These notes accompany the sermon found here.
Today’s Point: Jesus Christ is assigned the task of reordering the universe according to the will of God.
Today’s Text: Isaiah 42:1-9
Outline of Isaiah 42:1-9.
- Verses 1-4: The Lord addresses Israel concerning the Servant.
- Verses 5-7: The Lord addresses the Servant regarding his mission.
- Verses 8-9: The Lord addresses Israel again.
The Identity of the Servant
- Is it Israel? See Isaiah 40:27, 41:10, 42:18-19, 42:23-24. The context of Isaiah 40:1-44:28 shows Israel as clearly flawed and a receiver of the blessings of God rather than the agent of His purposes.
- Is it Cyrus? See Isaiah 44:28-45:13; Also 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-8, 3:7, 4:3-4, 5:13-17, 6:3, 6:14.
- Truth from the Context:
- Comfort: Isaiah 40:1- Israel is helpless.
- The Five “Servant Songs” of Isaiah: Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:1–7; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12; 61:1–3. [Webb, Barry. The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings. Edited by J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, Inter-Varsity Press, 1996.]
- The servant is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Mission of the Servant
- Justice:
- See Isaiah 42:1-7, 40:14, 40:27, 41:1; Genesis 1:31.
- “Viewed against this background, the mission of the Servant is a gigantic one. It is nothing less than to put God’s plans for his people into full effect, and to make the truth about the LORD, Israel’s God, known everywhere, especially the fact that he alone is the sovereign creator and Lord of history” [The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings (God’s Perfect Servant (42:1–9))]
- Renewal
- See Isaiah 42:8-9, 43:19, 48:6, 65:17; Revelation 21:5.
The Relevance of the Servant
- This is work that the Lord Jesus Christ is doing right now.
- See Acts 2:32-36; Psalm 2; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 10:34-39, 16:18-20; John 12:44-50.
- The destiny of every human being is wrapped up in this work.
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