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Please turn in your Bible to Isaiah chapter 42 that can be found on page 602 of the pew Bible. Isaiah chapter 42 Please stand for the reading of God's Word Behold my servant whom I uphold My chosen in whom my soul delights I 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 hurt in the street a bruised reed He will not break in 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. Amen.
You may be seated. Dear my father we thank you for this passage pray that you would open our eyes to understand it more fully. We pray that it would Affect us deeply that we would be a people who respond to it with a greater holiness with a greater zeal in Jesus His name. Amen.
This passage speaks of the Lord's chosen servant. Now it should be no surprise those who have read the Bible before this refers ultimately to Jesus Christ.
Matthew.
Chapter 12 quotes this passage at length. There are a few passages in Scripture in the New Testament. They quote at length the Old Testament multiple verses at a time. This is one of them that isn't quoted almost in total with the omission of one small portion about being discouraged.
Quoted at length in Matthew chapter 12. Jesus is this chosen servant. And that has ample implications for us. Be good to start off just by observing the qualities of this servant. Says behold my servant whom I uphold my chosen in whom my soul delights I put my spirit upon him.
He will bring forth justice to the nations. Who was the one that the Lord puts his spirit upon and who brings justice to the nations. That is Jesus Christ? But this passage is describing is.
Jesus.
Bring his gospel to the nations. Now the vocabulary that's chosen here might be somewhat surprising because The language that is chosen may sound to us like language of judgment or language of law rather than of gospel.
It says that he will bring forth justice to the nations. The way that you should think of this is the same way that we have in Isaiah chapter 2 verse 2. When it speaks of all the nation's coming to Zion in order to receive justice from the Lord.
The Lord will render right judgments. Jesus Christ will establish righteousness. You're not to think of this primarily of him going to the Gentiles in order to condemn them. But rather him bringing his message to the Gentiles in order that righteousness May be established among them.
The Gentiles have no form of righteousness. They have the Law that's written on their hearts their consciences and they are either Condemned or upheld by them, but all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
And so no one is righteous in God's eyes. Apart from some special work of God where he reveals revelation that cannot be known. Just through nature just through the imprint. That he has placed on our hearts our conscience.
Rather it is something that must be known through Christ himself and having known him more fully having known his gospel. It establishes a fuller understanding of how we can even begin to serve the Lord having been people who have sinned and are condemned to death and Are bound by the fear of death to live lives of self-preservation.
Through the gospel we are freed from those concerns so that we may follow God's law and he establishes for us righteousness in that way. It also speaks at the very end of this passage of the coastlands Waiting for his law.
Once again, this is a passage that sounds like Speaking of something other than the gospel coastlands waiting for his law. But what this is talking about is a force that brings in order into places where there's chaos and disorder.
Jesus brings in his law Through the gospel. It's through the gospel that men are saved that men have our have the spirit by which they can have self-control. So they can reign in over their own bodies and to have order.
The coastlands wait for this law the coastlands being the far edges of the earth. This is what this speaks of. Says that this is something that will happen in truth. He will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice. He'll or make it heard in the street. To be at the end of verse three. He will faithfully bring forth justice or as it says in some other translations, he will bring forth justice in truth.
Faithfully doing this or doing this in truth many systems of justice Rely on falsehood. I mean you think about our own system of justice and the primary Sense in which justice is upheld is one of correction.
All right. It's not one of penalty where truth is upheld there was really a wrong done and something must be punished but the way that they Get around this is by making a system of correction where the goal is not to penalize people.
The goal is not retributive, but rather the goal is corrective. This is contrary to the nature of truth. It's contrary to the nature of biblical justice. But Christ upholds true justice in truth. He does it faithfully according to the Lord's will.
By not just passing over sin as though it has not been committed passing over that as though it had never happened. But rather bearing the punishment that is due to that sin so that is upheld in truth.
There's no denial. There's no. People go about dealing with their sin and guilt through denial. They pretend as though they have nothing against them and this is how they deal with their guilty consciences.
But in Christ, you can have a clean conscience without denying the truth. It is true that you have sinned. But it is also true that Christ has bore the penalty for sin. And so he upholds justice in truth.
He does it faithfully according to the Lord's will. And this is something that goes out to all the nations it goes out even To the coastlands to the farthest reaches of the earth also talks of him not just Bring forward justice his gospel, but also of his strength.
He is strong. He is divinely strengthened. Says in the very first line behold my servant whom I uphold. Christ is upheld with the strength of God in Order that he would be able to do those things That he has done in the weakness of his Body on his during the days of his ministry on earth.
The Lord strengthened him the Lord upheld him in order that he would be able to go to the cross and bear suffering on our behalf. The Spirit was poured out on him. We see this elsewhere in Isaiah. Isaiah 48 16 says now the Lord God has sent me and his spirit.
Isaiah 61 1 the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. These are verses speaking of the Messiah. Now this very passage is alluded to in Matthew 13 or excuse me Matthew 3 17 where it says this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
What is that speaking of here that is speaking of this one this chosen servant in whom my soul delights. This is my son with whom I am well, please this is my servant with whom my soul delights. That moment when Christ is baptized Spirit of the Lord descends upon him he is Strengthened divinely by the assistance of the Spirit.
That moment that he is anointed. This passage is prophesying that He's strengthened with the Spirit of God. Moreover. He acts in meekness. Says here. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice. He does not resist those who attack him now.
There are many times when he uses In the Gospels he uses direct Striking words, but in every circumstance those are not to exalt himself So much as they are to exalt his father. He is not self exalting rather in Humbling himself taking the form of a servant.
He is exalted by the father as he exalts the father. Says he does not make his voice heard in the street. Does not call attention to himself so much as he was calling attention to his father. Though the father is making himself known through Jesus a bruise read.
He will not break a faintly burning wick. He will not quench. There have been many different interpretations of what this refers to. Think the simplest and the most likely is that it refers to the contrite.
Right those who would come in repentance. He does not destroy. Rather he could as a king who Is dealing with rebels? What would the natural thing for a king to do in most of these circumstances? It would be to oppose his enemies.
It would be to cry aloud lift up his voice make it heard in the street, etc. Those who come groveling to him for mercy he would destroy. But no a bruise read he does not break a faintly burning wick he will not quench.
Many people avoid coming to christ because they Believe they need to get their life in order first before coming to him. But those who try to get their life in order before coming to him never will because it's impossible to get your life in sufficient order without christ.
The only way to come to him is to understand he does not Quench a burning wick. He does not Crush a bruised reed. He is gentle with the contrite. He is not he is an excellent king, but he is not the kind of king who runs roughshod Over the week.
He is rather those who welcomes the weak into his kingdom And upholds them as he himself was upheld now that Last comment I made about he himself being upheld and him upholding us that way is important because there is a transitiveness.
There's a transitivity Between christ and us is important just as he is Enabled by the spirit. We are enabled by the spirit as he is upheld. We are upheld and this starts before we start speaking of christ.
And how that Has transitive properties for us, but rather we must see before this How it applies to israel in the previous passage because remember we've started this section of isaiah in chapter 40 and we have Continued on with a lot of new motifs and new themes that have developed in this portion of isaiah.
And one of these is the idea of a chosen servant. Now maybe you remember the last time we talked about this chosen servant who was the chosen servant. It was not So directly the messiah that was in view in the earlier passage.
In isaiah 41 verses 8 through 9 It says but you israel my servant jacob whom I have chosen the offspring of abraham my friend. You whom I took from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners saying to you You are my servant.
I have chosen you and not cast you off most immediately. That passage was not speaking of the messiah. It was speaking of the nation of israel. And then later on in this chapter in this chapter Of 42 if you look down to verses 18 and 19 You'll see statements about that servant not the one in whom the lord soul delights but rather The original chosen servant.
Hear you deaf and look you blind that you may see who is blind. But my servant or deaf as my messenger whom I sin who is blind as my dedicated one or blind as the servant of the lord. Who is the blind one that he speaks of here?
It's not the messiah. The messiah is not the blind one who can't see who can't hear. Rather this is speaking of the nation of israel that is blind and unable to see. And so when isaiah 42 Takes all these things this this label this chosen servant label that was Used of the nation of israel and now uses it of the messiah Speaking of this one who very clearly Is the messiah an individual who has the spirit of the lord?
What he is doing is showing that christ.
Is.
The fulfillment of israel. He is this chosen servant just as david was the chosen servant. Psalm 78 70 says he chose david his servant And took him from the sheepfolds acts 3 26. Speaks of jesus saying god having raised up his servant Jesus is that servant of the lord matthew 12.
12.
Speaking of this like I said at length Jesus aware of this withdrew from there many followed him and he healed them all and ordered Them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoke spoken by the prophet isaiah.
Okay, so jesus has withdrawn rather than contending with those who are opposed to him and he is healing people. He's not focused on his enemies. He's not focused on drawing attention to himself rather he's going more remotely so he can still help people and yet Not draw attention to himself.
Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved with whom my soul is well, please I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets a bruised reed.
He will not break and a smoldering wick. He will not quench until he brings justice to victory and in his name the gentiles will hope. Matthew clearly says the servant is the messiah. This is jesus christ.
So Israel having been this chosen servant. Having been called to be a messenger yet being blind being deaf. Uh disobeying the lord's commands when christ comes. He is coming not just as One who will save a people but as one who is the ultimate fulfillment of israel itself.
Similarly, we talk about jesus being the second adam because as god had created a humanity that was supposed to Receive his blessings follow after his ways and humanity failed in adam so in christ. There is a people that he has created a new creation.
And this humanity follows after him. Having the righteousness of jesus christ. Okay, so we call adam the first adam and jesus the second adam because of that Jesus is likewise the second israel. God has called israel to be a messenger to be a light to the nations.
This is one of the commands that was given that they are supposed to be a light to the nations. Just as we heard of this morning. But was israel successful in being a light to the nations? They disobeyed the lord and they were not a light to the nations.
They are the chosen servant who is blind and deaf and so christ the chosen servant is the light of the world. Given by god to be that light to the nations this explains All the new testament passages that we see of that speak of.
The church under the labels that you might expect to see for israel. And galatians 6 16 Talks about the israel of god in the context of which it's speaking of god having welcomed in the gentiles. All those being saved being the israel of god.
In hebrews 12 and other passages talks about how we worshipers of the lord have come to mount zion. Says in galatians 4 that we have arrived at the heavenly jerusalem. How are all these things true how can we be called this nation of israel.
When there is this other nation there is often.
A.
Contention that happens between Dispensationalists in the reform where dispensationalists will label the reformed as replacement theologians. The idea being that the church has replaced israel. You know, they believe that israel continues to have that purpose but The reform believed that well now the church has replaced israel and usually the reform will respond back.
We don't believe the church has replaced israel. We believe that the church has fulfilled israel. But that is not the whole picture either because it is not the church that has fulfilled israel so much that it is christ that has fulfilled israel.
It's not that he has made a new people Apart from christ and then Christ is thrown somewhere into that mix and it would have been the same either way. But rather christ is the head of the church. And what has superseded?
The nation of israel is something far greater not because it's this new global people. Although that is one Wonderful aspect that god has established of the church. Rather it is greater because christ is her head.
The.
The wonder of what god is doing Is not in okay this people failed and so we'll make a new people it is in glorifying his own son. It is not in replacing one arbitrary people with another it is in jesus christ now.
One might contend that this De-emphasizes all god's Plans and purposes for israel and makes them Less but what were god's plans and purposes for israel? Were they not to lead to a messiah? Was that not the blessing that was?
Given repeatedly to abraham to isaac and jacob that from abraham would come one who would who would Give life to all. That those promises were fulfilled in jesus christ. It is not the idea that another thing that.
Another way we might talk about this is the idea that uh in dispensationalism. The church is a parenthesis right. Israel is uh, god still has certain purposes for israel as you might suspect walking through the old testament.
And then uh, there's a church as a parenthesis and this is more probably classic dispensationalism and some other forms of dispensationalism but then later you have uh, israel coming back into primary focus.
The reality is that israel was a parenthesis the point of israel was to Was to illustrate things according to a promised land on the earth according to ceremonies and sacrifices with animals. All to point to jesus christ who is the ultimate lamb jesus christ who leads us into the greater promised land jesus christ who Is our great inheritance him having inherited all things.
Those who would imagine that we need to uh We need to keep a focus on israel in order to the nation of israel in order to preserve the lord's purposes. Fail to understand the purpose of israel. The purpose of israel was to point to christ.
Okay, if you have a photo of your wife You might enjoy that photo and appreciate that photo, but you should never appreciate it as much as your wife. Your wife is far more important likewise israel this chosen servant of the lord Points to the chosen servant of the lord jesus christ and it is in him that he has established the church.
So once again just to repeat myself ad nauseum. It is not that the church has replaced israel. It is that christ has fulfilled israel. That was the purpose of israel the whole time and in christ. He has formed a people he has formed this nation for himself.
And what the implication is for us is that all these attributes of christ become ours.
In him.
Behold my servant whom I uphold he is upholding us. He has chosen us. We are a chosen people. His soul delights in us as we are in jesus christ. He delights in us. I have put my spirit upon him. Is it not through jesus christ that the spirit was outpoured at pentecost that we might have the spirit?
Has he not given us the task of bringing forth justice to the nations spreading the gospel? That this is the messiah's task. How is he accomplishing it. His mission as he said was to the lost sheep of the house of israel.
But he is accomplishing this through his people. Why. Because he is the chosen servant of the lord. And in him we are the chosen servants of the lord to do the task of the chosen servant. Which is to bring justice forth to the gentiles.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street. Likewise, we are called to have the mind of christ. We are called to be meek to not draw attention to ourselves. But to draw attention to the lord knowing that he will exalt us and we do not need to exalt ourselves.
A bruised reed he will not break a faintly burning wick. He will not quench. We should welcome in the contrite. We should be forgiving to those who repent to those who turn from their sin. 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. He will not faint or be discouraged. This is happening even now. It is still the case that the law is being taken to the whole world.
It has not reached every last coastland yet, but it will and how is god doing it? He is doing it through his chosen servant. Jesus christ. Who is jesus christ throwing it through? Through his people. He has formed a new nation.
Choosing 12 disciples to symbolize this to match the 12 tribes of israel. He has formed a new nation a chosen servant. In him we are the chosen servants of the lord. May have the mind of christ who may have the strength of christ being upheld by the spirit of christ to bring justice forth to the gentiles.
And perhaps most importantly having the delight of the lord. His soul delights in us because we are his chosen servant in the chosen servant. Jesus christ Who is the fulfillment? of israel. Amen. Dear heavenly father.
We ask that you would give us a better understanding of our status as chosen servants. We ask that through jesus christ you would Grant us his mind. That you would grant us a greater measure of his spirit.
That you would grant us with his meekness and his strength. We pray that all these Would come together in order that we would be a light for the gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Amen.