)
  • “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9, v.6)
  • “Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.” (Isaiah 35, vv.5–6)

Handel's Messiah Part 2: Suffering servant

  • “He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53, v.3); “He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: he hid not his face from shame and spitting.” (Isaiah 50, v.6)
  • “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;” (Isaiah 53, vv.4–5)
  • “And with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53, v.5)
  • “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53, v.6)
  • “He was cut off out the land of the living: for the transgressions of thy people was he stricken.” (Isaiah 53, v.8)

References from resource pack

Resources provided

  • Reynolds, P. (2019). ‘Jesus: Born of a virgin’. In 30 prophecies: One story: How God’s Word points to Jesus (pp. 54-55). Christian Focus Publications.
  • Reynolds, P. (2019). ‘Jesus: Meek and humble’. In 30 prophecies: One story: How God’s Word points to Jesus (pp. 56-7). Christian Focus Publications.
  • Reynolds, P. (2019). ‘Jesus: He cast out demons and healed people. In 30 prophecies: One story: How God’s Word points to Jesus (pp. 58-9). Christian Focus Publications.
  • The life of Isaiah. (n.d.). Retrieved 16 October 2025, from Biblestudy.org website: https://www.biblestudy.org/prophecy/the-major-prophets-isaiah.html 
  • ZA blog. (2019, March 7). Who is the suffering servant in Isaiah 53? Retrieved 16 October 2025, from Zondervan Academic website: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/suffering-servant-isaiah-53
  • Quotes in ESVUK and Good News translations from Biblegateway.com 

Downloadable info pack

What's in a name? The meanings of biblical names

Isaiah: Yahweh (God) Is Salvation (Hebrew)

"A remarkable feature of the name Isaiah is that it consists of the same two elements as the name Joshua (יהושע). The name Joshua is the Hebrew form of the Greek name Jesus, and most probably the name by which Jesus the Nazarene was known by his contemporaries."
Source: Isaiah | The amazing name Isaiah: meaning and etymology

Documentary clkip

Things you might want to include in your documentary clip:

  • Catchphrase: “Thus says the Lord…”
  • Include lots of quotes – these are very well known ones
  • Explain the ‘suffering servant’ issue
  • Choose an interesting detail from Isaiah’s life (like the odd names of his sons, or the fact that he preached naked for three years!)
  • Handel’s Messiah uses a lot of quotes from Isaiah. Could you use that?

End your documentary clip with the prophet or interview giving a summary to the camera – “I predicted that the Messiah would…”