Hear the Perfect Servant of the Lord

Isaiah 49:14-26; Isaiah 50:1-11

Introduction

e.g. Have you done all of your Christmas shopping for this year?

Are you excited, filled with anticipation of what you will unwrap?

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably spent way more time at the shops than you’d like trying to get gifts

Or scouring the internet for something you can get shipped in time

However, under all the signs of ‘Joy to the World’ & ‘Peace on Earth’ is a growing problem of anxiety

Mental health professionals say ‘gift anxiety’ is a real & growing issue

For many people there’s the stress of getting the perfect gift or a gift that is appropriate

Financial stress comes with gift buying too

Maybe the stress of who do you get a gift for, what if I don’t get a gift for a person but they get one for me?

Stress of acting happy or surprised when you open the gift

Gift giving has long been a tradition of Christmas

Our tradition likely goes back to the real Saint Nicholas (of Myra)

1 striking difference between his gift giving & modern gifting is Nicholas gave to relieve stress

He gave of his wealth to help the poor, needy & helpless in a very difficult time

In this he was seen as an example of Christ

2 Corinthians 8:9 “9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Modern, joyful wrapping of Christmas covers a great deal of pain

This is a tragic irony of the message of Christmas

Isaiah 61:1-3 (quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18)

Jesus came to free us from bondage, to speak comfort to the weary

Given this common experience of Christmas & the tragedy of the Bondi Attacks (14/12/2025) I think this is a timely message

READ Isaiah 50:1-11

We’ll briefly cover the end of Isaiah 49

We’re brought to another of the Servant Songs (Isa. 50:4-9)

Here, the Servant is seen speaking to Himself

Sharing what He’s thinking and knowingly being overheard by the weary

Passage divides naturally into 3 sections

Isa. 50:1-3 - The LORD (Yahweh/Father) speaks

Isa. 50:4-9 - The Servant (Messiah/Jesus) speaks

Isa. 50:10-11 - The LORD responds to The Servant

God’s Longsuffering Love

Isaiah 49:14-26; Isaiah 50:1-3

God Doesn’t Forget His People

Isaiah 49:14-16

He hasn’t forsaken Israel

Let’s begin by looking back into Isaiah 49

Given the events of the past week I think this is particularly relevant

As we’ve seen often, this speaks of Israel’s regathering after their captivity

Very clear this speaks of events well beyond that too

Isa. 49:26 - Enemies of Israel will be judged & Israel will be saved

In all of this God will redeem, regather & bless Israel as He has promised

Question of Isa. 49:14 could legitimately be asked today

Given the rise of anti-Semitism in the world Jews may also ask has God forsaken us?

Many Christians may wonder this too

Has God passed over Israel & given His blessing to others?

God’s answer to Israel then, & now, is absolutely not

Despite what the circumstances may look like God has not forgotten Israel or His promises to them

We’ll see shortly why the circumstances look as they do

People forget & human relationships crumble but God does not forget His people (Isa. 49:15)

Isa. 49:16 describes how deep God’s connection with His people is

Inscribed, graven on His palms

The name of His people is tattooed on His hands

May refer to custom of slaves having masters name inscribed on them

What makes this different is the Master carries the names not the servants

He won’t forsake His people

As we see so often, what is true of God’s relationship with Israel is seen in His relationship with all His people

No matter what it may appear like God doesn’t forget His people

He doesn’t forsake them or cast them off

You may be in a dark place right now & Christmas may not feel joyful

Those circumstances aren’t the proof that God has abandoned you

God repeats a promise made to Israel to NT believers

Hebrews 13:5 “5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

Ps. 9:10 could almost act as a summary of this passage

Psalm 9:10 “10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

We Forget God

Isaiah 50:1-3

Our sin has separated us

Through a couple of questions God makes His point to Israel about their situation

They accuse God of abandoning them so God calls them to show the proof of this

Where are the divorce papers? Who does God owe that must be paid

Isa. 50:2-3 show the idea that God owes anyone is ridiculous

The problems they face aren’t because God was unfaithful or abandoned them

Problem was they rebelled and were unfaithful to God

Their circumstances aren’t proof that God forsook them but result of them forsaking God

It is our sin that separates us from God

God has the power to deliver

Here is another example of the depth of God’s grace

There has been no divorce so God can still take her back

They haven’t been sold to another so God still has claim over them

Idea that God owes someone else is ridiculous

God rebukes their unbelief & declares deliverance is an easy thing for Him

His arm isn’t short that He can’t reach them

His power isn’t so weak that He can’t save them

Problem? They won’t listen, respond to God’s call (Isa. 50:2 a)

So that message is true today

God’s reach isn’t too short to reach you

His power isn’t too weak to save you from wherever you are

Jesus’ Perfect Example

Isaiah 50:4-9

His Example of Discipleship

Isaiah 50:4-5

His learning

He speaks again of His calling

...has given Me… or appointed for me

He acts and speaks with purpose, with divine authority

...the learned… is a description of a disciple, a learner

So it’s more profound than just being knowledgable

To be a disciple is to have received & internalised teaching so that it becomes part of who you are and what you do

It is the type of learning that comes from being personally associated with the teacher

Jesus is the perfect example of discipleship

Morning by morning

His learning was by regular, personal interaction with God

Key part of discipleship is speaking what you have learned

Jesus came to make God and His ways known

There’s a specific audience He speaks to - the weary

John 3:17 “17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Why? The world is already condemned - by our sin (Jn. 3:18; Isa. 50:1)

John 10:10 “10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Jesus speaks wisdom, comfort, guidance & salvation to those who are lost in sin

To those enslaved, to the burdened, the sad, the broken & brokenhearted

This is the good news, the good tidings of great joy the angels proclaimed

Jesus didn’t come because we had it all together

e.g. Jesse Duplantis - God became man because we were just that good

Jesus came because we don’t have it together

His obedience

e.g. Possible opened my ear has to do with piercing the ear

A slave eligible for freedom commits to continue serving master the ear was pierced

If so, that makes Jesus tattooed & pierced :)

Opened my ear is most likely about hearing the LORD

In the Bible, to hear means to obey

No matter how you want to understand the phrase it’s meaning is clear

Jesus submitted to the Father in obedience

Unlike Israel, He didn’t rebel or run from the LORD

He heard what was said & He obeyed it

John 8:29 “29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.””

His Example of Submission

Isaiah 50:6-9

His humiliation

His obedience would lead to humiliation & abuse (Isa. 49:7)

He gave Himself to this task

John 10:17–18 “17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.””

In obedience He set His face like a flint to do the will of the LORD

Luke 9:51 “51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,”

Nothing could stop Him from doing what He came to do

No-one could force the timing on Him or the way He would do it

His vindication

He obeyed & endured because He trusted the LORD

He knew that He would be vindicated

He was!

The Servant who was despised & abused, shamed & spit on was raised from the dead in power

Acts 2:23–24 “23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

His vindication isn’t just His own resurrection but that His death & resurrection accomplished it’s purpose

1 Corinthians 15:20 “20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

His ministry to the weary isn’t just soft words of comfort but the comfort of promise

He has done what He promised

God’s Call to Trust

Isaiah 50:10-11

Look to Him for Comfort

Isaiah 50:10

Respond with obedience

So many of our Christmas carols sing about adoring Christ or standing in awe

These are good & right things to do

God says the response to Jesus is to be more than adoration & awe

It must include that but it is not only that

Right, saving, uplifting response to Jesus is obedience

It is to obey His call to repentance & belief

It is to follow the example of the perfect disciple

Isaiah has made this very plain throughout

God isn’t seeking empty profession but whole-hearted, costly obedience

Not obedience to gain God’s favour

Obedience in response to God’s favour

4 descriptions are given of God’s people in Isa. 50:10

First 2 are obvious

Fear God - Know who He is, honour Him as God

Obey Jesus

Respond with trust

The 2nd 2 characteristics might seem contradictory

They walk in darkness

They have no light

Maybe you think, but Bible says we have light, are light and don’t walk in darkness

That’s true but it’s not what is being described here

We’re learning from the example of The Servant

We’re being called to walk in His ways, follow & obey Him

What did that look like?

Darkness, rejection, being despised

The Prophecy of Isaiah The Many and the One: Unresponsiveness and Response

Those who commit themselves to the Servant-way will have a Servant-experience

Just like Jesus, life as a disciple of Jesus isn’t a promise of ease in this life

That’s not what peace on earth & goodwill to man means

Light = spark, flash, gleam

Not even a spark of light in their darkness

Truth is, sometimes even with God this life gets dark, very dark

God’s promise is that He is a God for those times

In the darkness trust the Lord, rely upon God

His promise isn’t that it won’t get dark but that He is with you in the darkness to lead you out

Paul expressed this same experience

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—”

Discipleship is learning to trust God, to rely on Him in the dark

We cling to this same promise in Psalm 23

Psalm 23:4–6 “4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Darkness is met with God’s presence that leads to His blessing

Look to Him for Salvation

Isaiah 50:11

Don’t follow your own path

In contrast to those who walk in darkness but have God are those who make their own light

These are those who don’t rely on God, don’t trust God but reach for their own strength in darkness

This is a picture of our sinful self-reliance

It is a life that refuses to hear God, to hear His call to repent & believe

It’s the life that believes you know what to do to save yourself

The life that reaches for earthly things that we think we can control

It will lead to destruction

Result is, what you think will save you ends up destroying you

The way through the darkness of this life isn’t to make your own light

The fire we create for light will consume us

For example, the good works we rely on to justify us before God will be the very things that condemn us before God

They way through the darkness is to trust God

Conclusion

Darkness comes as a result of sin in this world

It’s your iniquities, your transgressions against God that put us in judgment

Way out of that darkness is to hear the Perfect Servant

Listen to Him & obey His word

Which begins by hearing His call to salvation from sin

Zechariah proclaims

Luke 1:79 “79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.””

How do you need to obey God today?

Christmas is a time of adoration & worship but that is empty if its not accompanied by obedience & discipleship

Christmas is a call to trust God

Christmas is the proof God can be trusted