Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament" in English language version.
The truth, of course, is that Jews throughout history have been no more illiterate, blind, or stupid than Christians. The typical response of Jews to the Christian claims that Jesus fulfilled prophecy is that the scriptural passages that Christians cite are either not speaking of a future messiah or are not making predictions at all. And one has to admit, just looking at this set of debates from the outside, the Jewish readers have a point. In the passages allegedly predicting the death and resurrection of Jesus, for example, the term 'messiah' in fact never does occur. Many Christians are surprised by this claim, but just read Isaiah 53 for yourself and see.
In a thoughtful essay, Gordon McConville has articulated the issue at hand. According to McConville, "Modern Old Testament scholarship has been largely informed by the belief that traditional Christian messianic interpretations of Old Testament passages have been exegetically indefensible."
non-critical scholars by their prooftexting actually discredit the claims of Jesus in the eyes of literary and historical critics ... much of contemporary critical scholarship on messianism, which argues that the messianic idea did not develop until the intertestamental period ... Old Testament scholarship is now divided: The majority takes a more historical approach to the Old Testament, resulting in a minimalist view of the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible.
Critical scholars question the legitimacy of claims that this and other Old Testament messianic prophecies were alluding to Christ. They see nothing in Old Testament writings that would connect messianic prophecies with a redeemer of the world who would establish a spiritual kingdom and in whom all must put their faith or perish.
Thus while a purely individual Messianic interpretation fails to recognize the simple fact that the Servant is Israel, we may nonetheless fairly see the Servant, and believe that Jesus saw him, as a Messianic figure.
