Behold My Servant (5)

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.

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1 – 9).

Matthew quotes first few verses of this passage in his Gospel (Matthew 12:18 – 21), introducing them with the words, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet.”

What is the “this” that Matthew is referring to?

Matthew 12 begins on a Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples are walking through grainfields, the disciples are hungry, and they pick heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees criticize the disciples, accusing them of breaking the Sabbath. (The Pharisees seem to be hard at work analyzing the words and actions of Jesus and the disciples, but I suppose that didn’t quality as work).

Among other things, Jesus quotes Hosea in His response to the Pharisees, “I desire compassion (mercy) and not sacrifice.”

Then Jesus enters a synagogue and He heals a man, saying to the those accusing Him, “How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Matthew records, “But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.”

In the face of constant opposition and hatred, among people who want Him dead, Jesus has mercy on those who need mercy. Jesus proclaims justice, He does not respond with violence, and He does not harm the helpless, the defenseless, the disenfranchised. In the midst of attacks against both His disciples and Himself Jesus continues to touch others with the love, grace, and mercy of God. Matthew says that this Life, this Word, this Incarnation, is to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet.

Consider the lead-in to Chapter 12 at the end of Chapter 11, with Jesus saying:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

This indeed is the Servant of Isaiah 42. If this is the Servant of Isaiah 42, then it is our calling to share in the fellowship of this gentle and humble and compassionate Servant – to the point where as the Servant is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we are one with one another and one with the Servant (see John 17).

Consider Paul’s words to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:24 – 26):

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

And let us not forget that gentleness is found in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 – 23).

Well then, are we, in Christ, the fulfillment of Isaiah 42? Am I? Are you? This is certainly our calling in our Lord Jesus, the Great Servant of Isaiah 42. Are we found in Him? Are we found in Him fulfilling, by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, the words of Isaiah?

If we are abiding in the Vine (John 15) then we ought to expect the life of the Servant abiding in us. Are we taking the yoke of the Servant on ourselves? Are we surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ?

Do we look and live like the Pharisees of Matthew Chapter 12? Or…when people see us…when they see our churches…do they see Jesus?