ONE WE CAN TRUST

 DECEMBER 21, 2022

Isaiah 42:1-7

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Are you fearful? Disappointed or disillusioned? Discouraged by the lengthy “waiting period” in your life?

In Isaiah 40, the Prophet reminds his people the following about God.

The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, …

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. . . .
those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Then in Isaiah 41, God through the Prophet Isaiah encourages His people not to fear, because He will overcome all their adversaries. He tells them to look to His servant whom He would send – the One who will bring hope.

When we get to Isaiah 42, there is this growing excitement in the message, as God speaks to his people. I picture the announcement this way: As God unveils his Servant/Messiah, he is essentially clapping his hands and jumping up and down. LOOK! He says. THIS is my servant. I, myself have chosen him. And I couldn’t be more delighted in him. Filled with my own Spirit, he is ready to do all my will. God’s servant is calm, steady. Gentle. He doesn’t make noise or try to draw a crowd: “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice (Isaiah 42:2).”

Isaiah 42:3 records about this servant that “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

We might not have much experience with reeds, unless we’ve taken basket weaving classes, or perhaps played a reed instrument in a school band. If you have you know that both types of reeds are dry and stiff, and that they will need to be soaked before they can be used.

A bruised reed is one that has been damaged, but not yet broken in half. Imagine the care you would need to move it safely so you can mend it. A moment’s distraction could ruin it. A hasty movement could finish it. Isaiah 42 says, this is the care our Deliverer takes when he handles our souls. He is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Jesus is this servant, and he is the one that we welcome into our world and our lives at Christmas. “Let every heart prepare him room”!!