God's Chosen Servant

Website Editor • November 25, 2020

There are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that point directly to Jesus: Genesis foretold that Jesus would be born from the family of Abraham. Micah foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah foretold that Jesus would be born of a virgin.

In our passage this week (Matthew 12:15-21), after Jesus withdraws from conflict, Matthew points to another very specific prophecy from Isaiah:

“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 deserved so 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 circumstances, He is working things together for good. He will not toss us aside.


What great hope we have in Jesus.


..


Watch this sermon here. 

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a 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. 7 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. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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