The Messiah’s Purposes Meet the Desperate Needs of the World, the Deepest Needs of the Human Heart.

The Mission of the Messiah 

⁵The Lord God who created the heavens and stretched them out, who created the earth and everything in it, who gives life and breath and spirit to everyone in all the world, He is the one who says to His Servant, the Messiah ^c: ⁶“I the Lord have called You to demonstrate My righteousness. I will guard and support You, for I have given You to My people as the personal confirmation of My covenant with them. ^d You shall also be a light to guide the nations unto Me. ⁷You will open the eyes of the blind and release those who sit in prison darkness and despair. ⁸I am the Lord! That is My name, and I will not give My glory to anyone else; I will not share My praise with carved idols. ⁹Everything I prophesied came true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”^[1] (Isaiah42:5–9) 

Having described the character of the Messiah, God now discusses His Servant’s mission, which He says will not fail.

Of this, people can rest assured. It is almost incomprehensible that God would send His Son into the world as a Servant of the human race. And yet God has always known that many would not believe His Servant (Jesus Christ) and would reject Him. He knew that some would refuse to bow the knee before Him in worship and that others would defy and curse Him. For these very reasons He wants the world to clearly understand three facts. 

a. God the Lord guarantees the success of the Servant’s mission (v. 5). The guarantee is not being given by a mere human being or by any so-called god people might worship. It is given by God the Lord Himself, the only true and living God. Because He is true and living, He has the power to guarantee the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of His mission. But this is not the only power of God that guarantees the success of the Servant’s mission. 

1) God’s Creative Power also guarantees that He will send the Messiah and fulfill His mission on earth. God is the great Creator of the entire universe, of earth and heaven with all the planets and stars throughout space. And He is the One who has given breath and life to every person in the world. 

2) God’s Righteousness also guarantees that the Messiah will come and fulfill His purpose on earth (v. 6). God will always do what is right; He will always do the righteous thing. Because the world so desperately needs salvation, God will send the Messiah to save the world and to bring His righteousness to people. God’s Servant will also establish a righteous relationship with people, teaching them to do what is right as they live together and walk day by day acknowledging and worshipping God. 

3) God’s Presence and Care also guarantee the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of His mission on earth (v. 6). God actually says that He will hold the hand of the Messiah. He will guide and take care of Him. God says that He will keep His Servant, or hold Him up and protect Him, as He goes about fulfilling His mission. Nothing, absolutely nothing, will keep God’s Servant from doing exactly what God sends Him into the world to do. 

b. The Messiah’s mission was to have two very specific and important purposes. Note how these purposes meet the desperate needs of the world, the deepest needs of the human heart. 

1) First, God’s Servant will institute God’s new covenant, a new relationship with His people. Note that the Messiah Himself is the new covenant. This fact is of critical importance. God will make the Lord Jesus Christ Himself the basis of the new relationship that He establishes with people. Formerly, God had established a covenant, a relationship, with Abraham through the wonderful promise of the promised seed. The promised seed was a reference to the coming Messiah, who would bring God’s blessings to all the families of the earth (Ge. 12:3). Later, God expanded His relationship with His people by promising David a descendant who would rule as king forever (2 S. 7:11–17). 

In the present Scripture, God expands the covenant again by promising a new relationship that His Servant will establish (Is. 49:8; 55:3; Je. 31:31–34; Eze. 34:25). The Messiah will fulfill both the Abrahamic covenant of the promised seed and the Davidic covenant of the promised king. And shockingly the new covenant will be established by the death of God’s Servant. Through His death, the Messiah will bring people into a right relationship with God, making it possible for Him to forgive their sins, satisfy their hunger and thirst for God, and fulfill their longing to live eternally. 

V  “For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28).

V  “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Ro. 5:8–9).

V  “But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (He. 8:6–13).

V  “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause, He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (He. 9:12–15).

V  “And to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (He. 12:24).

V  “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:3–6).

V  “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Je. 31:31–34). 

2) Second, God’s Servant will be God’s light for all nations (v. 6). No longer will people have to stumble through life in darkness, wondering which way to go or how to handle the problems and hardships of life. No longer will people have to wonder where they have come from, why they are here, and where they are going. God promises that the Messiah will eliminate darkness from the face of the earth …

·         all the darkness of ignorance, purposelessness, emptiness, aimlessness, loneliness

·         all the darkness of restlessness, anger, hostility, discrimination, prejudice, and warfare 

God’s Servant will be sent to earth to bring God’s light to the world. He will open the eyes of all who are spiritually blind and set free captives held in the darkness of sin and death. Through the light of God’s Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, people can now be freed from the captivity of sin and death. The light of God’s Servant has vanquished even the darkness of death and eternal separation from God. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. 

V  “The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Mt. 4:16).

V  “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lu. 1:76–79).

V  “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (Jn. 1:4).

V  “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).

V  “Then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth” (Jn. 12:35).

V  “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness” (Jn. 12:46).

V  “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Co. 4:6).

V  “Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ep. 5:14).

V  “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Re. 21:23).

V  “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Is. 9:2).

V  “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles” (Is. 42:6). 

c. The Lord Himself ensures the mission of the Messiah (vv. 8–9). Note that God uses His distinctive name, the Lord, to guarantee its success. “That is my name!” He declares. He is the true and living God; therefore, He will fulfill His promise. God will send His Servant into the world to fulfill His mission on behalf of God’s people. He will not give His name or glory to anyone other than His Servant, the Messiah. He will not give His glory to another person, and He will never, ever allow any false god or idol to take credit for sending the Messiah into the world. 

God’s power, and His power alone, has fulfilled former predictions (v. 9). Therefore, His power will fulfill the predictions concerning the coming Messiah. Just as promised, He will send His Servant into the world, and He will make sure the Messiah fulfills His mission. 

V  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mt. 5:17).

V  “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28).

V  “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lu. 19:10).

V  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (Jn. 3:16–17).

V  “I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me” (Jn. 5:30).

V  “And Jesus said, for judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind” (Jn. 9:39).

V  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

V  “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Ti. 1:15).

V  “Then said I, lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God.… Then said He, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (He. 10:7, 9–10).^[2] 

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^c 42:5  to his Servant, the Messiah, implied.

^d 42:6  I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them, or “You will be my covenant with all the people.”

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.42.5-9.nlt 

Pics from https://gab.com/CertainHOPE 

God Knows Our Desperate Need, And With Deep Compassion He Has Stepped Forward to Meet It. People’s Need for Help Is the Reason for The Word of God.

 

Set Free Through God’s Perfect Servant, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ

(The First of Four Servant Songs), Isaiah 42:1–25 

See My servant, ^a whom I uphold; My Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will reveal justice to the nations of the world. ²He will be gentle—He will not shout nor quarrel in the streets. ³He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair. He will see full justice given to all who have been wronged. ⁴He won’t be satisfied ^b until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth, nor until even distant lands beyond the seas have put their trust in Him.

⁵The Lord God who created the heavens and stretched them out, who created the earth and everything in it, who gives life and breath and spirit to everyone in all the world, He is the one who says to His Servant, the Messiah ^c: ⁶“I the Lord have called You to demonstrate My righteousness. I will guard and support You, for I have given You to My people as the personal confirmation of My covenant with them. ^d You shall also be a light to guide the nations unto Me. ⁷You will open the eyes of the blind and release those who sit in prison darkness and despair. ⁸I am the Lord! That is My name, and I will not give My glory to anyone else; I will not share My praise with carved idols. ⁹Everything I prophesied came true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”

¹⁰Sing a new song to the Lord; sing His praises, all you who live in earth’s remotest corners! Sing, O sea! Sing, all you who live in distant lands beyond the sea! ¹¹Join in the chorus, you desert cities—Kedar and Sela! And you, too, dwellers in the mountaintops. ¹²Let the western coastlands glorify the Lord and sing His mighty power.

¹³The Lord will be a mighty warrior, full of fury toward His foes. He will give a great shout and prevail. ¹⁴Long has He been silent; He has restrained Himself. But now He will give full vent to His wrath; He will groan and cry like a woman delivering her child. ¹⁵He will level the mountains and hills and blight their greenery. He will dry up the rivers and pools. ¹⁶He will bring blind Israel along a path they have not seen before. He will make the darkness bright before them and smooth and straighten out the road ahead. He will not forsake them. ¹⁷But those who trust in idols and call them gods will be greatly disappointed; they will be turned away.

¹⁸Oh, how blind and deaf you are toward God! Why won’t you listen? Why won’t you see? ¹⁹Who in all the world is as blind as My own people, ^e who are designed to be My messengers of truth? Who is so blind as my “dedicated one,” the “servant of the Lord”? ²⁰You see and understand what is right but won’t heed nor do it; you hear, but you won’t listen.

²¹The Lord has magnified his law and made it truly glorious. Through it He had planned to show the world that He is righteous. ²²But what a sight His people are—these who were to demonstrate to all the world the glory of his law; ^f for they are robbed, enslaved, imprisoned, trapped, fair game for all, with no one to protect them. ²³Won’t even one of you apply these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you up ahead? ²⁴Who let Israel be robbed and hurt? Did not the Lord? It is the Lord they sinned against, for they would not go where He sent them nor listen to His laws. ²⁵That is why God poured out such fury and wrath on His people and destroyed them in battle. Yet, though set on fire and burned, they will not understand the reason why—that it is God, wanting them to repent. ^g[1] (Isaiah 42:1–25) 

Introduction: if there has ever been a day when people needed help, encouragement, rescuing, it is today. People are sinking ever deeper in the sand under the weight of heavy burdens, constant and brazen temptations, unimaginable evil, and a growing insensitivity and indifference to it all. In addition, a host of personal problems are overwhelming people’s spirits today, problems such as …

·         dissatisfaction, purposelessness, emptiness

·         tension, pressure, and anxiety

·         insufficient income, financial difficulty, bankruptcy

·         unemployment, loss of job, lack of skills

·         a sense of discouragement, failure, inadequacy 

People’s need for help is the reason for the present Scripture. God knows our desperate need, and with deep compassion He has stepped forward to meet it. This He did by sending His Servant, the Messiah, into the world. Through His very own Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, God gives us the power to endure and conquer the hardships that threaten to crush us. He meets all the needs of the human heart, which He created to love and have fellowship with Him. This passage is the first of four “Servant Songs” in the book of Isaiah (49:1–13; 50:1–11; 52:12–53:12).

This is, Set Free Through God’s Perfect Servant, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (the First of Four Servant Songs), Isaiah 42:1–25.

1.      The promise to send the Messiah (vv. 1–4).

2.      The mission of the Messiah (vv. 5–9).

3.      The response to the Messiah (vv. 10–17).

4.      The summons to believe God’s promise (vv. 18–25). 

The Promise to Send the Messiah 

See My servant, ^a whom I uphold; My Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will reveal justice to the nations of the world. ²He will be gentle—He will not shout nor quarrel in the streets. ³He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair. He will see full justice given to all who have been wronged. ⁴He won’t be satisfied ^b until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth, nor until even distant lands beyond the seas have put their trust in Him.^[2] (Isaiah 42:1–4) 

This is a prophecy predicting the coming of the Messiah, a prophecy given some seven hundred years before the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth. The godly nature and character of the Messiah is discussed first, for the eternal fate of people hinges on their understanding of who the Messiah is. God Himself is speaking about the Messiah, which indicates the extreme importance of this passage: 

a. The Messiah will be God’s Servant (v. 1). “Behold! My Servant.” Behold means to sit up and take notice. “Here is My Servant” (NIV). Pay attention to Him. “Look at My Servant” (NLT). God is presenting His Servant, the Messiah, to the world. So, He commands the world to look, to pay attention to Him. Being God’s Servant means that the Messiah will be devoted to God. His heart will be set on doing exactly what God commands. God is sending the Messiah into the world on a very specific mission, and since He is God’s Servant, the Messiah’s task will be to carry out the mission assigned Him. This is the announcement God is making. “Behold! My Servant.” He is coming to accomplish God’s will on earth, and God declares that He will uphold Him. No matter what the difficulties or how great the opposition, God Almighty will sustain, strengthen, and protect His Servant. He will make sure the Messiah accomplishes His task. Nothing will defeat Him or keep Him from doing God’s will. 

b. The Messiah will be God’s Chosen One. He has been called, appointed by God Himself. He has not been conceived or sent on His mission by an earthly ruler or heavenly being, but rather by God Himself. The coming of the Messiah into the world was not determined by the wisdom of men, but rather by the infinite wisdom of God. God and God alone appointed the Messiah. He is God’s Chosen One. And God takes great delight in the Messiah, in all that He is in His nature and character and in all the work that He accomplishes. God expressed His delight in the Lord Jesus Christ on two different occasions—at His baptism and at His transfiguration:

V  “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16–17).

V  “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Mt. 17:1–5). 

c. The Messiah will have God’s very own Spirit. This passage stresses that the Messiah will be filled with the fullness of God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit will rest on Him, fully equipping Him to carry out His task. Down through history, God had given His Spirit to His servants, but they were mere human beings, so the power of the Spirit to work through them was always limited. But that will not be the case with the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The Spirit of the Lord—all the fullness of God Himself—will rest upon Him (11:2; Col. 2:8). 

d. The Messiah will be righteous and just, possessing within His very nature the perfection of virtue and decency. Thus, He will bring true justice to the nations and the people of the world. Note how important this is to God, for it is mentioned three times in these four verses (v. 1, 3, 4). Keep in mind that true justice is the result of acting exactly as one should, always doing what is right, and treating others as they should be treated. True justice and salvation are strong counterparts in that righteous behavior is oftentimes a good indication of a person’s salvation, and salvation leads to righteous behavior. The point being emphasized is this: the Messiah’s very nature compels Him to save the world by establishing justice among its nations and peoples. Of course, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth, His justice will be all that is needed to save the world and to eliminate all wicked and evil behavior. 

e. The Messiah will be peaceful, not boisterous, threatening, or lawless (v. 2). He will not be a rabble-rouser or a troublemaker. He will not take part in riots, uprisings, or revolts. He will not be violent, but rather have a calm, restful spirit. As a man of peace, He will share the message of harmony between people and between God and people.

V  “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Lu. 2:13–14).

V  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

V  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

V  “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all:)” (Ac. 10:36).

V  “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro. 5:1).

V  “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ep. 2:14).

V  “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20).

V  “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5). 

f. The Messiah will be compassionate (v. 3). His very nature will be one of love, mercy, and understanding. Because of His nature, His entire life will be focused on pastoral care. Note the reference to a bruised reed. Bruised reeds are useless, so people break them and discard them. But because the Messiah’s heart is full of compassion, He will not break or throw anyone away as useless. To the contrary, His very purpose for coming to earth will be to help the bruised, those who have been wounded and weakened by the trials and hardships of life. Smoking flax, or smoldering wick (NIV) is a picture of people whose lives lack purpose and meaning, who have lost almost all faith and hope. Whatever desires or expectations they did have nearly been snuffed out, and a sense of despair grips their hearts. But God promises that the Messiah will have compassion on the smoldering wicks of the earth. He will cup them in His hands and keep the flame—their hope and sense of purpose—from burning out. The Messiah will be faithful to treat them justly, just as they should be treated, and to strengthen and lift them up. By meeting their need, He will prove faithful and bring true justice to earth. 

Thought. Note the people upon whom Christ had compassion:

(1)   Christ had compassion upon the weak, the purposeless, and the aimless—upon all who had lost faith and hope.

V  “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Mt. 9:36).

(2)   Christ had compassion on the sick, those who were diseased.

V  “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Mt. 9:35).

V  “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick” (Mt. 14:14).

(3)   Christ had compassion on the hungry, those who had nothing to eat and were faint from hunger.

V  “Then Jesus called his disciples unto Him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way” (Mt. 15:32).

(4)   Christ had compassion on those who could not pay their debts.

V  “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt” (Mt. 18:27).

(5)   Christ had compassion on the blind.

V  “So, Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him” (Mt. 20:34).

(6)   Christ had compassion on lepers, those considered most unclean.

V  “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt. 11:5).

V  “And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched Him, and saith unto Him, I will; be thou clean” (Mk. 1:40–41).

(7)   Christ had compassion on the bereaved, the grief-stricken who had lost loved ones.

V  “Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and many people of the city were with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, young man, I say unto thee, Arise” (Lu. 7:12–14).

(8)   Christ had compassion on people who repented, who turned away from their sins and returned to God.

V  “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Lu. 15:20). 

g. The Messiah will be steadfast and persevering (v. 4). He will not falter, fail, or become discouraged. No matter what difficulty, hardship, or opposition confronts Him, He will persist in His task. He will not give up or stop until true justice—truth and righteousness—are established on earth. He will be totally committed to teaching God’s law, His Holy Word, and to giving hope to the people of the earth. And He will not rest until He has accomplished His purpose—until all the islands, all the distant lands beyond the sea, place their trust and hope in His law (Holy Word). 

Thought. What a powerful example for us! We must be steadfast and persevering in the task of reaching the world for Christ. We must not falter or be discouraged by hardship or opposition. We must not allow anything to stop us from taking the glory of God to the farthest ends of the earth. We must press on until the task is fully accomplished.

V  “And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Mt. 10:22).

V  “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Co. 15:58).

V  “And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Ga. 6:9).

V  “Only let your conversation [conduct, behavior] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Ph. 1:27).

V  “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Ti. 4:1–8).

V  “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pe. 1:13).

V  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Pe. 5:8–9).

V  “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Pe. 3:17–18).^[3]

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^a 42:1  See my servant. Not Cyrus, as in ch. 41, but Christ.

^b 42:4  He won’t be satisfied, literally, “He will not burn dimly or be bruised.”

^c 42:5  to his Servant, the Messiah, implied.

^d 42:6  I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them, or “You will be my covenant with all the people.”

^e 42:19  as my own people, literally, “as my servant.”

^f 42:22  these who were to demonstrate to all the world the glory of his law, implied in previous verse.

^g 42:25  wanting them to repent, implied.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^a 42:1  See my servant. Not Cyrus, as in ch. 41, but Christ.

^b 42:4  He won’t be satisfied, literally, “He will not burn dimly or be bruised.”

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

NIV New International Version

NLT New Living Translation

NIV New International Version

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.42.NLT 

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