The prophet Isaiah sang songs about God's servant, and today on Truth for Life, Alastair Begg connects the dots between the servant in Isaiah's Old Testament songs and the baby in the Christmas Nativity scene. We'll learn about the Messiah's character and mission and why it's significant for us today. Our gracious God, we thank you now for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you came. not to be served, but to serve.
And to give your life as a ransom for sin. And we pray that as we turn to the Bible now, we might meet you there. And that in seeing you, we might bow before you as Lord and King, and Saviour and Friend. And that this Christmas time may be filled. with a genuine celebration.
of all that you are to those who believe. And this is our humble prayer and earnest cry. In Jesus' name. Amen. And we resume our study from last time.
In what is the first of four servant songs that are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ? We have noted that the people of Isaiah's day were guilty. of creating heart-level substitutes for God. They were essentially going to false gods. for false salvations.
And instead of finding fulfilment along this route, Uh they discovered that their lives were deprived of meaning. And of freedom. and of enjoyment. And we noted then and we Reintroduce the thought now. That in much the same way, We sin.
By making someone or something other than God. the object of our devotion and the source of our satisfaction. And when the Bible says that Jesus came, and his name was Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins. We might be tempted to think immediately about sin. in terms of killing and stealing.
And the breaking of the Ten Commandments in some of the more graphic elements of those commandments. And that of course is the case.
However, I think we're tempted to overlook the very way in which it all begins. You shall have no other gods before me. And we may never have thought of sin in these terms. that I sin when I take even good things. And even good people and put them in the place that only God deserves to be.
I cannot find my satisfaction. I cannot make the object of my devotion anyone other than God Himself. And it is this God whom we saw last time has spoken. and has revealed his person. And his power and his purpose.
And it is his purpose which brings us directly to the servant, the servant whom we discover acting in the fulfillment of God the Father's purpose. And we ended last time by noticing that this covenant in verse 6 is essentially the covenant of redemption. Whereby the Father and the Son and the Spirit in eternity determined. If we may so say so correctly, who would do what? And that which God the Father planned.
The servant would come and procure and that which the servant procured The spirit would apply. And so it is that we are introduced to this servant and we see him acting.
Now I'd like you to notice three aspects of the activity of the servant. First of all, and briefly, we discover that he acts in dependence upon God. In dependence upon God. Notice the very opening phrase of Isaiah 42: Here is my servant whom I uphold. The servant is upheld by God.
And there, down further in the verse, I will put my spirit on him, and then he will bring justice to the nations. All that we really need to notice at this point is that all of the ministry of Jesus was performed by the power of the Holy Spirit. All that Jesus did, and you can read this when you turn to the Gospels, from his conception all the way to his ascension, it testifies to the fact that Jesus exercised his ministry in the power of the Spirit.
Now, this is prophesied not only here in Isaiah 42, you will find it also at the beginning of Isaiah 11 and also in Isaiah 61. And if you want to verify this, you need only to take one of the Gospels and read it through. By the time Peter was engaged in the great discovery of God's multicultural purpose in the home of Cornelius, he had it very, very clear in his mind. And in making a statement on that occasion, he says as follows You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. In other words, you know all about Jesus of Nazareth.
And then he summarizes it as follows: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. And how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him.
So that this servant acts, first of all, in dependence upon God. Secondly, you will notice that he acts in keeping with his character. That is in keeping with the servant's character. And three things mark the servant's character. First of all, as you will note in verse 2, he was humble.
He was humble. That's the significance of his silence or of the demure nature of his dealings. These three phrases are not simply saying the same thing three times, but they're actually painting a triune picture of the way in which this servant spoke and acted. He will not shout, or cry out or raise his voice in the streets. You won't find them shouting.
You won't find him crying out You won't find him out in the middle of the community just making a big hullabaloo. It's interesting, isn't it, how so often the cry to the church is, well, why don't you get out in the community and just make a big hullabaloo? Why don't you stand out on a box and shout?
Well, it's interesting that Jesus never did that. What is being said here?
Well, let me try and summarize it for you in common parlance. Jesus is not one who startles with bravado. who startles with bravado. That's actually the notion in the opening phrase. You won't find him jumping out, as it were, and making dramatic statements.
We have remarked on that. The absence of that, for example, at the end of Luke chapter 24. When he meets with the disconsolate disciples, Making their way back to their home after the events of the crucifixion. And remember, they say, you know, we were hoping that Jesus of Nazareth was going to be the one who would redeem the people of Israel. And Jesus doesn't go, hey, hey!
It's me. No, he doesn't even on that occasion. He says, you know, you're rather slow to believe what was written in the Bible. And he gives them a Bible study. He doesn't shout or startle them with bravado.
He is not an extroverted, loud mouthed, Spokesman. He's not an extroverted loudmouth. He's not a showman. He's not, if we might say so without incurring people's wrath, he is not essentially the stereotypical. Television evangelist.
So, if you're wondering about Jesus and you're saying to yourself, I wonder if I might like to consider this Jesus, I wonder if I want to know this Jesus, sadly, I hope you haven't been put off by some of us who purport to represent Jesus, who are the very antithesis of the character of Jesus Himself. That uh w he is marked by humility. And thirdly, he doesn't shout other people down. He is not, if you like, in essence, a self-promoter. You wouldn't find large photographs of Jesus in the vestibule of his local synagogue.
He's first of all humble. He's secondly gentle. And what we're noticing is that he exercises his ministry, first of all, in dependence upon God, in keeping with his character. What is his character? Number one, humble.
Number two, gentle. Verse three, a bruised reed he won't break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. This is in direct contrast to some of the great political leaders of the time. For example, back in the previous chapter in 41, we read there of Cyrus. And Cyrus is described as somebody who just comes into town and he tramples people into oblivion.
He just comes and he treads on them the way a potter might tread on clay. Jesus is not like that. The servant is tender and is kind. And it would appear that what others reject and discard, he is willing and able to use. That is a wonderful word, and we ought to note it.
That which others are tempted to reject and discard, Jesus picks up and uses. That, I think, is the significance of the bruised reed. A bruised reed, you can't lean on it, you can't make music with it. But Jesus can. And Jesus picks up that which others have discarded and makes beautiful music in and through their lives.
You may be here today and you just feel yourself horribly bruised. Bruised by what others have done to you, bruised by your own bad choices.
Well, you're just bruised. And you've been tempted to believe that you're bruised and broken and useless.
Well, I have glorious news for you. This servant picks up bruised reeds. And also He makes use of smouldering wicks. He doesn't snuff them out. He doesn't say, oh, this thing is so smoky, it's useless.
Let's throw it out and get another one entirely.
Now he takes this flickering stump, And he makes it a shining light. Again, you may be hearing someone say to you, you know, you're pretty useless, aren't you? I mean, you've had your day. You're an old smouldering wick. If you haven't got it figured out by now, there's probably no hope for you at all.
Well, I've got good news for you, there is hope for you. And the hope is in this servant. Isaac Watts, when he wrote concerning this, put it in a stanza He'll never quench the smoking flax, but raise it to a flame, the bruised reed he never breaks. nor scorns the meanest name. High society wants to know what your name is.
Do you have an aim? Are you one of the families? As with someone from Pittsburgh the past couple of days, and we were talking about Carnegie in Pittsburgh, and then Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, and Ferris in Pittsburgh. The man who invented the Ferris wheel was from Pittsburgh. And there's a whole association of families from Pittsburgh.
They're all the families of Pittsburgh. And if you are part of that coterie, then you may be invited to the significant parties in Pittsburgh. But if you're not, don't even look for your name on the list.
Well, Jesus is not remotely interested in the high sounding parties. He's phenomenally interested in the no-names. The bruise reads The smouldering wicks.
So, you see, this is why Christianity in its essence does not appeal to those of us who think we have big names. Those of us who believe that we have earned the right to attend all the best parties. Those of us who are constantly protecting our agenda and trying to make out to everybody that we're not remotely bruised and we never smoldered once in our lives. What interest is there in this servant who comes for the bruised, the smoldering, and the no-names? Unless somehow or another we say, you know, that is me.
That actually is me. I I I am very interested in this sermon. Humble. Gentle. Faithful.
Faithful? He fulfils his task. in faithfulness. He will bring forth justice. There, you see it at the end of verse 3.
He's not deterred or discouraged. By the pressures and blows that immobilize others. That I think is the significance of going into verse 4. He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on the earth. In his law, the ends of the earth, that's the significance of the islands.
In his law, the islands will put their hope. The people on the extremities of the earth will discover their hope in this servant. If the hope is to be found anywhere, it will be found in this servant. And the word justice here, which comes, you will notice three times. signifies more than simply the righting of wrongs.
It is in reference to the righting of wrongs. But it also conveys the fact that this servant will reveal truth. That this servant will affirm the uniqueness of God. You see how applicable it was then and is now. Here are all these little idols, and people are going to them and creating them and worshiping them and so on.
And here comes this servant into this environment, and this servant comes, and he is going to establish truth. He's going to say, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. He is going to affirm the uniqueness of God. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved other than through the name of this servant, and you will give him the name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
It challenged the thought forms of the Time of Isaiah. And it challenges our thought forms. Today.
Now think about this as we move on. When society Disregards when society or a society, and societies are made up of individuals, right? When society disregards God as He has revealed Himself in His person and His power and His purpose, as He has revealed Himself in His servant, when when societies disregard God as the Creator, sustainer, Father, Ruler and Judge of all the earth. And set up substitute gods for themselves. In other words, when societies dethrone the God who made them, and enthroned gods of their own devising.
We should not be surprised, we should rather expect that such societies will live. with the implications of their choice. With poverty? Perversion. Oppression?
Misery? Illiteracy? Pollution And much more besides, all of which flow from that idolatrous behavior. That is why you can trace lines in cultures and in communities, where you have a community that has said, We believe in God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, our only Savior, and in the Holy Spirit who comes and invades His people. We believe this.
And therefore, we do this, and we uphold this, and we affirm that. And a society that says, we do not believe in God, the creator of the ends of the earth. Nor do we affirm any place for his son, the servant one of Israel. Nor do we believe in the personality of the Holy Spirit who comes and opens eyes and so on. We don't believe any of that.
We reject all of that.
Well, just as there are implications to its acceptance.
So there are implications. to its rejection. And you don't have to be a social scientist. Or a genius. to see the difference.
in our morning newspapers. All of our idolatries, all of our idolatries can do nothing for us. Because all they are Is the magnification of our own attempts at self-salvation. They're just at the apex of our designs. Which say, no, I don't want to consider a God who saves.
Frankly, I will save. Myself. And we might honestly say to one another, well, how are you doing? How were they doing an Isaiah's thing? Remember, God challenges them.
Why don't your idols say something? Why don't your idols do something? And then he says, now let me introduce you to my servant. who acts in dependence upon God. In keeping with his character, and thirdly, you will notice in verse 7, in accord with his mission.
What is the mission of this servant? And incidentally, we are here this morning. I know it's only a couple of weeks from Christmas, but I hope you understand that this is a Christmas message.
Well, we can go routinely to the manger in Bethlehem. Everybody feels tremendously cozy about it all and engenders all kinds of sentimentalism. And it is possible to completely disengage it from the whole the whole panorama of God's purpose. But when we look into that manger in Bethlehem, We look in to the child who is the servant of God. And a servant with a mission.
That Mary and Joseph Had no concept of. They got inklings of it. Why would shepherds bow down at a baby? Why would wise men come and bring him gifts? Why would the angels sing in the night sky?
And every nursing mother that has sat at the end of the bed when all the family have gone home, just herself and that little bundle beside her, with all of her own personal thoughts, will understand why it is that the gospel writer says, and Mary. And Mary treasured up all these things. and pondered them in her heart. To the to a massive degree. As every mother would know, well, wonder what this child will be, what will this child become, and all of this surrounding the event.
Well, look at what we're told. Here all these years before the servant arise. What is he going to be doing? Number one, opening the eyes that are blind. He's going to open blind eyes.
Well, of course, he gave a wonderful illustration of this by actually granting physical healing while he was in his earthly ministry. The great issue, of course, was not physical blindness. Otherwise, everybody who was blind would have been made to see. Because he's so compassionate and kind. If that was the issue, let's take care of it all.
But it wasn't. And it isn't? He was opening men and women's eyes. Those who were blind to the truth of God. That's everybody.
We're born blind to the truth of God. He was opening the eyes of those who were blind to the reality of reality. He opens their eyes to their own blindness. To those who were blind, to their blindness. That's the starting point actually.
Some of you might have come here and wondered at the lines in the hymn that we sing from time to time. Once I was blind but believed I knew everything. That's really the testimony of a person's pre-converted experience. That's why they reject Jesus. I know everything.
Yeah. I know everything and I know I don't need a Saviour. I know everything, and I know that science has disproved anything on the other side of the fence. Therefore, I know everything. Do you think you know everything?
Is that not the greatest megalomania? He opens the eyes. of the blind. C.S. Lewis, when his eyes are open to the truth of God, says, I believe in Christianity as I believe in the rising of the sun.
Not simply because I can see it. but because by it I can see everything else. Christianity makes a man a better scientist. Christianity makes A wife. A better wife.
Christianity makes a boy a more obedient boy. Christianity makes a lover of art an art connoisseur.
Someone who is able to distinguish between the good and the bad. and the ugly. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alastair Begg. We'll hear more tomorrow.
Well, around the world tonight, Christmas carols will be sung as we gather to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, but as believers, We have reason to sing praise to Him every day of the year, and we have a book that will help you do just that. It's called The Sing Hymnal. This is a newly released collection of classic and modern worship songs compiled by contemporary hymn writers Keith and Kristen Getty. In the Prelude the Gettys write Hymns are the heart language of the Church, used to sing truth to the Lord and to one another in every season of the soul. They remind us of a salvation history and a salvation song we must not forget.
They teach us to lament and to rejoice. They root our lives and give wings to our witness. They map out the character of the Lord, lifting our eyes to all that He is and has done, Our hymns hold us, inspire us, Comfort us and and form us. Each of the hymns included in this hymnal was carefully selected by the Gettys, and each includes a brief account of the story behind the song and an explanation of why it was included. When you give a donation to Truth for Life, you'll be invited to request a copy of this hymnal.
Now our offices are closed today as our team celebrates Christmas with loved ones, but you can still donate and request the hymnal securely online at truthforlife. org slash donate. Or if you'd rather mail your donation along with your request for the hymnal, Write to Truth for Life, PO Box thirty nine eight thousand, Cleveland, Ohio, four four one three nine. Thanks for listening. On behalf of Alistair and all of us here at Truth for Life, we want to wish you a very blessed Christmas Day tomorrow.
If you have time to tune in on Christmas Day, you'll hear more about the servant's mission and find out why he didn't come just to help. the nice people of the world lived their lives a little better. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
