In the previous chapter, we have seen Christian claims that the appearance of Jesus coincided perfectly with messianic advent as predicted in the important biblical book of Daniel, Jewish awareness of these claims, and Jewish rebuttal of these Christian contentions. Efforts to portray Jesus as the prophetically predicted Messiah proceeded far beyond the mere timing of his appearance. Ultimately more important were the characteristics of Jesus, the extent to which he embodied qualities associated with the prophetically predicted Messiah.

Of these messianic qualities, none was more important than the suffering attributed by the prophet Isaiah to a critical figure whom he designated the Servant of the Lord. The reasons for the importance of this set of prophetic images are many. In a general way, the images are striking, especially in their contrast of a despised figure that would eventually achieve universal recognition and acknowledgment. More specifically, one of the central Jewish critiques of Christianity (leveled by others as well) involves the discrepancy between a supposed messianic redeemer and seemingly ignominious death upon the cross. Were precisely such a surprising combination in fact predicted by God's prophetic messengers, then criticism, disbelief, and rejection must give way to admiration, adulation, and acceptance.

In examining this theme, we shall follow the same procedure employed in the previous chapter. We shall first examine as concisely as possible the biblical material, thereby familiarizing ourselves with the texts over which Christians and Jews disagreed.