Sermon Questions

1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my _________, in whom my soul delights; I have put my ________ upon him; he will bring forth _________ to the nations.
2. What is the title of the chapters that are in Isaiah 40-55?
3. Which empire controlled Israel and Judah during time depicted in the first 39 chapters of Isaiah?
4. Which of the words below point to the meaning of justice which Isaiah intends in 42:1-4?
5. Compensation
6. Retribution
7. Order
8. Penalty
9. TRUE or FALSE: True justice is not about a checklist of behaviors; it is about being reconciled to our source, God Himself.
10. That this devotion to the ______ seems not to be like the older devotion to a pagan god blinds the Church to its own unfaithfulness (see sermon guide). – David F. Wells Losing Our Virtue
11. Match the description of the servant in Isa 42:2 with the meaning:
12. The Servants Description
13. He will not lift up his voice
14. He will not cry aloud
15. He will not make his voice heard in the street
16. Meaning
17. Jesus won't be loudly self promoting Himself
18. Jesus will not startle or catch you off guard
19. Jesus will not impose Himself in an overbearing manner
20. What healing does Jesus give first to the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12?
21. What need of ours is most like the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12? 

Discussion Questions

1. In contrast to the meaning of justice that our minds may think of with the world’s influence, discuss the meaning of justice in Pastor Winans message on Isa 42:1-4:
2. What is the meaning of justice that Isaiah is portraying in 42:1-4?
3. How is this meaning of justice or order portrayed in Gen 1?
4. Read Exodus 26:30: How are the detailed instructions for the Tabernacle in the Book of Exodus analogous to the order that is described in Isa 42:1-4 and Gen 1 in creation?
5. Discuss in your groups the implications for our approach to the order provided by God in these verses:
6. How do we naturally rebel against God’s provided order?
7. In what ways does this rebellion show itself?
8. In Isa 42:2-3 Isaiah describes the manner that the servant will provide justice to the nations.
9. Why is the manner that the servant brings justice significant? 
10. Pastor Winans contrasts the manner of those in power in the world vs the manner of the servant.
11. Which of these manners grabs your attention the most? Is our attention easily distracted due our lack of focus on the One who provides us order and justice?
12. Is our absorption with all things of the world a warning sign to us?
13. Discuss if our manner(s) in our ministries as disciples of Jesus Christ fit the way that Jesus provided and commanded us to… meek, poor in Spirit, humble.  
14. Pastor Winans concluded his message with the problem each of his followers must confront in their relationship to Him: our sin. Discuss the following in your group:
15. Is there a sin that you struggle with that you hide from God and others?
16. Do you regularly seek and discuss your sin with the Lord in prayer?
17. Do you turn from your sin after your confession to the Lord?
18. Be encouraged in God’s forgiveness by reading Ps 103:12.
19. Take time in your groups or individually to pray to bring to Christ any sin that you may not have brought before. Pray for others that are struggling to face their sin. Pray that the Church would be a light to the darkness that is in the world.  

Sermon Outline

As we enter the season of Lent, the church looks ahead to Easter, a time modeled after Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. This season serves as a reminder of our deep need for Jesus, a need that is fully met through His finished work on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension into heaven. To help us focus on this truth during Lent, we will be spending time in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah is one of the most powerful books in the Hebrew Scriptures and is the most frequently quoted book in the New Testament. Specifically, we will be exploring a section known as the Servant Songs, found in chapters 40 through 55. These passages will guide us as we reflect on the significance of Christ’s work and prepare our hearts for Easter.

I want to provide some context for Isaiah to help us understand why he writes about the servant in this passage. The book of Isaiah contains 66 chapters, and the first 39 focus on the conflict with the Assyrian Empire. This section begins during the reign of King Ahaz and continues into the reign of his son, King Hezekiah, both of whom faced the looming threat of Assyria. However, when we reach Chapter 40, the historical context shifts dramatically. No longer dealing with Assyria, the focus moves to the exile of God’s people in Babylon, a vastly different situation. You may recall that this was also the setting of the Book of Daniel. During this period, Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed. To those living at the time, it may have seemed, certainly to the Babylonians, and perhaps even to God's own people, that Yahweh, the Creator of heaven and earth, had been defeated. The Babylonians reinforced this belief by seizing items from the temple in Jerusalem and placing them in the temple of their chief god, Marduk, as a symbol of their supposed victory. This was a time of deep despair and disorientation for God’s people. It is in this context that Isaiah speaks the powerful words at the opening of Chapter 40: ‘Comfort, my people.’ When we consider the audience receiving this message, people who had lost their homeland, their temple, and perhaps even their confidence in God, these words take on profound significance.

In this first Servant Song, we want to focus on two key aspects of the servant. First, we will examine the servant’s mission, what he is sent to accomplish. Second, we will consider the manner in which he carries out this mission. The servant is sent not only to address the brokenness of God’s people but also to bring restoration to all nations.

The Mission

When reading Scripture, it’s helpful to recognize how a biblical writer or a Gospel author emphasizes something that is important. In modern writing, we might use bold text, change the font, add italics, or even include multiple exclamation points to highlight significance. However, in the ancient world, these formatting techniques didn’t exist. Instead, writers emphasized key ideas through repetition, stating something multiple times using similar language to reinforce its importance. In our passage, Isaiah employs this technique, using repetition to help us understand the mission of the servant.

Isaiah 42:1 – ¹Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. ²He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; ³a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. ⁴He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

In just four short verses, Isaiah emphasizes the servant’s mission three times to bring justice and establish it throughout the world. This repetition underscores the significance of justice in the servant’s role. But before we go any further or even in your own reading of Scripture it’s important to ask: What does Isaiah mean by justice? In Hebrew, the word used here is mishpat. As with many translations between languages, a single word often carries a broader meaning than what is conveyed in another language. In English, we typically associate justice with a legal framework where a wrong has been committed, a perpetrator is held accountable, and the wrong is made right. For example, if someone steals $100, justice would mean the money is returned, possibly with additional compensation for damages. Likewise, the perpetrator might face legal consequences such as incarceration or probation, ensuring that both the victim and the wrongdoer receive their due. While mishpat includes this concept of legal justice, it means more than that. In Hebrew, mishpat also refers to order, the establishment of God’s design in the world. It speaks not just of punishment and restitution but of restoring things to the way they were meant to be. One commentator explains it this way…

Mishpat is much more than mere legality, as justice has come to connote in English. Rather, it has the idea of right order. The Hebrew word “justice”, in many ways is the antonym of the word, “chaos.” – John Oswalt Isaiah

As an example of how that's used, is in the Book of Exodus when God is communicating the pattern for the Tabernacle.

Exodus 26:30 - ³⁰Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan (or mishpat) for it that you were shown on the mountain.

Through the Shine initiative, I have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of following a plan and the consequences of not knowing what comes next in our work. When we approach our tasks with intention, following the right steps in the right order, we align with a sense of justice, mishpat, as it is understood in Hebrew. In Scripture, the servant is sent on a mission to restore justice, to realign the world with God's intended order for His people and creation. In the opening of Genesis, we see how God brings order out of chaos by speaking creation into existence. At each stage of this ordering, He declares that it is good. Justice, God’s intended order, is woven into creation itself. However, when this divine order is disrupted, justice is lost, and disorder takes its place. We see evidence of this disorder not only in the world around us but also within our own hearts. When God's good design is thrown off balance, the justice He established is no longer present. The servant’s mission is to restore this justice. But what exactly is the wrong that needs to be addressed? Why is the world so out of order? The answer lies in sin, our rebellion against God and His design. This rebellion has resulted in chaos and brokenness, which Isaiah helps us understand. At the end of Isaiah 41, we encounter a courtroom scene where God calls the gods of Babylon to account. At that time, it may have seemed as though these gods had triumphed over Yahweh, making Him appear as a defeated foe. However, in this divine courtroom, God challenges their authority, demonstrating His ultimate justice and sovereignty.

Isaiah 41:21 – ²¹Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

“If you believe you have defeated me, then present your evidence,” bring your proof, declares the King of Jacob. In verse 22, the challenge continues: "Let them bring their case." There is a touch of irony here. Those who claim to be powerful must be carried by their own people.

Isaiah 41:22-23 – ²²Let them bring them, and...²³tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.

"Tell us what is to come so that we may recognize your power, perform something, anything, to prove your strength." This challenge echoes Elijah's encounter on Mount Carmel, where the prophets of Baal desperately tried to call down fire from heaven but failed. Mocking them, Elijah remarked that perhaps Baal was too busy to respond (1Kings 18:26-27). Just as Baal’s prophets were powerless, so too are these so-called gods, leading to their inevitable judgment.

Isaiah 41:24 – ²⁴Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; he who chooses to worship you corrupt themselves.

This final phrase is crucial in helping us grasp the need for justice and understand what has gone wrong. Instead of worshiping and glorifying God, the nations have pursued what is meaningless. They have turned to things lesser than the Creator, leading them into sin. As one commentator explains...

There is no wrong-doing without worship of false gods and there is no worship of false gods without wrong-doing. – Ulrich Duchrow Shalom

Is there wrongdoing in the world today? If so, it stems from people turning away from the Lord. When they rebel against Him and worship false gods, sin follows. Without this rebellion, there would be no wrongdoing. This aligns exactly with what the apostle Paul teaches in Romans.

Romans 1:28 – ²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

The nations refused to acknowledge God, even though He designed and ordered everything with Himself as the highest good, deserving all glory. When people cease to glorify and recognize Him, life becomes disordered, and God allows them to fall into sin. Jesus affirms this in what He calls the model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, beginning with, 'Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.' He teaches that faithfulness starts with worshiping and exalting God above all else. Sometimes, we mistakenly think that because there is no Marduk today, we no longer worship false gods. However, as Ulrich Duchrow suggests, wrongdoing is inseparable from false worship, and false worship is inseparable from sin. The so-called gods of today are the same as those of the past, chief among them is the elevation of self above God. This was the serpent’s deception to Adam and Eve: 'You can be like God.' Humanity has been repeating this sin ever since, placing itself above the Creator. We must be cautious not to simply point fingers at those outside the church, assuming that only 'the heathens' need to hear this message. No, this warning is for us as well. As one commentator put it...

Much of the Church today, especially that part of which is evangelical, is in captivity to this idolatry of the self. We are trying to hold at bay the gnats of small sins while swallowing the camel of self. That this devotion to the self seems not to be like the older devotion to a pagan god blinds the Church to its own unfaithfulness. The end result, however, is no less devastating. – David F. Wells Losing Our Virtue

He is expressing the same idea that Michael Green conveys...

For Christians, sin is a power that grips one’s life and alienates us from our source in God. It is not merely a list of misdoings. The difference is enormous. – Michael Green Evangelism Through the Local Church

What they are both emphasizing is that it's easy to believe we are righteous simply because we follow certain rules, avoiding profanity, steering clear of R-rated movies, or voting in a particular way and assume that makes us good. But we must be careful. True justice is not about a checklist of behaviors; it is about being reconciled to our source, God Himself. We can follow a list of moral actions and still be guilty of worshiping ourselves. This is legalism and moralism, reducing the Christian faith to a set of rules rather than a restored relationship with our Father. The danger is thinking that this message applies only to 'those people out there,' when in reality, it starts with us. The servant came to restore justice, bringing all of life and God’s people under the Lordship of the Creator, so that we would honor and hallow only Him. Interestingly, when we say, 'Hallowed be Thy name' in the old King James translation, it can almost sound like 'Hallowed be my name.' This similarity is a warning that we can appear outwardly respectable while inwardly worshiping ourselves. The servant came not just to make us look good but to truly restore justice.

The Manner

Consider the way he carries out this mission. It’s intriguing because, in verses two and three, he provides a description composed of three interconnected phrases.

Isaiah 42:2-3 – ²He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; ³a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

These three phrases likely point to a single clear message, but it is best to examine them one at a time for a deeper understanding.

1. He will not cry aloud - In the original Hebrew, it conveys the idea that he will not startle or catch you off guard.
2. He will not lift up his voice - This phrase signifies that he will not impose himself in a forceful or overbearing manner. For example, in a conversation, someone might suddenly start shouting to take control, trying to dominate the discussion. Jesus, however, does not act in this way.
3. He will not make his voice heard in the street - To put this in a modern context, consider a recent election. This passage suggests that Jesus wouldn’t run commercials or engage in propaganda. He wouldn’t be out in the streets promoting himself. This insight helps us understand the humble and selfless nature of the servant.
4. We also observe the behavior of the servant.

Isaiah 42:3 – ²He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; ³a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Jesus cherishes the weak and broken, humbling Himself to care for them with compassion.

This stands in stark contrast to how kings of the ancient world and even modern leaders often present themselves.

The ancient Kings boasted about the ferocious ways in which they brought “justice” to their kingdoms and about the heavy yolks they imposed on any whom they conquered.

This servant brings God’s right order into the world not from a position of strength but of weakness. – John Oswalt Isaiah

Does this challenge our perspective? In a world that often values strength and dominance to achieve results, we frequently hear rhetoric about the need for a 'strongman' approach. But Jesus operates differently, and His followers are called to walk in His footsteps. To carry out His ministry means to reflect His character, not the ways of the world. Is this truly reflected in us as a church?

By now, you likely have a clear sense of who this servant is. Imagine reading this passage while in Babylon, wondering about the servant’s identity. Now, on the other side of the cross, we can see it clearly this servant is Jesus. Matthew’s Gospel makes this undeniable, as Matthew 12 directly quotes Isaiah 42, including all four verses, to emphasize the point. We know without a doubt who this servant is.

Matthew 12:15-16 - ¹⁵Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶and ordered them not to make him known.

He healed them, brought justice to them, and restored order to their lives. When God brings His justice, it brings healing, not just outwardly, but deep within. Consider the moment when Jesus encounters the paralytic lowered before Him. What is the first thing He says? 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' This reveals the true nature of God's justice; it is not merely about external restoration but about reconciling us to God. The servant’s ministry is one of restoration, which means dealing with our sin. And God does this by placing His justice upon the servant. Jesus comes to bring justice that makes us whole again, allowing our lives to flourish in peace and light. Yet, He carries out this mission in humility, embodying the servant of Isaiah 42 so much so that He even instructs others not to make Him known.

Earlier this week, I spoke with a man, not from this community, this church, or even this area. He’s a pastor who has served faithfully for over 40 years. But now, at the twilight of his ministry, his life has been consumed by chaos of his own making. Sin and false worship opened the door to forces that derailed him and deeply hurt those around him. As we talked, he said, 'Chris, my life is like a house. For most of my life, that house was filled with light. But there was always one room that remained dark. For years, I never entered it, but I knew it was there. In the last six to nine months, I started spending time in that room. And because of the darkness I allowed in, my life is now in ruins.' This is a sobering reflection for all of us. If the servant's mission is to bring justice and restoration, then we must ask ourselves: what does the house of our life look like? Perhaps your house is mostly filled with light yet there may still be a room where darkness lingers. For others, the darkness may take up more space, leaving only patches of light. And for some, every curtain is drawn, with sunlight outside but unable to reach in. Each of us is in a different place, but Jesus, the servant, has come to bring light into every corner of our lives. His mission is for every part of us to be surrendered to God. And as we open our hearts to Him, His light floods in, bringing peace, true shalom, the very restoration the servant came to accomplish.

How do we take all of this and apply it to our own lives? Think about that dark room in your house, the place in your life where shadows linger. Maybe you haven't stepped into it for years, or perhaps you're spending too much time there now. Jesus, the servant, says, 'I want to bring light into that space.' But remember the manner of the servant. He is not a SWAT team, breaking down doors and forcing His way in. Instead, He gently knocks and asks, 'Can we go there together?' He knows you’d rather avoid it, but He also knows it’s there. And because of His work, you are already accepted and forgiven. You stand on a foundation of grace. Jesus shows His love by extending His hand and saying, 'Let’s do this together. Let’s open that door and let the light of My Father shine in, so the chaos doesn’t take over simply because it was left unchecked.' He came as the servant to bring justice, calling us to surrender every part of our lives to His lordship.

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