Question:

How has Isaiah 11:12 been fulfilled by Jesus? Jews consider this to be a
passage about the Moshiach. They specifically say that Jesus did not
fulfill this therefore he cannot be the Moshiach. They think that all Jews
will return to Israel. How is that passage to be interpreted?
Answer:

Your Jewish friends are right. Because of the reference to the root of
Jesse, we can assume this is a messianic prophecy. However, they are
wrong in saying that Jesus did not fulfill this prophecy. Jesus did
fulfill this prophecy. He has gathered the remnant of Israel. You should
remember that the Christians are the true Israel. We are the children of
Abraham. We are Isaac. This is shown by Galatians 4:21-31, esp v. 28.
MANY passages in the New Testament teach that the church, including the
Gentiles, are the new Israel. The spread of the gospel througout the
earth is the literal fulfillment of this prophecy. Spiritual Israel is
not confined to Canaan any more. It is the community of those who are
saved by the blood of Jesus, the true Moshiach of Israel. According to
Hebrews 8:13 from God’s perspective the Judaism of the Old Testament was
aging and was about to disappear, to be replaced by the New Covenant and
the New Israel–saved by Jesus the lamb of God.

Jews today who do not accept Jesus obviously do not accept that Christains
are the true Israel and therefore do not accept that the spread of
Christainity throughout the world is the fulfillment of this prophecy.
The fact that they reject Jesus does not in and of itself prove that this
prophecy was not fulfilled.

John Oakes