#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The LORD’s Servant, Chosen One & Delight

Isaiah 42:1–9 “Here is My Servant Whom I support; I have chosen Him, and I delight in Him. I put My Spirit on Him. He will bring righteousness to the nations. ² He will not cry or raise His voice or call out loud in the street. ³He will not break off a broken reed or put out a dimly burning wick: for truth He will bring justice. ⁴He will not fail or break down until He has set up justice in the world. The lands by the sea are waiting for Him to teach them.” ⁵The LORD God made the heavens and stretched them out. He shaped the earth and what it produces. He gives life to the people who are on it, breath to those walking on it. And He says this: ⁶“I the LORD have called You for My righteous purpose. I will take hold of Your hand and protect You. I will give you as My Covenant to the people, as My Light to the nations — ⁷ to give sight to the blind, bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those who live in darkness out of the prison. ⁸I am the LORD; that is My name. I will not give My glory to anyone else nor the praise I deserve to idols. ⁹See how My former predictions have come true. Now I’m announcing new things and telling you about them before they spring into being.”

A wonderful text for the baptism of our LORD Jesus Christ. While the several Gospels give us some different details about what happened at Jesus’ baptism, this text tells us what was going on and to what his baptism appointed Jesus for. Now the first thing Jesus’ baptism does is appoint and designate Jesus as the LORD’s Servant. The Baptist tells us as much in John 1, “’³¹Even I didn’t know Who He was, but I came and baptized with water to show Him to Israel.’ ³²John testified: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and stay on Him. ³³I didn’t know Who He was, but He Who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down on Someone and stay on Him, He is the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴I saw it and testified, ‘This is the Son of God.’”

Now Jesus, the Servant, the LORD’s Chosen One, the LORD’s Delight, has the Holy Spirit put upon him and fills him. As such, one of things he will do is bring righteousness to the nations. Now we normally might think that means he will execute quick and swift justice and force people to do what is right. But Jesus comes to bring his righteousness, to give his righteousness to the nations of the world. He gives his righteousness freely to all who would receive it. In turn, they indeed begin to do righteousness with the Spirit he gives them, which he himself possesses.

He did not come stomping upon all the evil and wicked in the world, for they are all victims of the evil one. He came to redeem them. Those who were bruised reeds and smoldering wicks he comes to strengthen and build up in his most holy faith. His ministry is to give life to the people upon the earth and his breath which is life to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. When he came, he showed who he was by giving sight to the blind, bringing out those who were prisoners of their sins and the demons.

Jesus did not stop till he set up justice in the world. He did it in the most amazing way. He took all the sins, the trespasses, the iniquity, every wicked act, thought and intention of the heart, every rebellion, every mistake, all guilt and shame upon himself on the cross and paid the price for it, death. His cross is now the sign of this covenant which guarantees this.

Heavenly Father, you sent your Servant and Son Jesus into the world to save it. Grant us faith in his all saving work that we may receive all his benefits. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.