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God’s Servant
Intro
We’ve spent the last several weeks looking at different OT stories and characters to see Jesus in the OT.
I wanted to do this so that we get a clear understanding of the fact that the Bible is God’s Revelation to us about his Salvation through Jesus Christ.
Not only that, but we can only fully enjoy and understand the NT if we know what happened in the OT.
From Beginning in Genesis to end of Revelation the story of the Bible tells us the story of Redemption.
The Story of God saving his people from themselves.
The story of God Reuniting himself to the creation that rejected him.
For the Next few of weeks we are going to look at Finding Jesus in the Prophets.
Prophecy is a style of literature that is used primarily in the OT.
It can be a little difficult to understand, but here’s the jist of it.
God’s People, Israel are either in trouble or about to be in trouble b/c of their rebellion against God and his Commands.
God then raises up a man to proclaim to them the error of their ways.
This man calls them to repent and turn back to God.
This man is called a prophet.
God also reveals to his prophet why they are in this situation, how long they are going to be there, and how God is going to deliver his people from the mess they have found themselves in.
Many times these prophets are speaking about how God is going to deliver them from their current situation.
Sometimes, as is the case for today’s scripture, God reveals how he is going to bring about something new.
Someone more amazing than they could ever imagine.
Someone who is going to restore them not simply as a nation, but as those made in the image of God.
God is going to send a servant to restore what is broken.
So what is this Servant going to look like.
God’s Chosen Servant
To begin we need to know that throughout the OT God calls many people his Servant.
Abraham is called his servant.
Moses is called his servant.
David is called his servant.
In fact in the chapter right before this one the nation of Israel is called his servant.
And later in this chapter we will see Israel called God’s Servant again.
So we need to know that in order to make sense of what is going on here.
But here we read that Isaiah is prophesying about a servant that has yet to come.
A servant that hasn’t arrived yet.
We attribute this servant to Jesus because this passage is quoted in Matthew 12:18-21 to be about Jesus.
So what do we know about this servant for Isa 42.
First, we know that he is a Servant.
What does it mean to be a servant?
It means to do the will of the one that you serve.
All those other servants of God, didn’t limit themselves to only doing God’s will.
They all ended up falling short.
They all ended up sinning.
But Jesus tells us in Jn 6:38 “38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”
Jesus came to do the will of the father as the perfect servant of God.
Jn 5:19 “19 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing.
For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.”
The Father and the Son are in perfect harmony and unity with one another.
And Therefore Jesus can serve the Father Perfectly.
That’s why God is sending Jesus to accomplish his will, because as creation humanity will always mess it up.
There needed to be a perfectly obedient Servant.
And that would only be accomplished by God himself in human flesh.
We also see in this passage that this Servant is strengthened by God himself.
This is self evident, because Jesus is God obviously he is strengthened by him.
Jesus was chosen from the beginning of time to be the Servant of God that would restore creation to it’s proper form.
God, the Father, delights in his Son.
Mark 1:11 “11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.””
The Father sends Jesus, strengthen’s Jesus, and delights in Jesus.
Now this Servant has a mission to complete when he gets here and what is that mission?
To bring Justice to the nations.
We tend to have too narrow a view on Justice.
Our idea of justice is usually someone getting what’s coming to them.
When we think about justice we tend to think about Retributive justice.
You did something wrong.
Now you need to pay for it.
You need to be punished.
And justice is not served if you are not penalized by the wrong you did.
Sometimes our justice is based on our own feelings.
Our own circumstances.
Our own upbringings.
So our idea of justice can be viewed subjectively, rather than objectively.
God’s idea of justice is always objective.
Rather than being strictly Punitive, God’s justice leans toward Restorative.
God is in the business of justice.
But God’s idea of justice is different than our idea of justice.
Sure he will repay evil with evil, but the justice he seeks is greater than mere retribution.
God is interested in Restorative Justice.
God’s justice is based on what he declares to be right and wrong.
God’s justice is found in his perfect, holy, and incorruptible character.
God wants to restore what is broken.
God wants to heal the human heart.
God's justice is grace-filled.
God's justice offers an avenue for forgiveness.
No matter how wrong or bad.
That’s what Isaiah is writing in 42:1-4.
He is writing about a Perfect Servant who has come to fix what is broken and provide hope for the hopeless.
Praise the Lord, that we have a God that would rather restore us than wipe us out.
Because ultimately we deserve the worst because we are the worst.
But God is gracious and kind.
He endures our rebellion and offers us forgiveness.
And that forgiveness can be extended to us b/c of Jesus the Perfect Servant and his sacrifice.
Restoration and Retribution met on the cross when Jesus gave himself up for you and me.
The next thing I want us to notice about this description about the servant is found in verse 2.
Is 42.2 “2 He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets.”
Jesus didn’t come as a tyrant.
He didn’t come in bravado.
Unlike other kings and rulers, he will not be violent or aggressive.
He establishes his Kingdom through service and humility.
See, Jesus is coming in power, but he isn’t going to be loud about it.
His very presence makes him known.
His presence radiates goodness, holiness, and rightness.
He is the very embodiment of patient endurance, humility, and steadfastness.
He doesn’t need overcompensating swagger, because he has Holy Swagger.
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