The Servant of the Lord – Sermon 12 January, 2014

The Servant of the Lord

Isaiah 42:1-9

The book of Isaiah mirrors the Bible.

Isaiah has 66 chapters.

The Bible has 66 books.

Isaiah has 39 chapters dealing primarily with the history of the Israel.

The Bible has 39 Old Testament books dealing primarily with the history of Israel.

Isaiah has 27 chapters dealing with the future of the Israelite people including some beautiful prophesy about Christ, the coming Messiah.

The New Testament has 27 books dealing with the story of Christ.

Isaiah has been called “The Gospel of the Old Testament” because of its abundant treatment of Christ.

One interesting aspect of the Book of Isaiah is what is called the “Servant Songs”.

Isaiah 40-55 (49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12)

There are 4 passages of Scripture in the 2nd part of the Book of Isaiah that beautifully describe the ministry of Christ specifically using the word “Servant”.

In Isaiah 42:1-4 we are introduced to Christ by God who says:

“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight“.

Many years later, when Jesus is baptized by John; God referred to His Son in very similar language when He said: “This is My Son, whom I love and with Him I am well pleased“. (Mt. 3:17)

God introduces us to Christ and He calls Him “My Servant” meaning that Christ will obey Him.

And then at the baptism of Christ, God again speaks at the outset of Christ’s public ministry when Christ literally begins to fulfil these words in Isaiah 42.

Israel as God’s servant was supposed to help bring the world to knowledge of God, but she failed to live up to her privileges and responsibilities. But the Lord’s will would not be put down by Israel’s failure. The Messiah, the Lord’s Servant, will become God’s means to fulfil God’s will to bless His world.

I. His manner of ministry (1-4)

Verse one describes the Servant’s relationship to God. The title Servant is one of honour sent in the Spirit. The servant will gain power for His mission from the divine Spirit as earlier rulers and prophets had.

His mission was not to deliver Israel from captivity and exile but unlike the foreign conquerors of the day, God’s Servant wouldn’t come shouting His decrees in the streets, nor would He crush the oppressed or discourage the disheartened. He would not be a city street preacher or political rebel inciting the population, nor a royal messenger reading the king’s proclamations.

The meek and mild Saviour showed the world the meaning and hope of justice even as He suffered under the injustice of His own people and a foreign government. As God’s Servant, Jesus did what Israel could never do. He perfectly carried out the will of the Father so that people everywhere may believe in the Holy One of Israel and have access to God’s justice.

II. His sovereign purpose (5-7)

Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.

Having introduced the Servant to the audience, God here speaks directly to the Servant who was going to do a new creative thing as the only source for breath and life among earth’s inhabitants. God will empower Him to restore the right in the world – that is, to bring salvation. God’s purpose for the Chosen Servant was clear. He represented God’s covenant, God’s promise to the nations to bring light into their darkness. He would be a light (42:16; Luke 1:79) for the nations or Gentiles (Isa. 49:6) He will open blind eyes, bring out those who dwell in darkness from the prison. This means help for the helpless, sight for the blind, and freedom for the prisoner. Spiritually unredeemed Israel and the Gentiles are blind, and they are captives in darkness.

Because Jesus was obedient to God’s call, all the promises in Isaiah 42:6-7 came true and more. As Christians today respond to God’s righteous call on their lives, others will see God’s light and experience the liberation that God’s transforming power offers.

III. His glory (8-9)

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another, or my praise to idols.”

The Lord God will accomplish the prophecy recorded in verses 6-7 and He will not let idols take credit for it. Isaiah was affirming that God, unlike idols, can tell the future and this divine ability adds to His glory.

Yahweh alone must receive proper honour and praise. This Servant therefore must be One with Him. Worship of other gods or their images was forbidden. Why? Because God alone had proven Himself to be God through His acts in history and He would do so again through the Servant. He had done former things, including the exodus from Egypt, and He would do new things, such as the delivery from exile of sin’s slavery.

Which is what verse 9 declares. “See, the former things have taken place, and new thingsI declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Verse 9 is the last word of the Judge, summarizing His verdict on world history and pointing to the future. In view of all that God had already done for Israel (the former things) these new things (48:6) of which He had been speaking would certainly happen. These new things will be the work of the Servant. No other god can foretell such things, nor do such things.

This something new was Jesus! He came in the unassuming form of an infant who grew into a meek and humble Saviour. God’s answers to our prayers and needs may exceed our expectations.

God announces His way of salvation and deliverance not only for Israel but for the nations. He will send His Servant, who will be empowered and guided by His Spirit. He will establish justice on earth and bring salvation even to the Gentiles. Only the One true and powerful God can announce something this remarkable and then do it.

We can see the traits of servant humility that characterized the Messiah during His life on earth. Jesus did not create uproar or make a scene, so to speak. He restored the most broken of lives. He was the very fulfilment of God’s covenant promises to Israel, and He brought light to the Gentiles. And above all, Jesus came to be the SERVANT of all.

This passage is a wonderful reminder that Jesus Christ can mend broken lives. All of us are broken to some degree. Where do we feel the weakest and most inadequate in our lives and service for Christ? That’s the place where He desires to show us His power. He can exchange our weakness for His strength today.

Krikor Youmshajekian