Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining us this summertime Sunday. Last week’s topic was Part 1 of Jesus Quotes Isaiah. If you were living your life and missed the study, please take 3.5 minutes to read it now, accompanied by the “Jeopardy” theme song. Now that everyone is up to speed, we dive in.
In Part 1, Jesus quoted Isaiah, the influential Hebrew prophet, with passages relating to the Messianic prophecies about His death, earthly reign, and teaching ministry. Today, we're starting with an Isaiah verse that includes a phrase many readers will recognize if semi-familiar with the gospels or have watched movies about Jesus.
“Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).
In the passage that follows, Jesus requotes Isaiah, quoting God as recorded in Matthew, Luke, and Mark. These gospels describe a famous temple event where Jesus showed human emotion immediately after He entered Jerusalem in a “Triumphal Entry” known as “Palm Sunday.” Then, five days later, He met His fate on the cross. For the description of this “temple event,” I display Mark’s version and note, unlike in Matthew or Luke, that Jesus quotes Isaiah as a question:
“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (Mark 11:15-17).
By the way, if you are keeping score, that passage counts toward one of the five times that Jesus got angry.
Next, we examine when Jesus criticized the Pharisees and scribes for disingenuously worshiping the Lord. Here is the Isaiah passage:
“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught’” (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus said:
“‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules’” (Matthew 15:7-9). Mark’s version is the same but ends when Jesus says, “‘You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions’” (Mark 7:6-8).
Our next set of passages concerns “Signs at the End of the Age” my NIV Study Bible subtitle for Matthew 24. But first, if you believe we are on the cusp of “The End” (as I do), read Isaiah 13, subtitled “A prophecy against Babylon,” and then stock up on survival supplies. Here are God’s warnings through Isaiah:
“The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” (Isaiah 13:10).
In Matthew 24, Jesus teaches about the end times, describing all the pain and suffering. Here is a preview ripped from today’s headlines when Jesus said:
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:7-8). Then Jesus quoted Isaiah a few verses later:
“‘Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’” Jesus continues:
“‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory’” (Matthew 24: 29-30).
Yikes! Those warnings should motivate us to repent for all our sins and get right with the Lord. Mark’s gospel repeats much of what Jesus warned in Matthew but includes His caveat before the Isaiah quote:
“‘For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light..’” (Mark 13:22-24).
We conclude with an Isaiah passage about how salvation had come to the people because the Messiah had arrived:
“Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him’” (Isaiah 62:10-11).
Although not a direct quote from Jesus, we circle back to the Triumphal Entry. Jesus gave his disciples prophetic instructions about the logistics of His entry that fulfilled two Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah above and Zechariah 9:9. Matthew recorded:
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey’ ” (Matthew 21:4-5).
Isaiah’s prophecy, written approximately 700 years before Christ’s birth, does not mention the Messiah entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as does Zechariah’s authored about 480 years before Christ:
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
However, the important takeaway from these two Old Testament Hebrew prophets is that their first set of words quotes “Daughter of Zion,” meaning the personification of Jerusalem and its people. Then, in Zechariah, “the King” enters the city on a donkey, while Isaiah wrote, “See, your Savior comes!”
While entering Jerusalem, Jesus did not have to say that He was the Messiah, for the “Daughters of Zion” recognized Him from their knowledge of the prophets in Hebrew Scripture. And we, too, must recognize who Jesus was, is, and will come again. Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of SignFromGod.org and the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. Both are educational donor-supported ministries dedicated to building a permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. The National Shroud of Turin Exhibit will host a four-day exhibit at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 17-21. Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>
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