Messiah: Meek Servant

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.” (Isaiah 42:1-3, NKJV). “But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there; and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. And He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet…” (Matthew 12:15-16, NKJV).

When the Pharisees sought how they might trap Jesus, He was anxious that His mission of healing and teaching not be known. Often in His ministry He admonished those whom He had healed or helped not to tell others. Isaiah’s picture of the meek, suffering servant was applied first to the nation of Israel. However, Israel (the nation), because of disobedience and idolatry, could not fulfill the Servant role God chose for them. And because the nation failed in its purpose, God sent one from “the tribe of Judah” to be the meek, suffering Servant. Jesus did not reveal His true identity because the people would immediately have wanted to crown Him an earthly ruler. Expectation is often erroneous. Jesus did not fulfill the expectations for Messiah’s reign, but instead proceeded in His servant role.

Jesus declared, early in his ministry, when He took the scroll and read from the prophecy of Isaiah, in the synagogue at Nazareth, that He was the one about whom the prophet wrote: “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21, NKJV). The portion He read was from what we know today as Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To preach deliverance to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2).

Jesus did not deviate from His purpose as meek Servant. Even the whole array of the heavenly host which could have been at His bidding did not deter Him from his Servant mission. And He invites us to take up our cross daily, follow Him and serve others. His invitation rings true today: “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15). At Christmas and all year, may we be found faithful.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, December 13, 2010