God's Chosen Servant (2024)

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

- Matthew 12:18-21/ Isaiah 42:1-4

Matthew references Isaiah -- the longest OT quote in his gospel -- to show Jesus as God's chosen servant, the Promised One who would be loved by God; filled with the Spirit; and a beacon of hope to all nations.

This passage makes clear that Jesus is chosen and commended by the Father. He was eternally chosen and loved. It also tells us that Jesus is commissioned by the Spirit (a striking reference to the Trinity), and that He comes to bring Hope.

As Pastor Ryan said on Sunday, “this passage challenges us to think deeply about the sovereignty of God and His providence. Nothing in scripture or in life happens by accident, it is all according to His plan and purpose. This passage also reminds us of God’s great love and pursuit of the broken-hearted.”

With a tender heart for the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks of the world, Jesus is revealed as God of great mercy and compassion. (What great news this is for us!)

The truth is that we live in a broken world and we FEEL it. Like the man with the withered hand, the adulteress, the bleeding woman, or even Peter -- we are hurting, bruised, and aching emotionally and physically.

The good news is that Jesus meets us where we are and that He cares deeply for us. He relentlessly pursues us despite our shortcomings. He is tender and compassionate toward us, offering hope and comfort.

Psalm 34:18 tells us, "the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit."

Those who have smoldering wicks are also in a vulnerable position. These are people who are spiritually tired, worn out, and barely hanging on. People like the woman who anointed Jesus' feet, or the man in Mark 9 who asks Jesus to help him with his unbelief.

Jesus assures us that "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." These are so often people who are barely hanging on, but recognize their complete dependency on God -- knowing that apart from Him they can do nothing.

Pastor Ryan said, "God so often uses His Word, His Spirit, and His people to fan the flame of His people. If your spiritual flame is barely hanging on… that’s ok! If you have a flame at all, it’s because God put it there. Draw close to Him. Keep going. He will give you what you need.”

The best news in all this is that Jesus is not only God’s chosen servant, He’s your servant.

Matthew 20:28 says, “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.”

It would have been easy for Jesus to just toss us aside. But instead, He came to us as a servant and served us by living a perfect life; humbling Himself in obedience to death on a cross; and dying the death we deservedso that we might have life and relationship with Him.

When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we give our lives to Him. And so:

...just as Jesus is chosen and commended by the Father: so are we.

...just as Jesus is commissioned by the Spirit: so are we.

...just as Jesus came to offer Hope: so are we.

As followers of Christ, let us remember what it's like to be bruised and broken so we can share our Hope with others.

Seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy in Isaiah reminds us that God is in control. Nothing is random. Nothing is outside His plan and purpose. We can trust that no matter the circ*mstances, He is working things together for good. He will not toss us aside.

What great hope we have in Jesus.

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Watch this sermon here.