Well, the Lord helping me this
morning, the scripture that I'll bring to your attention is found
in Isaiah chapter 42, the first verse. Isaiah chapter 42, verse
1. Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Behold my servant
whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have
put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. The book of the prophet Isaiah
can be divided into three main parts. There are two large prophetic
sections divided by an historical interlude in the middle. chapters
36 to 39, inclusive, being the historical interlude, as it were.
The first part of Isaiah's prophecy from chapter 1 up to chapter
35 consists mainly of denunciations against Israel and of proclamations
of judgment on the nation because of their sins and especially
for their sin of idolatry and so in chapter 1 for example at
verse 7 we read Your country is desolate, your cities are
burned with fire, your land, strangers devour it in your presence,
and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. The daughter of
Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden
of cucumbers, as a besieged city. And in chapter 3 at verse 8,
for Jerusalem is ruined, And Judah is fallen because their
tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes
of his glory. The second part of the prophecy
of Isaiah, however, from chapter 40 onwards, is full of proclamations
of mercy and of sweet and precious promises. It's as if we have
the Law, which is the ministration of condemnation, in the first
part of the book, and the Gospel in the second part. There is
judgment and mercy. Judgment in the first part, mercy
in the second part. The destruction of the Old Jerusalem
is foretold in the first part of the Book of Isaiah, and the
building of the New Jerusalem in the second part. In the first
part, we read of the demise of national Israel, Israel after
the flesh. In the second part, we read of
the resurrection of the Israel of God, the spiritual Israel,
an Israel which comprises not only Jew, but also Gentile. In the first part of the prophecy
we read of the overthrow and the destruction of the earthly
kingdom. In the second part we read of
the establishment of the heavenly kingdom. Now of course there
are intimations of mercy and of gospel blessing even in the
first part of the prophecy of Isaiah. We can think of that
great passage in chapter 9, for unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given, and so on. In chapter 11, and there shall
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall
grow out of his roots, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him, and so on. And again in that chapter, chapter
11, and in that day, There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall
stand for an ensign of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek,
and his rest shall be glorious. These are prophecies concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are prophecies concerning the
Gospel Day. We see them there even in the
first part of the prophecy of Isaiah. Just as the law and the
whole of the legal dispensation bore witness to Christ and to
his gospel and to the gospel day. Yes, even in the Old Testament
day there was the witness of the law to the gospel day and
to the Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul says in Romans. But now,
the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets. even the righteousness
of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe. Yes, Christ and his gospel was
preached under the legal dispensation. Do we not see the gospel even
in the Old Testament? Yes, of course we do. And so,
there are many prophecies concerning Christ and his church, even in
the first part of the book of the prophet Isaiah. And these
prophecies, as with all the prophecies of the Old Testament, were for
the encouragement of the remnant according to the election of
grace. Yes, there was a remnant according
to the election of grace in the Old Testament. Even amongst national
Israel there were those who were of the spiritual Israel, who
were Jews indeed, who knew that circumcision of the heart. What is the elect believing Israelite
to do? when he sees the king and all
the people indulging in the wicked sin of idolatry? Well, he is
to look with Isaiah to the king that shall come. Behold, a king
shall reign in righteousness. What should the poor believing
Israelite do when he sees Jerusalem overthrown and the temple destroyed?
Well, he must look for that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Again, as Isaiah
says in chapter 33, verse 20, look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities.
Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle
that shall not be taken down, nor one of the stakes thereof
shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof
be broken." Oh, this is the Gospel Jerusalem, this is the New Jerusalem,
this is the Gospel Church. Well, these things we read of
in the first part of the book of the prophecy of Isaiah for
the encouragement of the faith of the elect amongst the children
of Israel in the time of judgment upon the nation. And then we
come to chapter 40, which is the beginning of the second part
of Isaiah's prophecy after the intervening historical chapters. This part begins with a word
of comfort and of mercy and of forgiveness. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for
all her sins. It is the beginning of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We read in Mark's Gospel. The beginning of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets,
behold, I send my messenger before thy face. which shall prepare
thy way before thee, the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. John
did baptise in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins. And so here, in Isaiah 40, we read, really, of the ministry
of John the Baptist you see how Isaiah continues there in verse
3 of that chapter the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness
prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a
highway for our God every valley shall be exalted and every mountain
and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight
and the rough places plain and the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it. Here is the ministry of John
the Baptist. And then in the words of our
text, Isaiah 42 and verse 1, we see Christ at his baptism. Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. And we note
the similarity between this verse and Matthew chapter 3, verse
16 and 17. And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water, and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove, and lighting upon him, and, lo, a voice from heaven
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In the Septuagint, which is the
Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word servant in
Isaiah 42 is rendered child. It's the same word that's used
in Acts 4 verse 27. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus whom thou hast anointed and so on. The Septuagint then
renders out our text. Behold my child whom I uphold. or, this is my son whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. And these words, in whom my soul
delighteth, might be rendered, in whom my soul is well pleased. And that's exactly how Matthew
again renders that verse. Under the inspiration of the
Spirit of God, he quotes from Isaiah 42, There in Matthew 12
verse 18, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in
whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him
and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. And you know Matthew
again, or rather the Spirit of God again bears testimony to
the Lord Jesus as fulfilling Isaiah 42 verse 1 in Matthew
17. There we read of the Mount of
Transfiguration. Behold, a bright cloud hath overshadowed
them. And behold, a voice out of the
cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. Hear ye him. Three times then,
in Matthew's Gospel, the Holy Spirit testifies of the Lord
Jesus Christ as fulfilling that part which was written of him
here in Isaiah 42, beginning with his baptism. Behold, my
servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I
have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. Here is the voice of the Father
testifying of the Son and we see the same don't we at Christ's
baptism there in Matthew 3 again and lo a voice from heaven saying
this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and there at
the baptism of Christ the Holy Spirit is seen to descend like
a dove and to light upon him and so we read in the words of
our text I have put my spirit upon him In John's Gospel we have the
testimony of John the Baptist. John 1, verse 32, and John bear
record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a
dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same
is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear
record that this is the Son of God. It was after his baptism
that the Lord Jesus Christ commenced his public ministry. And so we
read here in Isaiah 42. Behold, my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he
not quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged
till he hath set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall
wait for his law. The public ministry of the Lord
Jesus Christ, which commenced following his baptism, his baptizing,
It's no wonder then that Isaiah is often called the fifth evangelist.
The second part of his prophecy could very appropriately be called
the Gospel according to Isaiah. For we read here in this second
part of Isaiah not only of Christ's baptism and of his ministry but
also of his miracles, of his sufferings and of his death,
we read of his resurrection, we read of his ascension to the
right hand of the Majesty on High, we read of his intercession
for the transgressors, we read of the preaching of his name
and of his gospel throughout the world, we read of the calling
of the Gentiles, the calling of Gentile sinners out of darkness
into his marvellous light, We read of the judgment to come.
We read of heaven and hell. It's all here in this second
part of Isaiah the prophet. It really is the gospel according
to Isaiah. Here is the New Testament concealed
in the Old. Isaiah preached Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block
and unto the Greeks foolishness. but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Gentiles, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom
of God. The words of our text here in
Isaiah 42, and the verses following, are undoubtedly speaking of our
Lord Jesus Christ. They're plainly told that in
Matthew's gospel. Matthew chapter 12, verse 14,
then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how
they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew
himself from thence, and great multitudes followed him, and
he healed them all and charged them that they should not make
him known. that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom
I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to
the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry,
neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised
reed shall he not break, and smoking flats shall he not quench,
till he send forth judgment unto victory, and in his name shall
the Gentiles trust. These words then, here in Isaiah
42 and verse 1, are clearly speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the text is clearly Trinitarian. Behold, my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. The Father speaks
of the Son, the Christ of God, anointed with the Spirit of God. And in these words, we're taught
seven truths concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And we shall consider
three of these truths I trust with the Lord's help and with
his blessing this morning. Firstly, we see Christ here as
the servant of Jehovah. Behold my servant. Behold my servant. Behold, here
is a thing to be wondered at. It is marvelous in our eyes.
Behold my servant. The Lord Jesus Christ in his
divine nature is the Son of God, co-equal and co-eternal with
the Father and with the Holy Ghost. Ah, but great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. and it is in his assuming of
our human nature that Christ is made the servant of the Lord. Paul tells us that in Philippians
2, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Christ being come
in the flesh as an obedient servant, willingly obeyed all the will
of God. Hear his voice in the Psalms
before his incarnation, before he assumed our human nature. Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it
is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my
God. Yea, thy law is within my heart. The Father had given him a work
to do. And in the days of his humiliation, he perfectly fulfilled
that work. He perfectly fulfilled all the
will of God. He was able to say in prayer
to the Father, I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished
the work which Thou gavest me to do. Now what was that work
which the Father gave Him to do? Well, it was twofold. It was twofold. He was to render a perfect obedience
to the law of God. As a man, he must fulfill the
covenant of works. This was that covenant that Adam
was under when God created him. But, you know, our first parents
broke that covenant when they disobeyed God. And yet, this is the covenant,
it's still the covenant which all who are descended from Adam
are under. every man woman and child born
into this world is under the covenant of works as they come
forth from the womb being descendants of Adam because the head of the
race was under the covenant of works even though that covenant
has been broken by our head and by us you know the the giving of the
law on Mount Sinai was a restating as it were of that covenant of
works. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 25
we read, and it shall be our righteousness if we observe to
do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he has commanded
us. That's the covenant of works. But we have not done all those
commandments, neither are we able to do so, because the carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. Ah, but Christ has come in our
nature, that is, as a man, in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and yet without sin. for his sacred humanity was formed
in the womb of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, he is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners. He did no sin. Neither was guile
found in his mouth. He rendered a perfect obedience
to all the holy law of God. He restored that which he took
not away. And he has brought in everlasting
righteousness. And that righteousness is imputed
to all who by grace are brought to believe on him. This is that
wedding garment. This is the fine linen, clean
and white, with which the church is clothed. Christ's perfect obedience to
the law of God. This was one part of the work
which the father gave him to do, often referred to as his
active obedience. The second part of the work is
often referred to as his passive obedience. It was to offer up
his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all who by grace would
be brought to believe on him. We read that he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Just as his obedience is imputed to his people, his church, well,
so their disobedience is imputed to him, and he must pay the penalty
for their sins. And what is the penalty for sin?
Well, we're clearly told, aren't we, the wages of sin is death. It was told Adam in the very
beginning, wasn't it? Genesis 2 verse 16, And the Lord
God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou
mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. thou shalt surely die that's
the sentence that has been passed upon us under the law thou shalt
surely die death is the penalty for sin
as it was told Adam and as it is told to all who are in Adam
all who are under that covenant of works all who are under the
law The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. Christ must suffer the penalty
for the sins of his people. Even as the Son of Man came,
not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life
a ransom for many. that word for there in Matthew
20 verse 28 in the Greek is anti a ransom for many, a ransom anti
many it actually means in the place of in the place of many
the Lord Jesus gave his life a ransom in the place of many
and so we read in the 53rd chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah that he was wounded for our transgressions
He was bruised for our iniquities. And again, the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all. And again, for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. Throughout that 53rd chapter
of Isaiah, we see the substitutionary atonement. Christ bore the punishment
which was due to his people, which was death. This was the great work which
the Father gave him to do as his servant. It was that great
work of redemption. It was to redeem his people.
And secondly, we see that Christ was upheld in the great work
which he was to undertake. Behold my servant whom I uphold. And again we note that this is
speaking of his human nature. For as God, he is not upheld
by any. He is, in the words of the Athanasian
Creed, equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, but inferior
to the Father as touching His manhood. As God, He is upholding
all things by the word of His power, and He needs none to uphold
Him. As man, however, and as the servant
of Jehovah, He is upheld by the Father. No man upheld Him. No man upheld him. All his disciples
forsook him and fled, you remember, as he said that they would. John 16, 32. Behold, the hour
cometh. Yea, he is now come, that ye
shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me
alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Oh yes, he was upheld. by the
Father. And we read of how he was upheld
as the hour of his crucifixion approached. See him there in
the garden of Gethsemane, how he kneeled down and prayed, saying,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless,
not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. There is Christ, the obedient
servant, submissive to the Father's will, upheld in his agony, strengthened
by means of an angel sent from the Father. Behold my servant,
whom I uphold. But you know, these words may
also be rendered, Behold my servant, upon whom I lean. Behold my servant,
upon whom I lean. Or as Calvin renders it, Behold
my servant, I will lean upon him. I will lean upon him. How is it that the father leans
upon Christ as his servant? Well, as in the old days the
master would rely on his faithful servant to perform all the duties
which were entrusted to him in the care of the house or of the
estate. Well, so the father has entrusted
to the son that great work of redeeming his people. I have
laid help upon one that is mighty, he says in the Psalms. We read in John that all judgment
is committed to the Son by the Father. John 5.22 For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. All authority is given to him.
For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to
the Son, to have life in himself. And he hath given him authority
to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Indeed,
the Father has given all things into his hands. Again in John,
John 13 verse 3, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands and that he was come from God and went
to God. The Father, as it were, relies on the Son who has come
as the servant of the Lord to perform that great work of redemption
which has been entrusted to him. Behold my Son upon whom I lean. Now mark this. If God, the Father, leans upon
Christ Cannot you and I do so? Indeed, cannot the whole church
and the whole of the election of grace lean upon Him who is
the Beloved? Or see the church, the bride
of the Lord Jesus, there in the Son of Solomon. Who is this that
cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved? Or
the Father leans upon Christ as His servant. The church leans
upon Christ as her Beloved. here in the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ God and his people meet for there is one God and
one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus and so we see in the words of the text before
us, that not only is the son in his sacred humanity dependent
on the father and upheld by the father, but also that the father
entrusts the whole work of redemption to the son. He relies on the
son, as it were, to fulfill all his, that is, the father's redemptive
purpose, his eternal purpose of salvation. Behold my servant,
whom I uphold, Behold my servant, upon whom I lean. And thirdly,
and finally, we see Christ here described as the Father's elect. Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect. There's another place in the
Old Testament where Christ is described as mine elect, and
that's Psalm 89. We sang it, it's in the metrical
version just now. Psalm 89, verse three, I have
made a covenant with my chosen. Again in verse 19 of that psalm,
Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have
laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. Now I know that the reference
there is in that psalm is to David. But we do see David there
as a type of Christ. And all the promises which were
made to David in that psalm are ultimately fulfilled in him who
is the seed of David. our Lord Jesus Christ. So in
what sense then is Christ the elect of God? Well, he was appointed
to be the mediator of a covenant before the foundation of the
world. He was appointed to be the saviour
and redeemer of all who were given to him in that eternal
covenant before the world began. And so Peter says in his first
epistle, for as much as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,
who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do
believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him
glory. Again, there in 1 Peter 2 and
verse 4, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed
of men, but chosen of God and precious. And there in 1 Peter
2 verse 4, we see both election and reprobation, in this case
applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is reprobated of men, disallowed
indeed of men, but chosen of God. You know, those who reject Christ
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ don't
realize that they themselves are reprobate, being disobedient,
whereunto also they were appointed. Again, as Peter says, what a
solemn word that is. Whereas those who have believed
the gospel and who do by grace believe on the name of the Son
of God are the elect, they are elect, indeed they are chosen
in Christ before the foundation of the world. And so we, We read
again in Peter, but ye are a chosen generation. We are a chosen generation. And so we read of Christ being
chosen of God and we read of His people being chosen in Him. Here is the eternal union between
Christ and His Church. It is an eternal union. I like
the way Isaac Watts puts it, Christ be my first elect, he
said, then chose our souls in Christ our head, before he gave
the mountains birth or laid the foundations for the earth. Yes,
Christ be my first elect, he said, then chose our souls in
Christ our head. Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect. Now the great question which
we have to ask ourselves as we draw to a conclusion this morning
is this How can I know that I am of that
blessed number of God's elect? How can I know that I am chosen
in Him who is the Father's first elect? Well, we have a mark here
in our text Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect. Behold. Do you behold him by
faith? Are you looking to him to save
you from your sins, knowing that you cannot save yourself from
your sins, knowing that none other can save you from your
sins? Are you looking to Jesus to save you from your sins? Behold,
my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect. Turning again to Peter
in his first epistle, chapter 2, verse 6, he says, Wherefore
also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion. There's
that word behold again. Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be compounded. He that believeth on him shall
not be confounded. Oh, but how do I know that my
faith is real, that I have truly believed on him? Well, Peter
goes on to give another mark. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. He is precious. Oh, is Christ
precious to you? Is he precious to your soul? Is he the chiefest among 10,000? Would you choose him before all
others? Before all other people and things? Would you, like Moses,
choose rather suffering and affliction with Christ and with his people
than ease and pleasure in Egypt? By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Has the test, isn't
it? One of this remnant I would be
A soul devoted unto thee, Allured by thy voice, No more on gaudy
idols gaze, No longer tinsel grandeur praise, But fix on thee
my choice. But fix on thee my choice. As Calvinists we often shy away,
don't we, from the word choice with regards to our own experience. We quite rightly emphasise God's free and unconditional
election of his people. And we quite rightly uphold the
Arminian doctrine of free will. But you know, we shouldn't be
ashamed of that word choice with regards to our experience. No,
we find it many times in the scriptures. Psalm 119 verse 30
for example, I have chosen the way of truth I have chosen the
way of truth. We also see the many of the hymns
that we sing, like the one I've just quoted by John Berridge,
that fits on thee my choice. It can also be a great source of comfort, I
believe, to a child of God to discern his or her election from
the fact that he or she has made choice of Christ. This is an evidence, you see,
of our election, that we choose Him. It's very well expressed
in hymn 222 of Gadsby's, one of Hart's hymns. "...Election
tis a word divine, for Lord, I plainly see, had not thy choice
prevented mine, I ne'er had chosen thee." We often quote John Doe, we love
him because he first loved us, but we might equally say that
We choose him because he first chose us. And again, do we not see in our
Lord Jesus Christ the place where God and his people meet? For
he is the elect, the chosen of God, and he is the choice of
his elect people. Well may we be those then who
by God's grace fits on Christ our choice. May we behold Him,
the Servant of Jehovah, and lean upon Him, and make Him, the Lord
Jesus Christ, our soul's choice. Oh, in making our choice of Him,
we see our election in Him. Well, may the Lord bless his
word to each of our souls. The Lord willing, we should consider
the rest of the verse in two weeks' time when I'm due to preach
here again. Behold, my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Amen.