The Servant's Mission

INTRO

Let’s begin by highlighting a couple of things from Isaiah 40 when this “book of judgment” transitions to a “book of comfort.” Although Isaiah never wrote in chapters or put the book together in that way, the first verses in chapter 40 highlight this change: “Comfort, comfort My people” (v. 1). Isaiah was moving into the kingship portion of his writing, and this king is a servant, as we’ll see in Isaiah 42.

The whole transition from Isaiah 40:31 into Isaiah 41 states all those nations who conquered Israel would be called into court. This prepared the people exiled in Babylon to move back to Jerusalem. In Isaiah 41:1-7, Isaiah sets up a trial court against the gods of Babylon. In Isaiah 41:8-20, Isaiah shows God soothing His people. In verses 8-10, God restates His promise to be with His people, to strengthen them, and to hold onto them. God told His people not to be afraid because He would help them. God promised their Redeemer was coming (Isaiah 41:14). Isaiah ends chapter 41 with an indictment of the idols of Babylon (vv. 21-29) and talked about Jerusalem being the people and the city of God. Isaiah identified their nation as Zion, referring to both the people and the land. All of this sets up Isaiah 42. God announces salvation and deliverance for Israel, and He promises to send His servant who will be empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit. This chapter introduces a section of Isaiah known as the servant songs.

TEACHING

Isaiah 42:1: This verse begins the first of four servant songs in the book of Isaiah. All four of these songs describe the service, suffering, and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord—the Messiah. As Isaiah focuses on the Messiah, he describes Him as God’s meek, gentle Servant who has all sorts of power. Even though He was meek and gentle, He was still a royal figure representing Israel in its ideal form. He is the high priest atoning for the sins of the world. In the terminology of the ancient near east, a servant was “a trusted envoy,” a “confidential representative,” or “one who is chosen.”¹

We’ll look at the first servant song today—Isaiah 42:1-9. Isaiah 49:1-13 will be highlighted in a few days. Isaiah 50:4-11 and Isaiah 52:13—53:12, the most powerful song and the jewel of the servant songs, will be covered next week.

At times, Isaiah describes God’s servant as the nation of Israel. At other times, Isaiah speaks of “My Servant” (v. 1), meaning God’s Servant—the Messiah. We can determine the meaning by looking at the context. The servant people sometimes forgot their mission or turned blind and deaf (vv. 18-20). Sometimes they needed God’s forgiveness (Isaiah 44). “By contrast, God’s Servant, the Messiah, faithfully completes all the work He is given to do.”² As Peter preached in Acts 3:13, God glorified His Servant, Jesus. Even Peter picked up on the verbiage that identified Jesus as the Servant of God.

God identified His Servant and chosen one upon whom He put His Spirit so that He could bring justice to the nations. Jesus isn’t just “the” servant—He is God’s Servant. In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Isaiah saw this in the 600s BC, and Jesus highlighted it in the first century AD. The beauty in Isaiah at this point is that we begin to see Gospel imagery and wording that Peter, Paul, and the rest of the New Testament would bring up. The phrase, “I have put My Spirit on Him; He will bring justice to the nations” (v. 1), is reminiscent of John the Baptist when he saw Jesus in the wilderness. John the Baptist recognized Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He also saw the Spirit descend from heaven and rest on Jesus (John 1:32). John saw the fulfillment of what Isaiah recorded.

Isaiah 42:2: This verse sounds like the Gospel accounts. This didn’t mean that Jesus would not teach; but it indicates He was not a showman who demanded attention or promoted Himself as the Messiah. Even in His trial as He was prepared as the Lamb of God—the sacrifice for us—He remained the total servant. He didn’t shout or cry out or protest that things weren’t right.

Isaiah 42:3: This verse describes Jesus’ caring nature. He wouldn’t break a bruised reed. He didn’t come to extinguish us or throw us away. He wants to restore us. When we’re weak and weary, He will turn that around. He will faithfully bring justice.

Isaiah 42:4: Jesus will never, ever give up. There will never be a time when Jesus will give up on us. Matthew 12:18-21 actually quotes these four verses from Isaiah. Matthew wanted to make sure we understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah.

Isaiah 42:5: David Gusik urges us to “look up, because He created the heavens and stretched them out. Then look down, because He spread out the earth and that which comes from it. Then look in a mirror, because He gives breath to the people on it.”³

Isaiah 42:6–7: This sounds a little bit like Abraham’s call to be a blessing to the nations. This is covenant language. Jesus will bring salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles (all the nations). It speaks of restoration and healing, both physically and spiritually. From out of Israel comes the Messiah who will be a light for the nations for opening blind eyes, freeing prisoners, and releasing those who live in spiritual darkness.

Isaiah 42:8: “I am Yahweh,” is the name of God—the tetragrammaton, or name of four letters—Y H W H. This is the holy name of God—the I Am. We write Jehovah, but the Jews never pronounce it. Jesus—God’s servant—shares in the glory of the Father. John 17:5 states that Jesus shared glory with God before the world existed. It means the Father and Son and Spirit— because the Spirit rests on the servant—are joined together as God—three in one.

Isaiah 42:9: He is God of the past, the future, and present. He has everything totally under control. Here’s the mission point that we need to understand about Isaiah 42: God proclaimed Jesus as My Servant. Muslim scholars argue that these nine verses prove it is a prophecy of Muhammed. As Christians, we need to understand how this passage points to Jesus.

Isaiah 42:10-13: God’s statement was followed by a hymn of praise—a hymn of triumph. This is the Lord! All of the hard stuff and captivity they endured would lead up to being set free by Immanuel—God with us. We will be set free by the One who fights for us and delivers us in the battle. God’s Servant will face all of the thorns, gain the crown, and place us in a place beyond anything we could ask or imagine.

Isaiah 42:14-25: God will bring judgment against all who serve false gods (vv. 14-17). The deaf and the blind come to the servant (vv. 18-20). The Lord defends His defrauded people (vv. 21-25) and He's going to bring them back.

CLOSING

This is the beginning of the book of comfort in Isaiah where we see the Messiah and all that God has for us. The key concept in Isaiah is Jesus as Immanuel, God with us; He is coming again.