Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one, in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth justice to the nations. He shall not cry out, nor lift up his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax he shall not quench; he shall bring forth justice faithfully. He shall not be disheartened nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for his law.
Isaiah 42:1–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)
“Here is My Servant,” says God. Here is My Chosen One. This is God speaking of Jesus. Of course, there will be much agreement on that.
However, there is another truth here that is overlooked and ignored. The idea of being chosen by God isn’t connected to salvation, not in the sense that we’ve been taught to believe. Here, God is calling the Chosen One “My Servant.”
God is speaking through Isaiah of Jesus and the service He has been chosen to render to God. We have the benefit of reading this with hindsight. When pondering this passage, we have written history of what Jesus did. Yet the completion of this something future. That is, to bring forth justice.
During Jesus’ earthly advent, of which the Gospels testify, we clearly see that His ministry was one where folks were drawn to Him. He didn’t have to preach loudly in the streets. People came to Him, being drawn to Him.
We also see in this ministry His compassion toward those who were downtrodden and weak. The informed and lame came to Him and He turned none away. Those with the littlest of faith were ministered to with compassion and mercy. The little faith they exercised wasn’t quenched. I am certain the Holy Spirit is recalling some of these to your mind as He is mine as I write.
The promise of justice on earth had begun. The kind of justice God gives, that is rendered with compassion through His Servant.
Even when He went to the cross, we read of His anguish. That is preserved for us also in the Gospels. The night of His arrest, He prayed and prayed… and prayed again. Even while His friends were fast asleep. He wasn’t disheartened, nor was He discouraged. Yet He presses on, toward that upward calling of His Father.
For each of us believers now, we hope. Because He isn’t disheartened or discouraged. Neither ought we be. It’s His task to bring justice to the Earth, and it is coming.
You may be bruised… Even close to being burnt out. You can take that burden to Jesus. Yes, you can choose to go to Him. He won’t turn you away. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. He’s promised to not break you or extinguish you. But there is a time limit… While you yet live and justice hasn’t yet been set on earth.
Come now, He offers. Why wait?