Isiaha 42

Isaiah 42:1-9

The Coming Servant

INTRODUCTION: I love Christmas, all the lights and decorations. Manger scenes with Baby Jesus. People seem a little more open to faith. I guess a Baby in a manger is more approachable than the all powerful King of heaven and earth. This is of course the Prophets Sunday of Advent. There are many prophecies about Jesus, when he would come, why he would come and what he would do. This prophesy was given 800 years before Jesus would be born. This plan of salvation was known about 800 years before Jesus was born to carry it out. And Jesus died on the cross 2000 years before you drew your first breath.

1. Gods Servant

            a. here is My servant- God’s servant

            b. Jesus did not come to serve you, he came to save you.

            c. Matthew 3:17 “Listen to Him”

            d. Jesus came because it was God’s desire, and purpose to save you.

            e. James and Dan were crossing a river, at twelve years old James had crossed this river many times and was an exhalant swimmer, Don, well not so much. Crossing the river it grew to be about chest high, with a good current moving them down stream with each step. Dan stepped into a hole and lost his feet. James went to the rescue. In his panic Dan grabbed at James and now both are in trouble. James starts beating on and wrestling with Dan until he got behind him grabbed his color and held his head above the water. James yells at a still struggling Dan. “I am trying to save you, would just cooperate”

            f. God only needs your cooperation.

 2. What is God’s servant doing

            a. To bring justice, right wrongs, judge sin,

            b. he will not stop.

            c. in terminator, kyle tells Sarah, he has been sent to kill you, programmed to kill you, he is a machine, he cannot be reasoned with, he cannot be bought, he will never stop searching for you he will never stop until you are dead.

            d. God declares His servant will never stop until justice is achieved.

 3. Part of Justice is grace

            While Jesus came to bring justice and to save people of faith, he came looking for five groups of people specifically.

            a. The smoldering wick (3)

            b. the bruised reed (3)

            c. the blind (7)

            d. captives from prison (7)

            e. those in dungeons of darkness (7)

 Conclusion: We all fall into one of these at some point; our faith is but a smoldering wick as we sit in a doctor’s office. We are a bruised reed as our job is downsized or we try to balance our checkbook, or learn of a nasty piece of gossip that is being spread about us. Blind to the love of God, seemingly a captive to our mistakes of the past, or our own limited ideas of what faith is all about. All alone in the cold darkness of life. This passage tells us that we are the people Jesus came looking for. This is God’s purpose, and He is God’s servant, and He will never stop trying to save you. Jesus is trying to save you, would you just cooperate?