A Review of The Gospel According to Isaiah 53

Cover photo of The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 from Kregel Publication

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53, edited by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser, is a great resource for understanding and studying the Old Testament prophecy of scripture Isaiah 53.  This book is a collection of short essays, written by a variety of contributors, covering interpretations of Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 in Biblical theology, and Isaiah 53 and practical theology.  This book is incredibly helpful in understanding the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 53, by Christ in the New Testament. 

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 is an amazing resource and tool for Bible teachers as well.  It is also extremely helpful in sharing Jesus with a Jewish audience; true to the book’s description, which says, “The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 presents the redemptive work of the Messiah to the Jewish community, exploring issues of atonement and redemption in light of Isaiah chapter 53.”  The book’s introduction, by Mitch Glaser, also stresses the importance of Isaiah 53 calling it “one of the clearest prophecies of Jesus the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures.”

As a Bible teacher, one of the common teachings I share with my students is the reality that the Old Testament helps us more fully understand the New Testament.  One of my goals in all my Bible classes is to get the students in my class to see scripture as the singular metanarrative that it is.  This book, The Gospel According to Isaiah 53, makes this connection beautifully and is a very important tool in understanding the interconnectedness of the Old Testament prophecies with the New Testament gospels. 

One of the common realities that we encounter when studying the scriptures is this “call and response” between the Old and New Testaments.  It has been said, “the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed” and “the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed.”  This is exactly the case with Isaiah 53, and The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 unpacks this idea comprehensively.  When we understand the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 53, we can better understand what Jesus has done in His perfect atoning sacrifice for us in the Gospels as our Suffering Servant. 

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 beautifully explores and illuminates this connection between the Old and New Testament for us and helps us to more fully understand Isaiah’s prophecy as well as its fulfillment in Christ in the New Testament.  I am excited to use this text in my 10^th grade Bible class when we begin our study of Isaiah this year.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in studying the Old Testament or who are interested in better understanding their New Testament.  To learn more about this book, its editors or its many contributors, or to make a purchase, you can visit the book’s page at Kregel Publication or its page on Amazon.com.

In exchange for this unbiased review, I have received a copy of The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 from the publisher, Kregel Publication, free of charge. 

This review has also been posted on My Two Mites, Amazon.com, Christian Book Distributors, CBD, GoodReads, and Examiner.com.