#DailyDevotion What Jesus has done, is doing and will do for you. Pay attention, this is important.
December 21st
Read Isaiah 42
Isa 42:1-9 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (2) He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; (3) a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. (4) He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. (5) Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: (6) “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, (7) to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. (8) I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (9) Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Isaiah is looking to the day of Jesus’ baptism, his ministry, his crucifixion, his resurrection in chapter forty-two. Verse one speaks specifically to Jesus’ baptism. There the Father proclaims his love for the Son and anoints his flesh with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus in his earthly ministry among us lifts up the poor and lowly. He does restore those who are broken by their sins (notice I said broken, not justifying their sins). Though many of his people reject him and his ministry, he does not lose heart but sets his eyes toward his goal, the redemption of mankind.
Jesus brings justice to the nations, he established justice in the earth, and establishes his law not necessarily the way how law oriented people think. For the justice he brings is the justice of the cross. He didn’t come to bring head-banging, wiping them out justice. No, for those broken by life, the law, their sins, guilt and shame and for those who still try to justify their sins and the self-righteousness, Jesus establishes justice and brings it to the earth. He does that by taking the sin of the world into his own flesh, his own soul and spirit and suffers for it there on the cross. The justice of God and his righteousness is fulfilled there. The Father is reconciled with all people there in the suffering of Jesus.
Jesus is now the sign of God’s glory. He is the covenant and light to the nations. He has done something new. Jesus will not share his glory with another or his praise to anything in all creation. Those who try to add to his glory and praise or those who try to take away from his merits and works shall see utter destruction. You cannot add your works to Jesus or try by your merits to share in his glory. It will not work. Either Jesus gets the glory for you salvation or you are not saved. But he gives it to you freely, gratuitously, without charge. You either believe it or you don’t.
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to look to you alone to be our justice and our righteousness before the Father and look to no other creature whereby we might be saved or pleasing to God. Amen.