Advent 1998 - 1 - The Faithful One Comes

Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

“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. Isaiah 42:1 (NIV)

I.   The Faithful One Comes

     A.  He comes to bring Justice

           1.  The coming of Jesus, is more than a poetic scene for postcards and smiling sighs.

                 a.  Far from scenes of gently falling snow and happy little elves.

                 b.  Far from scenes of crowded stores and traditional consumer gluttony.

           2.  Jesus comes to upset the apple cart!

                 a.  He comes to unsettle things, and us.

                 b.  He comes to re-order our disorder.

           3.  He comes to set things right.

                 a.  Justice=righteousness in both Hebrew and Greek.

                 b.  He comes to set right relationships

                 c.  He comes fix our relationship with God

     B.  He is Empowered by God’s Spirit

           1.  Jesus doesn’t come as a Lone Ranger

                 a.  As too many so-called spiritual leaders

                 b.  He is commissioned by the Father.

           2.  He is sent by God the Father for a specific purpose.

                 a.  The Father’s purpose: to restore his children to him.

           3.  He is empowered to that purpose by God’s Spirit.

                 a.  It’s not all up to him, He’s empowered to accomplish this great task.

II.  The Faithful One is Gentle

     A.  He is Quiet in the streets

           1.  Here’s the first surprise: He’s not an insurrectionist!

                 a.  He doesn’t come to foment rebellion.

                 b.  He doesn’t come to be a revolutionary

           2.  He is born in a stable and his birth isn’t announced in the streets.

                 a.  It’s announced to a few people usually marginalized by society.

                 b.  It’s announced to a few foreigners.

           3.  During his ministry he told people to keep quiet about who he was.

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16 warning them not to tell who he was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Matthew 12:15-17 (NIV)

     B.  He is gentle with the Wounded

           1.  This is the second surprise: He does not “break a few eggs to make an omelette.”

                 a.  He is careful that his change does not hurt those most vulnerable.

                 b.  The wounded and sinful were attracted to Jesus.

           2.  The wounded, the broken, the smoldering wicks have a place in His kingdom!

                 a.  He welcomes and celebrates them!

                 b.  Those less able, spiritually and otherwise are every much a part of Him

           3.  In fact he comes to find justice for the wounded.

                 a.  He is here for them especially!

                 b.  So often our brokenness and our smoldering is in large part because of the injustice that surrounds us.

     C.  He is Determined

           1.  He will not falter

                 a.  Though many have. Though we have.

           2.  He will not be discouraged

                 a.  Though many are. Though we are.

           3.  Until he establishes justice!

                 a.  Nobody could do it but Him!

III. The Faithful One calls us to Come

     A.  He gives us Life (v.5)

           1.  God identifies Himself as the creator of all

                 a.  What difference does this make? If he made it he is in charge of it.

                 b.  If He is in charge, only His solutions will work.

                 c.  Injustice and unrighteousness are disorders the creator can re-order.

           2.  God identifies Himself to us as the One who gives us life.

                 a.  Life is the most precious resource on the planet.

                 b.  Our life has it’s source in Him.

                 c.  We owe him for our lives.

     B.  He Restores us (v.7)

           1.  He comes to restore our vision

                 a.  He will make the blind see: the physically and spiritually blind

                 b.  He will open our eyes to his hand at work among us.

                 c.  We will see reality for what it is.

           2.  He comes to free us from our captivity to sin and Satan

                 a.  We choose our sins, but our sins enslave us too.

                 b.  We are prisoners of our own devices, still God chooses to free us.

                 c.  This freeing cost the ultimate price.

     C.  He promises to be Faithful to us! (vv.6,8-9)

           1.  God calls the Righteous One to be a covenant for His people

                 a.  The ‘you’ in v.6 is a singular masculine pronoun: addressed to the Faithful One

                 b.  He will be a covenant? Yes: this is the cup of the new covenant in my blood.

                 c.  The covenant is no longer a written covenant, it is a person.

           2.  God calls the Righteous One to be a light to the gentiles (that’s us).

                 a.  A light? Yes to shine in our darkness and show us the way home.

                 b.  The light exposes the obstacles and dangers in the path.

                 c.  The light exposes the flaws and wounds too.

           3.  God promises to protect his Name, which he has given to us.

                 a.  God does not give his glory to another.

                 b.  He will show himself true and the false gods false.

                 c.  He will do that by displaying his power through us, His people whom he calls out of the darkness to shine like stars in the universe.

The Bottom Line:

(HoR: GHoF#84 O Come, O Come Emmanuel vv.1,4)