Jesus, the Great Servant
There is no one in the world like Jesus Christ. He was well known in the Old Testament, but not identified by name. God the Father spoke of Him as the anonymous Servant in several passages. Let’s note several things about the “Anonymous Servant.”
Read below for some application to these truths.
1) God put His Spirit upon Him Is. 42:1
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)
a) God put His Spirit upon Him Luke 4:1,14, 18; 5:17; 6:19; 8:46; Acts 10:38
b) He was filled with the Spirit even at the cross Heb. 9:14
2) He will bring forth Justice is. 42:1
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)
a) His justice was removed Acts 8:33
b) His work brings justification to every believer Rom. 3:24-26
c) He will bring about justice for all Matt. 25:31-46; Jude 1:14-15
d) His death brings about justice for all Heb. 9:27-28
3) He will mediate a covenant with Israel as a light to Gentiles Is. 42:6-7
6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. (Is. 42:6-7)
a) He came first to deliver and take away their sins Rom. 11:26-27
b) God sent Jesus who was known, but rejected to be a blessing Acts 3:21-25
c) God made the special covenants for His people Israel Rom. 9:4
d) We have a choice like they did to pursue His agreement Heb. 11:15
4) He submitted to the Father’s will, even when it meant abuse Is. 50:4-6
4 “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. (Is. 50:4-6)
a) He submitted specifically to the Father’s will John 5:19
b) He submitted to the Father at the hands of men Mark 9:31; Luke 9:44
5) He does not become discouraged by His course for history Is. 50:7-9
7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.
9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. (Is. 50:7-9)
a) He kept His eyes on the Father in the face of their rejection Matt. 11:25-27
b) He overcame the world so that we could have peace John 16:33
c) He overcame and one day every knee would bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11
d) He endured the hostility of sinners to set us free Heb. 12:2-3
6) While rejected by Israel, He will bring salvation to the Gentiles Is. 42:6; 49:5-6
6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, (Is. 42:6)
5 “And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him1 (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says,`It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'” (Is. 49:5-6)
a) When Israel’s leadership rejected Jesus, He left the house desolate Matt. 23:37-39
b) Jesus turned from Israel to include the Gentiles John 10:16
c) While Jesus suffered, He was raised up for all, including Gentiles Acts 13:37-42
7) He suffered as a substitution (vicariously) for the sins of all Is. 52:15; 53:6
15 So shall He sprinkle1 many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. (Is. 52:15)
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6)
a) He became sin for us 2 Cor. 5:21
b) He abolished in His flesh the hostility Eph. 2:13-16
c) He died that we might live for righteousness 1 Pet. 2:24
8) He suffered silently Is. 53:7
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. (Is. 53:7)
a) He did not speak a word at the accusations Matt. 27:12,14
b) He did not answer the questions Mark 15:3-5
9) He suffered innocently Is. 53:9
9 And they1 made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)
a) No one could convict Him of sin John 8:46
b) He was a fitting High Priest set apart from sin Heb. 7:26
c) In Him, there was no sin 1 John 3:5
10) He would die with criminals, but buried with a rich man Is. 53:9,12
9 And they1 made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Is. 53:12)
a) He died between two criminals Matt. 27:44
b) He was buried by a rich man Matt. 27:57-60
11) He will be resurrected to an exalted position Is. 52:13
13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. (Is. 52:13)
a) He chose to die, by giving up His spirit Matt. 27:50
b) He was seen after His death by many Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-6
c) Every knee will bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11
12) The Father chose to crush Him Is. 53:10
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. (Is. 53:10)
a) The Father was pleased with the Son Matt. 3:17; 17:5
b) The Father send the Son to be the propitiation 1 John 4:10
Many believe their sufferings are great and they often are. It may seem like people aren’t aware of how much you are suffering, and they often aren’t. However, the Lord does. He knows every detail about your life. He knows every pain in and of your life. You will never go through anything that the Lord does not come to your aid to sustain you through trial. He went through His trials for you. No one has ever gone through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did it all for you.
Shepherding Truth 