Isaiah Ch42v1-9 - God's Chosen Servant

Good morning, everyone. Please open your Bibles to Isaiah 42.

!

Isaiah 42.

We're taking a little break from our studies in 2 Corinthians.

We're going to go back to that in the new year, so we can look forward to that.

But over these next few weeks, we're going to be looking specifically at chapter 42 of Isaiah.

On your Bibles, it may have a heading, The Servant of the Lord.

They're traditional readings leading up to Christmas to help us to prepare for Christmas and the coming of Christ.

So we're going to be looking at Isaiah 42 over three Sundays.

This morning, we're going to look at the first nine verses as we prepare ourselves for Christmas as it approaches.

So let's read, and then we're going to pray, and then we'll look at God's Word together.

Isaiah 42, verse 1.

Isaiah 42:1

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.

I will put my spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.

He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.

In his teaching, the islands will put their hope.

This is what God, the Lord says, the creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to its people and life to all those who walk on it.

I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness.

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison,

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord.

Lord, that is my name.

I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

See, the former things have taken place,

and new things I declare.

Before they spring into being,

I announce them to you.

Well, let's pray together.

Our Father God, we come to you as the creator God,

the maker of heaven and earth,

the God who gives us breath and gives us life.

And so we come humbly before you,

asking that you will speak to us through your word,

and you would help us to see your servant in all his glory,

and that as we gaze in wonder,

we may be transformed more into his likeness.

We pray this for our good,

and for the glory of God.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

We interrupt this program with some breaking news.

Today, world leaders met and have agreed a peace plan

that will mean the end of all wars forever.

Each country will be provided with financial security

and political equality.

Freedom will be enjoyed by all.

Fear will be confined to the past.

Would you believe it?

It sounds great.

We would love it to be true.

But could it actually happen?

Well, 800 years before the birth of Jesus,

there was some earth-shattering, world-breaking news.

God, through the prophet Isaiah,

made an announcement.

Verse 1.

Here is my servant.

And look at the end of verse 1.

And he will bring justice to the nations.

Wow.

Is it really true?

Who is this promised servant?

Well, we're going to look at three things from this text.

The servant's call,

the servant's mission,

and the servant's identity.

Call, mission, and identity.

So first of all, the servant's call.

Look at verse 1.

Look, listen.

Here is my servant.

And two things will mark out this servant from everyone else.

First, this servant has been sent from God.

Look at verse 1.

Here is my servant who I uphold,

my chosen one.

This is no ordinary person.

This is God's appointed servant.

Verse 5.

This is what the Lord says.

The creator of the heavens,

who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it.

I, the Lord,

have called you.

God, who created the world,

who rules the universe,

who sustains each person,

has chosen

and called forth his servant.

But more than that,

this servant

has been empowered

by God.

Did you see that at the end of verse 1?

I will put my spirit

on him.

At the creation of the world

in Genesis 1, verse 3,

Genesis 1:3

we read that the spirit

was hovering over the waters.

He was there with creation power.

Well, it's that same creation power

that is now given

to his servant.

That is immense power.

The power to speak things

into existence.

So God has sent

and empowered his servant.

Why?

Look at the end of verse 1.

To bring justice

to the nations.

You see,

if I can turn the page,

I'll tell you.

this is a servant

for the peoples

of the world.

This is world-breaking news

for all the nations.

This is God's chosen one,

my servant

in whom I delight,

my chosen one

whom I uphold.

He is my treasured one,

my loved one.

Can you see the glory

behind this world-breaking news?

God is giving of his best.

He is giving of all

that he has.

We can say

he is giving of himself.

Giving his servant

to a world

that is broken.

To a people

who have persistently

squeezed

and pushed God out.

God announces

to the world,

here is my servant.

He intervenes

with kindness

and mercy.

So that's

the servant's call.

But what will

this servant

do?

Second,

what is the servant's

mission?

Well,

there's two parts

to his mission.

First,

he will bring

justice

with gentleness.

Look at the end

of verse 1 again.

He will bring

justice

to the nations.

Middle of verse 3,

in faithfulness,

he will bring

forth

justice.

He will not

falter

or be discouraged

till he establishes

justice

on earth.

death.

The recent

petrol bombing

of a house

in Offaly

that we all

saw about

on the news

was brutal

and sad.

Four-year-old

Tighe and his

Aunt Mary

killed.

The family

cries

for justice.

And of course,

that cry

for justice

goes out

around the world

every day

in a million

of ways.

the people

of Palestine

and Ukraine.

And we feel

it in our own

hearts as

wrong and hurts

have been done

to us.

We long

for justice.

You see,

justice implies

two things.

It's the punishment

of wrongs,

but it's also

the restoring

of rights.

It's literally

restoring order

where there is

disorder.

it's putting

things back

to the way

God intends

things to be.

It's a world

where there is

no longer

any need

for justice

because

everything

is put

right.

God's

chosen

servant

will bring

justice.

He will be

faithful

and not

fail.

He will

not rest,

verse 4,

until he

establishes

justice

on earth.

Every evil

act,

every unkind

word,

every jealous

thought

will be

punished

and every

wrong will

be righted

and every

loss

will be

restored.

But look

how this

justice

will come.

The servant

will bring

justice

with

gentleness.

Look at

verse 2.

He will

not shout

or cry

out

or raise

his voice

in the

streets.

Well compare

that to the

noisy voices

of the world

leaders today.

Those with

power

shout

people down

and silence

the voice

of the needy.

They look

to dominate

and promote

their own

agenda.

But here

we have

a servant

who is

different.

Verse 3.

A bruised

reed

he will

not break

and a

smouldering

wick

he will

not snuff

out.

A rotting

reed

by a river

is so easily

snapped,

isn't it?

Just by the

squeeze of a

hand that is

broken in two

and thrown

away because

it's of no

use.

The same

is true of

a smouldering

flickering

candle with

the slightest

puff of air.

It is

extinguished

and discarded.

It's got

no

purpose.

Now isn't

that how we

often feel

in this

broken

and disordered

world?

Life's

experiences

have battered

us so

much we

feel like

that

rotting

reed

with no

strength to

stand.

Don't you

feel like a

flickering

candle

barely

staying

alight?

Crushed

and weak

and broken?

Fearing that

the next

disappointment

or trial

will finish

us off

for good?

Well here

we have

a gentle

servant

who comes

with the

strength

and the

power

of God

himself.

He comes

to strengthen

the weak

and fan

into the

flame

those with

smouldering

lives.

God's

chosen

servant

comes with

awesome

power

power

but he

comes with

gentleness

not to

trample on

people.

He uses

his power

to restore

and renew

those who

are broken

and crushed.

This is

the servant's

mission.

He brings

justice

with

gentleness.

grace

but there's

a second

part to

his

mission.

He will

give

grace

for the

hopeless.

Let's

pick it

up in

the middle

of verse

6.

God

speaking

to his

servant

says I

will keep

you

and will

make you

to be a

covenant

for the

people.

Now to

make a

covenant

is to

commit

to a

relationship

where two

people or

two parties

make promises

to one

another.

Just like

a wedding

the soon

to be

husband and

wife make

a promise

to commit

to each

other.

Or like

the members

of a

church

members

promise

to commit

to each

other.

That's what

it means

to make

a covenant.

Now God

had entered

into covenant

with his

people.

All through

the Old

Testament

there was

this promise

I will

be your

God

and you

will be

my people.

But the

problem was

the people

kept breaking

their promise

and if you

were to

read Isaiah

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

chapters 1

to 39

you would

see that

all the

way through.

So when

God

confronts

them

he says

this

Isaiah

Isaiah 24:5

24

verse 5

the earth

is defiled

by its

people

they have

disobeyed

the laws

violated

the statutes

and have

broken

the

everlasting

covenant.

You see

just like

people of

old

we can

never keep

our promise

to love

God

with all

our heart.

we always

wander

and so

we need

somebody

who will

come alongside

us

and who

will actually

stand in

for us

to represent

us

and that's

what this

servant

will do.

In grace

he will

make the

promises

on our

behalf

so that

the covenant

is never

broken.

Now the

question is

who will

the servant

do this

for?

Well he

will do

it for

the hopeless

and the

helpless.

Let's read

again from

the middle

of verse

6.

God

speaks to

his servant

I will

keep you

and will

make you

to be a

covenant

for the

people

and a

light

for the

Gentiles.

Well the

Gentiles were

the nations

of the

world

all people

groups

and all

languages

to open

eyes that

are blind

to free

captives

from prison

and to

release

from the

dungeon

those who

sit in

darkness.

What do

the blind

the captive

slave

and the

person in

the dungeon

all have

in common?

Well they

all need

help.

They can't

change their

situation.

Their

situation is

hopeless

helpless

and they

are helpless.

You see

verse 7

is a

picture

of all

of us.

We are

all blind

to our

need.

We are

all

captives

to self

and to

sin.

It is

like we

are living

in a

dark

dungeon.

We need

someone to

come and

open our

eyes to

set us

free and

release us

to be the

people that

God has

called us

to be.

And that is

what the

servant has

come to

do.

Just

flick on a

couple of

pages to

Isaiah 49.

Isaiah 49

and verse

8.

Here God

is again

speaking to

his servant.

We pick

it up at

the end

of verse

8.

I will

keep you

and will

make you

to be a

covenant

for the

people,

to restore

the land,

to reassign

its desolate

inheritance,

to put

everything

right again,

to restore

order,

to say to

the captives,

come out

and to

those who

are in

darkness,

be free.

Let's go

back to

chapter 42.

you see,

this is

good news

for the

nations.

You see,

we live in

a world

where everything

is based

on the

strong,

the clever,

the wealthy.

We're always

measured by

our performance.

We're always

trying to hit

our own

standards and

everybody else's

standards.

But what if we

are so broken

and so

messed up

that we

can't reach

those standards?

what if we

can't perform

to where

God calls

us to be?

Well,

here we

have a

gracious

God

who comes

to us

in the

person of

the servant

to those

who are

hopeless

and helpless,

a servant

who will

say to

you,

I will

stand in

for you.

I will

take the

blame for

all of

your broken

promises

promises,

and you

can enjoy

a life

of unbroken

promises.

Here is

the servant's

mission,

who brings

justice with

gentleness

and brings

grace to

the hopeless.

So we

have the

servant's

call,

the servant's

mission,

identity,

and the

servant's

identity.

So who

is this

servant?

Well,

I think we

all know

who he

is,

and I

sure would

very much

like to

meet him.

But let's

take ourselves

through Scripture

and see who

this servant

is.

We're given

a hint in

verse 9.

See,

the former

things have

taken place,

and new

things I

declare,

before they

spring into

being,

I announce

them to

you.

God is

saying through

Isaiah,

I am

announcing

what is

going to

happen

before it

happens.

I'm telling

you about

my servant

before the

servant comes.

and what

God promised

all those

years ago

has now

been revealed.

Look with

me,

please,

to Matthew

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Matthew's

gospel,

chapter 3.

Matthew

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

starting in

at verse

16.

this is

the

baptism

of

Jesus.

And just

look at

the language

that is

used.

Chapter 3,

verse 16.

As soon

as Jesus

was

baptized,

he went

up out

of the

water,

and at

that moment

heaven was

opened,

and he

saw the

Spirit of

God

descending

like a

dove,

love,

and a

light

on him.

And a

voice from

heaven said,

this is

my son

whom I

love.

With

him

I am

well

pleased.

he

Isaiah 42, the Spirit of God comes on Jesus with power and the Father echoes what Isaiah had said

and identifies Jesus as the servant. Look, this is my servant. This is my son whom I love, whom I

uphold. With him I am well pleased. I delight in him. In fact, as Jesus begins his ministry,

it becomes abundantly clear. Look at Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12.

Matthew 12 · chapter mention Matthew 12 · chapter mention

And verse 15. As Jesus went about his ministry, let's pick it up in the middle of verse 15.

A large crowd followed him and he healed all who were ill. Is not the promise of renewal

and restoration and putting right everything that is broken? Verse 16. He warned them not to tell

others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. Here is my servant

whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight. And I will put my spirit on him and he

will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out. No one will hear his voice in the

streets. A bruised reed he will not break. A smouldering wick he will not snuff out. Till he has brought

justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope. Let's go back to Isaiah 42.

The spirit of God comes upon him in power. You see, Jesus is the gentle servant with power. He comes into

this earth to serve people like you and I. And he has done that supremely on the cross. As Jesus was led to

his death, he does not cry out. As he is mocked and beaten and stripped, his voice is not heard. On the cross,

Jesus is bruised and broken for us. On the cross, the life of Jesus is snuffed out and extinguished for

you and for me. Through his death, he establishes justice as he suffers for our sin and gives us his life.

With his blood that is shed, he makes a covenant that can never be broken. Here he comes with grace and

gentleness, with awesome power for the hopeless and the helpless. Here is my servant given for you.

How can we know this Jesus? How can we experience his gentle grace in our life?

There are three things that will help us to experience the gentleness and grace of our servant.

First, we are to look at the servant. Look at verse 1. Here is my servant, whom I uphold, who I lift up,

my chosen one in whom I delight. God is saying to us again, look at my son. Behold his power.

His majesty, his greatness, his glory. And how do we see him? Well, we open up the word and we gaze

afresh and we read the words of scripture like Isaiah 42 to meditate and reflect on who Jesus is,

to know him and to delight in him. Because this servant is for you, not against you. He will not

trample on you or crush you, but he will lift you up and restore you. See his son, the wonders of his grace.

Gaze and look at the servant. But not only must we look. We must also trust the servant. Look at verse 4.

He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching or in his word,

the islands, the nations will put their hope. You know the teaching that we listen to most of all,

the words that we most trust is our own word. The message is very simple. Listen to self. We always know

what's right and best, isn't that it? But no, God says, don't listen to yourself. Don't listen to the words

that come around you, but listen to the teaching of Jesus. Trust in his word because his teaching will not

crush you. It'll not snuff you out or break you. His word will heal you and restore you. So he says,

listen to my teaching and put your hope in him. Refresh your trust in the faithful servant. His words will

nourish you and feed you. They are good for your life. So let us together look at the servant. Let's trust

the servant. And then third, let us worship the servant. Look at verse 8. God is speaking. I am the Lord.

That is my name. I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. That was true. God says,

I will not give my glory to another. You will not worship anybody else but me. But we know who the servant is.

The servant is God come in person. Jesus is God walking on this earth with flesh and bone.

So worshipping the Lord Jesus is not a contradiction. Time and time again, the New Testament writers

command us to praise God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So the invitation is for us to come and worship

the servant afresh. We sing, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

As we get close to this Christmas, I encourage myself and I encourage us all to look at the servant to trust his word

and to worship him in adoration. For he is a servant who has come to you in grace and gentleness

to renew and restore. Embrace God's chosen servant. Love him and you will not be disappointed.

Let's pray.

What a marvelous and wonderful gift that you would break into this world by the person of your Son,

the God with all power and all authority to stoop so low, to serve us, to give his life for us,

that we might have life. Father, would you help us, please, to wonder afresh at Jesus.

By your Holy Spirit's power, help us not to trust our own words from within, but to trust your word to us,

knowing that from your word comes life itself.

And may we live lives of worship, of serving you and honoring you and speaking of you as we go into a world

desperately needing to know Jesus, the servant. Help us now, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, we are going to worship the servant as we sing this song together from the squalor of a borrowed stable.

So we come and worship him. Let's stand together as we sing.

Amen.