God’s Servant, the hope of the world

Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction. Isaiah 42:1-4 NLT

Isaiah from the text is giving a prophetic utterance about the coming of the Servant of the Lord. He will stand in contrast with Cyrus who “will trample them as a potter treads on clay” (Isaiah 41:25). Cyrus will step on people and the leaders of Israelites. But the Servant of the Lord will come to serve so He can restore the lives of the people. These passages will be quoted in Matthew 12:15-21 for the Lord Jesus Christ is the Servant of the Lord. He fulfilled the prophecies when He healed people and yet did not promote Himself and did not take advantage of the attributions people gave Him. His coming will usher in the restoration of the lives of those that will follow Him. He will renew the broken civilization to the beauty it was created. He will establish the Kingdom of God as His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Salvation is not by our own action and self-assertion but in the coming of the gentle Savior. It’s not through the idols we have built and erected but by the sacrifice done by God’s Servant. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The salvation He will provide will prove how wonderful the human life is if surrendered to God. The hope of the world is found only in the Servant of the Lord. The challenge for us is to “look” at the Savior and humble ourselves before Him. We are to follow His example of humility, overcoming our own selfish pride, and offer our true worship to Him.

Blessings,