His was the only life lived always for God, never for self.
The 42nd chapter of Isaiah presents before our eyes the majestic perfections of the Servant of Jehovah. Here we have Jehovah speaking with great delight of the moral glories of His peerless Servant. “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but…took upon Him the form of a servant” (Php. 2:6-7).
The Servant and God
All through the Old Testament, God called certain men by the name of “My servant.” Men like Abraham (Gen. 20:24), Moses (Num. 12:7), Caleb (Num. 14:24), Job (Job 1:8), and others. The term is even used to describe the nation of Israel (Isa. 41:8-9). But of none of these did God speak in such glowing terms as when He described the perfections of His Chosen One. He is the One whom God upholds in the face of all human contradictions and satanic opposition. And He is the One who the world rejected, despised, and crucified.
The word “elect” was understood even by the Jewish theologians as referring specifically to Messiah. That is why the rulers of the nation gathered around the cross derided Him saying, “He saved others, let Him save himself if He be the Christ the chosen [elect] of God” (Lk. 23:35). But because He truly was the chosen One, He did not save Himself then, but, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. Yet He was “Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).
“In whom My soul delighteth” could not be said of anyone else of the entire human race except of Christ. For He was the sinless One who came to do His Father’s will (Jn. 6:38) and who glorified God on the earth (Jn. 17:4). And He did it at the cost of laying down His life. His was the only life in history lived always for God and others and never for self. No wonder that twice during His earthly journey, first at His baptism and then on the mount of transfiguration, heaven was opened and the Father announced, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased” (Lk. 3:22; Mt. 17:5).
“I have put My Spirit upon Him” denotes a unique relationship with the Holy Spirit of God that puts this Servant in the place of pre-eminence. Never has there been a man who was so related to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in preparing the body of His incarnation (Lk. 1:35). At the Lord’s baptism, the Spirit appeared in bodily form like a dove that abode on Him. Thus, God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38). During His earthly ministry as the perfect, dependant Man, the Saviour was full of the Holy Spirit and was always led by Him (Lk. 4:1). He performed miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 12:28). The Holy Spirit was involved in the resurrection of Christ (Rom. 1:4). And now, in this dispensation, the divine Spirit is occupied with glorifying Him (Jn. 16:14).
The Servant and man
T
he moral glory of the Servant is further seen in that “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.” How very true of our blessed Lord, who sought no glory, notoriety, or fame for Himself. So, as He went about healing those who were oppressed of the devil, He charged them that they should not make Him known (Mt. 12:15-16). When the multitudes that He had just fed wanted to take Him by force to make Him king, the Lord departed to a mountain Himself alone (Jn. 6:15). And when His unbelieving brethren tried to entice Him to show Himself to the world, His answer was, “My time is not yet come” (Jn. 7:6).
Christ’s beautiful character is also seen in His relationship with men around Him. To the sinner, bruised and splintered like a reed, He offers forgiveness, healing, and rest. For He says, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). For the backsliding believer, whose faith has been reduced to a smoking flax, He rekindles the flame and causes it to shine brighter for Him. Thus, the Lord Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith fail not, knowing full well that he was about to deny Him that very night (Lk. 22:31-32). He still occupies the place of the great high priest interceding for His own.
The triumph of this wonderful Servant at His second coming is brought before us in several statements here. First, we are told He shall bring justice to the nations (v. 1). Our world, which is now reeling under the weight of domestic, social, national, and international injustice, will see justice performed at all levels. “He shall bring forth justice in truth” (v. 3). His justice will be entirely founded on truth for, “In righteousness He doth judge and make war” (Rev. 19:11). And finally, we read that His purpose will not be frustrated, “Till He has set justice in the earth, and the coasts shall wait for His law” (v. 4). He will have righteousness for a scepter of His kingdom (Heb. 1:8), and then will the governing laws of this planet emanate, not from the United Nations, but from His throne in Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3).
As the Saviour is the light to the Gentiles now through the gospel of His grace, He will also be, at a future time, the mediator of a new covenant for the people of Israel, when they repent and accept Him as Messiah (v. 6-7). These are the eternal counsels of God and, as such, the Christ is assured of Jehovah’s care (v. 6).
The Servant speaks
So far we have read the Father’s testimony to His Son. But when we come to chapter 49:1-7, we see the Servant speaking about Himself. We are first told of His calling before His birth. Hundreds of years later, but still before His birth, He was named by the angel both to Mary (Lk. 2:21) and to Joseph (Mt. 1:21). Others, such as Ishmael (Gen. 1:11) and Isaac (Gen. 17:19), were called by name before birth. But this is the only One whose name designated Him Saviour.
The Lord’s hidden years, before the beginning of His public ministry, are briefly described in verse 2. Here He is seen being prepared for His teaching ministry as His mouth is made like a sharp sword, which is a common picture used of Him in the Scriptures (Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15). Hidden in the hand of Jehovah, He became a polished shaft to be used mightily of God to bring His message to His people like no one else could.
The failure of Israel to be a true servant of Jehovah is a historical fact. For, in spite of the clear command in verse 3, the nation failed to bring glory to God. Therefore, the perfect Servant took on Himself the task of doing so; for, as we read on, we seem to have the Servant looking back on His ministry and labor among the people. At the end of His time with them, it seemed that, for all intents and purposes, His labor was in vain. Only a handful of followers adhered to Him, received His word, and believed that He was sent of God (Jn. 17:8). The nation at large rejected Him and refused to accept His Messiahship (Jn. 5:37f). Yet He did not make an accusation to the Father against them (Jn. 5:45). He chose rather to commit Himself to the One who judges righteously (1 Pet. 2:24) saying, “surely the justice due to Me is with the Lord and My work with My God.” And God was indeed well-pleased with the work of His Faithful Servant, for He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand.
The Servant saves
The primary work of the blessed Servant was to bring the rebellious nation back to God. He offered Himself to them as their king at the beginning of His ministry, but the leaders refused Him and accused Him of being an imposter. His grace took Him to the cross to die for sinners of all nations. And, although Israel is not yet gathered, He is thought of by God to be glorious. For God has highly exalted Him far above all the heavens (Eph. 4:8). As He addresses Him in verse 6, we learn that the task of raising Jacob and of restoring Israel is lightly esteemed in comparison with the present work of taking the gospel to the nations. Thus, He is now preached as God’s salvation to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:46-47).
Verse 7 is full of rich teaching about the person of the Servant, His rejection, and His final vindication. We are first given three descriptions of Him in regards to His humiliation. He is the One whom the entire human race, with a few exceptions, has despised and rejected (Isa. 53:3). This was the case during His earthly ministry and remains so in today’s world. There are even those who now claim to name His name and yet refuse to accept God’s record of Him, for they are not willing to receive a crucified Christ or to believe His Gospel of grace.
Next we read that He was “abhorred by the nation,” a clear reference to the nation of Israel. There was no reason for them to abhor Him. He went about doing good, healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, raising the dead, and feeding the hungry. Yet He testified at the end of His journey that “they hated me without a cause” (Jn. 15:25).
But the willing humility of the Servant, however, is seen most clearly in the third description: “a servant of rulers,” which, more accurately translated, means “a bond slave of the despots.” All through His life on earth our Saviour graciously submitted Himself to the powers in authority at the time. Those were not particularly just or fair men. They were despots who ruled by decree, like Tiberius; men who perverted the truth and sought false witnesses to prove their case, like Annas and Caiaphas; rulers who abused their God-given powers, as Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas. Yet, in dealing with each of them, the Master showed majestic self-control, unprecedented patience, and divine grace. He said to the Herodians who were trying to entangle Him, “Render, therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are God’s” (Mt. 22:21). With regards to the request for tribute money, He said to Peter, “Then the sons are free, notwithstanding lest we should offend them…give unto them for Me and thee” (Mt. 17:26-27). He was under no obligation to pay, but He took the place of the servant of rulers. When faced with a challenge from Pilate about the ability of the latter to crucify or release Him, the Lord did not deny Pilate’s authority to do so. Yet He reminded him that that authority was given to Pilate from above. Our Lord then went on to tell him that those who delivered Christ to him had the greater sin, thus exonerating neither him nor them (Jn. 19:11).
How then will the faithful Jehovah reward such an exemplary Servant? By having the kings and princes of this world to arise in awe of Him to worship (v.?7). For they shall shut their mouths at Him when they behold the glory of the One whom they have despised and rejected.
To Him whom men despise and slight
To Him be glory given,
The crown is His and His by right,
The highest place in heaven.
—Thomas Kelly