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

The Chosen Servant

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice: He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his law.” (Isaiah 42:1-4, ESV).

Isaiah prophesies about the Suffering Servant. Isaiah 42:1-4 has been named by scholars the first of the “Servant Songs” in Isaiah, and as a definite prediction of the coming of Jesus Christ, Messiah. These verses declare that the servant will be chosen by God, that He will delight in Him, and that God’s Spirit will be upon him. Moreover, He will bring justice to all nations, not just to the nation of Israel. This passage from Isaiah is quoted in Matthew 12:18 -21 to verify that Jesus Christ was, indeed, the chosen servant about whom Isaiah had prophesied.

It is very easy for those of us who believe in Christ and accept him as Messiah to see in this passage in Isaiah, written some 700 years before Jesus’ birth, that Isaiah’s prophecy tells of the Messiah’s coming and His work of bringing peace.
But can we see within this Servant Song a call for followers of the Lord to have the servant’s calling? God defined the work of the Servant Messiah as a messenger of peace and healing, the One who would bring forth justice in the world. We as His servants have the same purpose. The Servant Messiah did not use normal means to accomplish his purposes. No military power overthrew the oppressive Roman rulers. The Messiah worked quietly, proclaiming God’s message to all who would listen and heed. He healed the sick, opened blind eyes, taught a way of harmony and peace. We have examined this way as we’ve looked at selected parables and the beatitudes for study the past weeks. Now Christians have that servant role of seeking righteousness and justice. God provides the power and motivation through His Spirit. Only one—Jesus the Messiah—has completely fulfilled the Servant role. But He has given us an invitation—and the motivation through His Spirit—to make a difference where we are. We have been elected by God for this purpose as Christians. We have been given sound minds and good directions through His Word to make a difference in our corner of the earth. With the serious flaws in government and the lack of justice in high places, we have an obligation to stand firmly for what is right. Will we pray and seek guidance? Will our place of chosen servanthood make a difference for our time?

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 21, 2010