OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

The Old Testament texts are very appropriate for Passion Sunday.  Isaiah 50:4-9a  explores the call of the suffering servant, while Psalm 31:9-16 is a lament from the perspective of one who is suffering. As we will see, both of these texts share a similar three-part structure and probe the meaning of suffering from different perspectives.

Isaiah 50:4-9a: "A Call to Discipleship"
Setting.   Isaiah 50:4-9a  is the third of the suffering servant songs   Isaiah 42:1-4[5-9]; 49:1-6; 50:4-9a; 52:13-53:12). The first song was the lesson for Year A, Baptism of the Lord (see volume 1). You may want to refer to this lesson for a discussion of the individual and collective interpretations of these songs, since that discussion also applies to our present lesson. In the first serv…