When Calvin Klein wants to introduce a new line of his designer fashions, you can be sure that the press conference announcing the event is not going to be held at the Marshfield Mill. The models won't be told that they can show up in coveralls and no makeup. And the fashion runway won't pass through cattle grazing fields and then into the middle of the James River. That's not the way to introduce a new line of exotic clothing that is set to astound people. It's not splashy enough. In fact, it's not splashy at all!
But, in a sense, that's the way God worked when He introduced Christ to the world. When He debuted His glorious Son in a ministry that would change the world forever, He brought Him forward in the lowliest and most unimpressive of places – the Jordan River banks. In fact, Jesus' whole life was like that – from birth, to baptism, to His suffering and death, God placed Him in the lowliest and most unimpressive of circumstances – totally inappropriate from man's way of doing things. But that's so typical of the way God works, isn't it? He does things apart from man's way of doing them, so that you can't miss it.
That is brought out in our text this morning. Some 700 years before Jesus was baptized, God introduced Him to the world through the prophet Isaiah's description of Him. And that introduction was so unique that when Jesus finally came the people should have readily seen the correlation and said: This Is He! This is the One spoken of through the prophet Isaiah. Behold, God's Servant! I. He's got God's favor on Him; II. He's got God's credentials behind Him; III. He is God's Promise to save.
I. He's got God's favor on Him.
In our text God is speaking when He says, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen One in whom I delight.” It sounds very similar to the words that the Father spoke from heaven on the occasion of Jesus' baptism years later: “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” This is He. This is the One who's got my favor.
Of course there were many others who had
God's favor on them too. And they were also called
servants of God . They
included Abraham (Gn.26:24), Moses (Nu.12:7), David (2Sm.3:18), Job (1:8), and others. Even Isaiah was called God's servant (20:3). All of them had a special purpose in God's plan of salvation. He chose each one for a specific task to serve Him.
But now God gives an announcement of a special servant who will have particular importance. Boldly and dramatically He says, “Here is my Servant.” It's almost as if God is standing with His arm outstretched pointing to this one servant and saying: “Here He is; this is the One.” No other servant of God past or present has ever received such a pointed introduction from the Lord. Truly, He's got God's special favor on Him.
God picked Him out, He established Him, He backed Him, He delighted in Him. Again, doesn't that remind you of things that were said and done at Jesus' Baptism?
When Jesus came up out of the water, the voice of the Father was heard speaking from heaven saying how much He loved and delighted in this person. The Holy Spirit came down on Him in the form of a dove, again showing God's favor on Him . Could it be missed? No. John himself testified to it although he didn't know everything. John said, “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He.... I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God” (Jn.1:32f).
You can't miss it, dear friends. This Is He whom God promised. Sadly, though, many have missed it, not because God did not make it clear, but because they chose to ignore it.
The application for us is simple: sit up, take notice, listen, and follow. It's kind of like that opening illustration that is in the bulletin today where an older recruit says to his younger buddy as they come to a new camp together: “See that man over there. He's the one to hang around with. Be sure you go where he goes. He can show you all the ropes.” If the younger recruit is smart, he will sit up and pay attention to the one who was pointed out to him.
The same is true with Jesus. Have you sat up and paid attention, really paid attention to Him? The problem is we get too easily distracted in our lives and are tempted to look only at ourselves and what we are up to next. What a disaster that will prove to be in the end, for the way God spoke of Christ through Isaiah here and the way God introduced the Lord Jesus at His
baptism, shows that the Lord Jesus is the object of God's deep interest and care. This Is He whom God sent on a mission of utmost importance. We need to know more about Him; we need to know Him better; and we need to make a place for Him in our lives. He's got God's favor on Him . Behold, God's Servant.
II. He's got God's credentials behind Him.
And it's more than God's favor. He's got God's credentials behind Him. Isaiah continues, “This is what God the Lord says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: ‘I, the Lord, have called you….'”
Sometimes when kids are arguing among themselves as to who is going to do this or do that, you might hear one of them say, “What gives you the right to tell me what to do?” Maybe it's not only children who say such a thing.
How many times haven't you heard words like that spoken by adults in anger or defiance: “What gives you the right to tell me what to do?” We don't like the idea of someone telling us that which we don't want to hear. But there are times when it's important for us to hear what someone else has to tell us, even if we don't like it.
For example, if you are sick, it's important that you listen to the right person who can tell you what's wrong. If you listen to someone who doesn't have the right credentials and follow his advice, you can find yourself deeper in trouble. So we make an appointment with a medical doctor whom we trust and then listen to what he has to say to us. That person has the knowledge to address our sickness and pain. And if he is a family doctor who knows a little bit more about us and our family, we pay attention even more.
Oh, that God would always get such attention. Sadly, He doesn't seem to get much respect. How often is His Word read but few are listening?
In our text God announces that He has something to say. He says it to His Son, but it's really more for us who are on the sidelines listening in. And even before we get to hear what He has to say, He gives His credentials – His right to speak.
He's the Creator! Without Him there would be nothing. He stretched out the heavens; He spread out the earth; He made everything that comes out of it. Then He gave and continues to
give breath to every person that enters this world. Life, every life is in His hands. Surely, such a powerful One has the right to speak, the right to plan, the right to carry everything out.
But it's more than just a right, dear friends. It's a comfort to us. If you ever have any question about whether or not God will help you or if God can do what He promises to do, all you have to remember is that He created the world. That power and desire to create stands as a pledge for His promise to help.
And all of that He throws right behind His Son, the Servant whom He delights in. He's got God's credentials behind Him. He will do and He will be able to do what He says He will.
And this is what He will do. God says, “In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His law the islands will put their hope….I will make you to be a covenant for the people, a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison.”
III. He is God's promise to save.
Oh, dear friends, there are so many words, so many good pictures to bring out here, and we just don't have the time to do it. What all of this simply means is that in this special Servant you have God's promise to save you from your sin. That would be a difficult task. You know how difficult it was for the Lord Jesus! But God was behind Him; God would see Him through; God would take His hand; God would delight in what He did and that Servant would not fail nor falter until freedom from sin and the sight of heaven would be won for all.
This Is He, dear friends, the one you see standing in the Jordan River being baptized by John, This Is He who would do it. And He did. By faith we are free; by faith the darkness is ended; by faith we live in joy that God has kept His promise to save us. Behold the Servant who did it. Like the one recruit said to the other: “He's the one to hang around with. Be sure you go where he goes. He will show you all you need to know.”
God grant it in our lives of faith for Jesus' sake. Amen.