Against Celsus 1.54

Since Celsus, who professes to know everything of the teaching, reproaches the Savior for his suffering, as not having been helped by the Father or not having been able to help himself, we must set out that his suffering was prophesied together with its cause: that it was useful for human beings that he should die for them and suffer the stripes of one condemned. It was also foretold that those from the nations, among whom the prophets had not been, would "understand" him, and it was said that he would be seen with a "form without honor" in the eyes of men. The text runs thus: "Behold, my servant will understand, and he will be exalted and glorified and lifted up greatly. As many will be astonished at you, so will your form be without glory among men, and your glory among men. So will many nations marvel at him, and kings will shut their mouths; for those to whom nothing was announced about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? We announced him as a child before him, as a root in a thirsty land; he has no form nor glory. And we saw him, and he had no form nor beauty; but his form was without honor and failing beyond all men: a man in affliction, and knowing how to bear sickness, for his face is turned away. He was dishonored and not esteemed. This man bears our sins and suffers pain for us, and we reckoned him to be in toil and in affliction and in ill treatment. But he was wounded for our sins and made sick for our lawless deeds; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; each has gone astray in his own way; and the Lord handed him over for our sins. And he, because he has been ill treated, does not open his mouth; like a sheep he was led to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; who will tell of his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth; from the lawless deeds of my people he was led to death."