Light in the Darkness
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
servant songs
servant songs
these describe the person and work of the servant
42:1-9 - justice to the nations (rule & reign of yhwh)
49:1-6 - light to the nations (salvation to all)
50:4-11 - obedient servant
52:13-53:12 - suffering servant
Recap - Isaiah 42:1-9
Recap - Isaiah 42:1-9
Last week God invited us to ‘BEHOLD!’ To look at and consider his solution to their idolatry problem. He was sending a servant.
What was the servant? The chosen one of God, a delight (close proximity of relationship), Spirit empowered and bearing the full glory of his master. = JESUS. Reading the gospels this becomes very clear.
What would the servant do? He would bring justice to the nations. But this wasn’t just about legal justice. He would bring God’s truth to the whole world. When God’s kingdom values and virtues were being lived out this would have been the place of justice. Until now, everyone has failed miserably.
How would the servant do it? Through humility, gentleness and in a way unlike any king before him or after him. God’s chosen servant uses the weak and useless… It was a countercultural move. The cross, a sign of defeat becomes the ultimate sybmol of victory.
This week - Isaiah 50:4-11
This week - Isaiah 50:4-11
We get a glimpse into the thought life of the servant and we are presented with a challenge:
What more do we learn about the servant?
What will we do about it?
A question as you turn to Isaiah 50.
Have you ever felt like you’ve embarassed yourself when you’ve tried to offer a kind or encouraging word to someone, only to be way wide of the mark?! Maybe a friend or colleague was struggling and you tried your best to ‘know how they feel’ but in reality you had no idea how they felt and had no idea how you could comfort or encourage them. Maybe you felt like actually all you had to offer was was pretty empty and useless?! Good news… when we go to Jesus, he is better than that! This passage will reveal why...
READ:
READ:
The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.
1. What More do we learn about the servant? (vv.4-9)
1. What More do we learn about the servant? (vv.4-9)
Dedicated Disciple - The servant is still a student of God’s word. Jesus = fully God (I will lean upon him) but fully human too, needing the sustaining power of God’s Holy Spirit and the daily nourishing of his word. We read of Jesus that he grew in wisdom and stature. His daily discipline and attentiveness makes him the most effective servant he can be. This effective ministy comes in the form of a timely word to sustain the weary. Elsewhere in Isaiah 9 Jesus is referred to as the wonderful counsellor.
This prophetic inside of the Messiah helps him ot fulfil one of the threefold offices he holds. Prophet (Speaking with knwoledge and insight), Priest (the one who delivers himself as a sacrifice, entering into the holy place to secure the forgiveness of God’s people) and King (a just, fair and consistent ruler).
Christian discipleship requires a daily commitment to reading scripture and praying. We know that man does not live on bread alone, so if we want to be sustained we need to feed on the living word which comes from God.
Q. How is your disciplehsip? If you had to take a moment to rate it on a scale of 1-10, how would you honestly score yourself?
Determined Disciple - in verse six and on we see the suffering which will come the way of the servant and that his steely determination and utter trust in God will not stop him from doing what he has been called to do by his Master. We naturally want to tap our when things get difficult, or maybe we ednure for a time… The servant keeps going and knows that he will stand vindicated. This courtroom language reveals an expectation of being wrongly accused, but ultimately recognises the Lord as knowing the true verdict! We get very clear insight into the suffering the servant expects and see where this is fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus.
v6a. ‘I gave my back to those who strike’ cf. Matthew 27:26 “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”
v6b. I hid not my face rom disgrace and spitting’ cf Matthew 26:67 “Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,”
v.7 ‘set my face like flint’ cf. Luke 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
Immeditately preceding this passage we see that there are two camps of people. Those who co-operate with God and know blessing and those who going to defy God and be cut off from that blessing. In the opening verses of Isaiah 50 God has made it very clear that the situation his people find themselves in isn’t because of God’s lack of love or interest in them. It is because of their rebellion and ignorance of his commands. He has remained faithful, they have not!
2. What are we going to do about it? (vv.10-11)
2. What are we going to do about it? (vv.10-11)
The identity of the people of God is undergoing a radical transformation. No longer exclusive to Israel, but gates being opened to include Gentiles. BUT not ALL Israelites or ALL Gentiles will inherit what God has made available to them because they will ignore the offer he has extended to them.
Who Jesus is, what he has said and done all requires a response from us.
We have two options.
Walk in the darkness, relying on the light of the Lord - OBEYING THE WORDS OF THE SERVANT. This is a wholehearted commitment. This is FEARING the Lord. Revering him, being in awe of his holiness, his perfection. We know this is the begining of wisdom! Proverbs 1:7
Walk in darknessm relying on light we have kindled for ourselves - DISOBEYING THE WORDS OF THE SERVANT. Does God know best? Or are there some things he’s missed we think we can get better?
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
One will lead to life with God and blessing. The other will lead to destruction.
We must recognise that even the most mature and steadfast disciple will fall short at times, just as Jesus embodied all that Israel never managed, he also embodied all we will never manage…
Are there ways in which you are trying to light the way yourself? Are there ways in which you think you know better than God? Where are you being called to stop relying on yourself and start relying on Jesus?