Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. _________________________________________________________________________
Did Jesus attract people?
One time there were 5000 men, plus
women and children (Matt. 14:15-21; Mk. 6:30-44; Lk. 9:10-17; Jno. 6:1-14).
On another occasion there were 4000 men, plus
women and children (Matt. 15:32-38; Mk. 8:1-9).
The answer would seem to be yes. Therefore, this verse cannot be describing Jesus.
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3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
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One of the things about the life and ministry of Jesus is how many times he was invited into people’s homes. And it wasn’t just sinner’s homes or his friend’s or disciple’s homes. It was sinners, tax collectors, Pharisees, former prostitutes, friends, and his disciples and their families who all invited Jesus into their homes and lives.

Plus, he was invited to at least one wedding that we know of. And, Lazarus planned a dinner party in His honor (it was the least he could do after being raised from the dead, right?)

Obviously, Jesus was well-liked by numerous kinds of people, and he aroused people’s curiosity (from the skeptic to the believer). He taught with authority and wisdom, so He attracted the wise and well-educated. He was compassionate and forgiving, so He attracted the sinners and tax-collectors. He healed numerous people with power and compassion which caused large crowds to constantly be hunting him down.

That is hardly a person who was despised and held in low esteem.
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4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
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According to the story, it is NOT by his wounds, but by being the sacrifice
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6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
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If Jesus is god, the only way he could have been killed is if he allowed himself to be killed. Therefore, he would not have been led to slaughter, he would have gone there willingly and in control of the entire situation. this gets into heart of the conflict Christians have with their belief. If Jesus is god, then he is all powerful and all knowing. There is no way an all powerful god could not be in control of the entire situation from start to finish. If he is in control, then the people around him are just puppets, playing a role in his predestined crucifixion.
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and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
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In the Gospel accounts Jesus speaks very little, and gives very infrequent and indirect answers to the questions of the priests, prompting an officer to slap him. In Matthew 26:62 the lack of response from Jesus prompts the high priest to ask him: "Answerest thou nothing?" In the Gospel accounts the men that hold Jesus at the high priest's house mock, blindfold, insult and beat him, at times slapping him and asking him to guess who had hit him that time.[14][9][10][11]




Mark 14:55-59 states that the chief priests had sought witness against Jesus to put him to death but did not find any, so they arranged false witness against him, but their witness did not agree together. Mark 14:61 states that the high priest then asked Jesus: "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am" at which point the high priest tore his own robe in anger and accused Jesus of blasphemy. In Matthew 26:63 the high priest asks: "tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus responds "You have said it", prompting the priest to tear his own robe.[9][10][11]



In Luke 22:67 Jesus is asked: "If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe". But, in 22:70 when asked: "Are you then the Son of God?" Jesus answers: "You say that I am" affirming the title Son of God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrin_trial_of_Jesus

He did not say much here, but he did say something. That does not fit with the passage which says he did not open his mouth.
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8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, ________________________________________________________________________
No, he was placed in a tomb, and he was alone. There were no wicked or rich people placed in there with him.
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and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
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Jesus had no offspring. And how do you prolong his days when he is eternal?
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and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
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Jesus is not the servant of god. According to Christians, he IS god. He cannot be a servant to himself.
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and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
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What portion could Jesus be receiving? Again, he is god. he is in charge of everything.
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and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
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Who exactly would Jesus, (god) be dividing the spoils with?
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because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.