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Return in your Bibles to the 
prophet Isaiah chapter 49. Isaiah chapter 49. Isaiah 49, I'll pick up reading 
in verse one, we'll read the verse 13. Listen, O coastlands, 
to me, and take heed, you peoples, from afar. The Lord has called 
me from the womb, from the matrix of my mother. He has made mention 
of my name, and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. In 
the shadow of his hand, he has hidden me and made me a polished 
shaft. In his quiver, he has hidden 
me. And he said to me, you are my servant, O Israel, in whom 
I will be glorified. Then I said, I have labored in 
vain. I have spent my strength for 
nothing and in vain. Yet surely my just reward is 
with the Lord and my work with my God. And now the Lord says 
who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob 
back to him so that Israel is gathered to him. I shall be glorious 
in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength. Indeed, 
he says, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant 
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved 
ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light 
to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of 
the earth. Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer 
of Israel, their Holy One, to him whom men despises, to him 
whom the nation abhors, to the servant of rulers. Kings shall 
see and arise. Princes also shall worship because 
of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel. And he 
has chosen you. Thus says the Lord in an acceptable 
time, I have heard you. And in the day of salvation, 
I have helped you. I will preserve you and give 
you as a covenant to the people to restore the earth, to cause 
them to inherit the desolate heritages. that you may say to 
the prisoners, go forth. To those who are in darkness, 
show yourselves. They shall feed along the roads, 
and their pastors shall be on all desolate heights. They shall 
neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them. 
For he who has mercy on them will lead them. Even by the springs 
of water he will guide them. I will make each of my mountains 
a road, and my highways shall be elevated. Surely, these shall 
come from afar. Look, those from the north and 
the west, and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens, 
be joyful, O earth, and break out in singing, O mountains, 
for the Lord has comforted his people and will have mercy on 
his afflicted. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we pray for the ministry of your spirit, 
Shine the light upon this passage of scripture that we may see 
the glory, the beauty, the majesty of Jesus Christ, the servant 
of the Lord. We thank you for him, God. We 
praise you for his work on our behalf. We praise you that you 
made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become 
the righteousness of God in him. We just ask now that you would 
fill our hearts with love, with worship, with adoration. And 
may we indeed marvel at Emmanuel, God with us, even our Lord Jesus 
Christ. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, if you remember this morning, 
I had mentioned that some of the backdrop for Matthew chapter 
three was the servant of the Lord songs in the prophet Isaiah. In fact, as you trace through 
that section in Matthew three, where Jesus is baptized, You 
read through chapter four, and it's obvious that Isaiah the 
prophet is in the background. Well, Isaiah the prophet composed 
four servant songs. The servant of the Lord being, 
of course, Jesus Christ, the one who would come on behalf 
of the Father to execute the work of redemption and salvation 
for His people. Those servant songs are found 
in Isaiah 42, Isaiah 49, this is the second servant song, the 
third is in Isaiah 50, and then perhaps the one we're most familiar 
with is in Isaiah 52 and 53, that passage that speaks of Christ as a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief, the one upon whom the iniquity of 
us all was laid. We like sheep have gone astray, 
but the Lord has laid the iniquity of us all on him. And so Isaiah 
53, of course, is what the eunuch is reading in Acts chapter 8. 
And remember, when Philip asked him if he understood what he 
was reading, the eunuch says, How can I, unless someone explains? And then his particular question 
was, Of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or some 
other man? And it's from that passage in 
Isaiah 53 that Philip preaches Jesus to him. So the four servant 
songs give us different facets concerning the work, the ministry 
and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, as we look at this 
second servant song tonight, we'll break it down into three 
sections, the verses that we read. Verses 1 to 3 is the call 
of the servant, or the commission of the servant. Secondly, the 
specific mission of the servant, verses 4 to 12, And then it, 
of course, ends with a doxology praise because of the servant 
in verse 13. But let's look first at the call 
of the serpent, a servant. Notice that it's universal in 
nature. What the prophet Isaiah is writing 
about has unique and specific application to Israel, but it 
transcends Israel as well. That will be more evident as 
we proceed through the chapter. But the initial verse says, Listen, 
O coastlands, to me, and take heed, you peoples, from afar. So what we find here is universal 
call to salvation in and through the Lord Jesus, not universalism, 
the heresy that teaches that every man, woman, boy and girl 
without exception will be saved, but the universal call. In other 
words, Jesus is not confined simply to the nation of Israel. 
But his mission includes the Gentiles as well. Notice. Secondly, with reference to the 
call of the servant, it identifies him versus one and two. We know in the first place that 
he would be a man. We're not looking for some super 
or some idea. Rather, we are looking specifically 
for a man. Notice the Lord has called me 
from the womb, from the matrix of my mother. He has made mention 
of my name. The promise of redemption was 
always connected. to the seed of the woman in Genesis 
chapter 3 and verse 15. It would be the seed of the woman 
that would crush the head of the serpent in a decisive death 
blow. And so the rest of the Old Testament 
fleshes out that promise. And here specifically and again, 
what the children of Israel were looking for was a man in whom 
redemption would be bound up. Of course, you have the Isaiah 
prophecy in chapters seven and nine that speaks of him specifically 
as a child born, as a son given, one upon whom the government 
would be on his shoulder. His name would be called Wonderful 
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. prince of peace. So he 
is a child born. And here in the second servant 
song, he speaks of being called from the womb. This is similar 
to the prophet Jeremiah being separated from the womb. The 
apostle Paul in Galatians one being separated from the womb. 
And so what Israel was taught to look for was a man who would 
come. Secondly, in terms of his identification, 
he would be a prophet. Certainly he would be priest 
and king as well. But here specifically in verse 
two is a reference to the fact that Jesus is a prophet. He has 
made my mouth like a sharp sword. This is biblical language. This 
is biblical imagery. for the Word of God. When you 
get to the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus wages war on sinful 
churches with the sword that proceeds from His mouth. In Revelation 
19, when He's riding on that white horse, what is the element 
of combat? It is the sword that proceeds 
from His mouth. In other words, it is the Word 
of God. The prophet Christ speaks to His church. The prophet Christ 
speaks and effects change through that word. Calvin said Christ 
has therefore been appointed by the Father not to rule after 
the manner of princes by the force of arms and by surrounding 
himself with other external defenses to make himself an object of 
terror to his people. But his whole authority consists 
in doctrine, in the preaching of which he wishes to be sought 
and acknowledged, for nowhere else will he be found. And so 
what we find is he would be a man, he would be a prophet, and he 
would come in God the Father's timing. Notice verse 2, in the 
shadow of his hand he has hidden me and made me a polished shaft. In his quiver he has hidden me. Remember that the prophet is 
speaking here several hundred years prior to the coming of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. So the people could perhaps say, 
well, where is this Redeemer? Where is this man? Where is this 
prophet? It's all according to God's good 
plan. Paul identifies that reality 
in Galatians 4. He says, in the fullness of the 
time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the 
law, to redeem those under the law. So we see the scope of the 
prophecy, the identification of the servant. Notice the purpose 
of God in verse three. And he said to me, You are my 
servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Incidentally, this 
is how the church is the Israel of God. Because Jesus is the 
Israel of God, Jesus is the true Israel. Remember, God gave Israel 
a specific mission. They were to be a kingdom of 
priests. They were to mediate God's blessing 
upon the nations around them. They were to live in such a way 
that the peoples around them said, what kind of a nation is 
this that has God so near to it and has such wonderful laws? Well, Israel failed in their 
mission. So Jesus is the true Israel. Jesus, again in Matthew's Gospel, 
follows the pattern that Israel went through. Jesus goes into 
Egypt and He's called out of Egypt, according to Matthew 2. 
Jesus passes through the waters, similar to Israel going through 
the Red Sea. Jesus' baptism, He passes through 
the waters. Matthew chapter 4, where does 
Jesus go? He goes out into the wilderness 
for 40 days, just like Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. 
Matthew is weaving together for us a biblical theology of this 
idea that Christ is the true Israel. And so believers, by 
virtue of union in Him, are the Israel of God. This is why Paul 
can say this in Galatians chapter 6. Peace be upon the Israel of 
God. It's not as if God has two peoples, 
the church and Israel. He has one people of God, saved 
by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. And whether 
they were old covenant or new covenant, attached to Him by 
faith, they are indeed the Israel of God Most High. But notice 
God's purpose. He said to me, You are my servant, 
O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. You see, the father's purpose 
in sending the son is, yes, the salvation of our souls. That's 
to be sure that the primary emphasis, the primary stress falls upon 
the glory of God. God's glory, God's honor, God's 
praise, God's majesty. That's why in Romans chapter 
11, after discoursing on the sovereignty of God in election 
and predestination from chapters 9 to 11, the apostle Paul can 
say, from of him and to him and through him are all things to 
whom be glory now and forever. Amen. The salvation of sinners 
redounds to the glory of God, and that's why the servant of 
the Lord primarily came. He said to me, You are my servant, 
O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It's a blessed reality, a wonderful 
thought, that as God is glorified, as God is magnified, as God is 
praised, His people reap benefit in and through that. Notice, 
secondly, the mission of the servant. Beautiful. The mission 
is detailed in verses five to twelve. But before that, look 
at verse four. Then I said, I have labored in 
vain. I have spent my strength for 
nothing and in vain. Jesus was true man, wasn't he? What's the prophet going to tell 
us in that fourth servant song? He's a man of sorrows and acquainted 
with grief. Jesus saw. many people during 
his earthly ministry that couldn't care less about the glory of 
God, that couldn't care less that Messiah had come. Being 
true humanity, being true man, he says, I have spent my strength 
for nothing and in vain. He realizes there is in that 
state of humiliation the difficulties associated with this lower world. In fact, the Westminster Shorter 
Catechism says, Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born and 
that in a low condition made under the law, undergoing the 
miseries of this life. Certainly it would be miserable 
to be the very son of God himself, preaching the gospel to sinners 
and have them reject you and rebuff you. I mean, when I preach 
the gospel and people reject it, I expect them to be quite 
candid. I'm not Jesus, I'm not God, I'm 
not sovereign. I don't have the perfection of 
Christ the Lord. So if it's grieving to an earthly 
preacher that meets with rejection week in and week out, then certainly 
the Son of God, who is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand, 
to be rebuffed, to be rejected, to be despised and forsaken, 
what manner of man would he be if he wasn't discouraged in such 
a situation? But notice, this is wherein he 
doesn't sin. Discouragement in and of itself 
or being affected by the miseries of this life in itself is not 
sinful. It's what we do with it. If we 
are discouraged, if we're ready to give up or if we're ready 
to just Throw in the towel or say forget it. I'm done. I'm 
not going to carry on. That's a sinful response. Not 
so with Jesus Christ. I have spent my strength for 
nothing and in vain yet. He says he never loses sight 
of the glory of God Almighty, yet surely my just reward is 
with the Lord and my work with my God. Though men may discourage, 
though men may rebuff, though men may reject and not even care 
one with what Jesus always had his eye upon. in his earthly 
ministry as the prophet of God, is that surely my just reward 
is with the Lord, and my work with my God." It's a beautiful 
statement concerning the confidence of the servant in Yahweh his 
God. Now let's look specifically at 
the mission in verses 5 to 12. The first aspect is the salvation 
of Israel. The salvation of Israel. Certainly 
this would be welcome news to a people that were getting ready 
to face great calamity. Remember that the prophet Isaiah 
ministered from about 750 B.C. to about 680 B.C. era. a time of great tumult, a time 
of great trial in the midst of Israel. So this would be welcome 
news, verse 5. And now the Lord says, he who 
formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back 
to him so that Israel is gathered to him. For I shall be glorious 
in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength. The 
salvation of Israel is in view. Again, not every man, woman, 
boy and a girl without exception. But within that nation of Israel, 
it wouldn't be all turmoil. It wouldn't be all gloom. It 
wouldn't be all judgment and wrath. There was great things 
on their horizon. The sun, the Redeemer would come 
out of Zion. He would come with healing in 
his wings. He would affect the salvation of the living and true 
God. And even in that, he highlights the reality that I shall be glorious 
in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength. But 
it's not simply the salvation of Israel. He speaks of the salvation 
of Gentiles also. Notice in verse six, I love the 
language and the imagery and the analogy and the way that 
God the Lord says this to Christ. Indeed, he says, it is too small 
a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes 
of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give 
you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation 
to the ends of the earth. Beautiful. I can't think of a 
better analogy. I know the people that have been 
here a while know where I'm going here. But when he says, indeed, 
it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise 
up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of 
Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles. It's 
too small for you just to go after the tribes of Jacob. Your 
power, your glory, your majesty, your excellence is such that 
it should be comprehensive in nature, that you should say from 
every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, be akin to a man 
who lifts weights, wants to impress his wife. He doesn't put 10-pound 
weights on the ends of the bar. That's too small. That doesn't 
demonstrate his power. That doesn't show his manliness. He loads up a couple 45s on either 
side and he reps that out. What does it do? It shows his 
wife. He's got some strength. He's got some power. He's got 
some ability. You're not going to impress anybody 
just with the bar. I mean, Lily might be able to 
get that bar. That's not anything impressive. That's the analogy going on here. 
It is too small. Just to confine your blessed 
efforts to the region of Israel, just to confine your saving benefit 
to one small people group. The language is about displaying 
the glory of the servant. and in turn displaying the glory 
of God Most High. Because as the servant shines, 
as the servant performs, what is happening is God is glorified. Remember verse 3, this is why 
I raise you up to be my servant, O Israel. It is so that God would 
be glorified in you. And the way that God is glorified 
through the activity of the servant is through the salvation of a 
great multitude, which no man can number. If ever there was 
a passage that should fuel the missionary enterprise, it is 
the second servant song of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the prophet 
Isaiah, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant 
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved 
ones of Israel. I will give you as a light to 
the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of 
the earth. This was already stated in the 
first servant song in Isaiah 42 and verse six. You know who 
takes this on their lips in the New Testament? Simeon, first 
of all, remember Simeon, the scripture defines him as a holy 
and just man waiting for the consolation of Israel. When Mary 
and Joseph bring the babe Christ to dedicate him at the at the 
temple, Simeon sees that baby and he grabs the baby. I've always 
wondered, you know, sort of the logistics there. Did Mary, you 
know, grab him back and say, wait a minute. Obviously, God 
is at work there. The Spirit is moving. Simeon 
sees the sun and he grabs him into his arms and he rejoices 
in God as Savior. And he highlights the reality 
that he is looking at the salvation of God. And it is the one that 
God has sent to be a light unto the Gentiles, as well the apostles. Paul and Barnabas, when they're 
in Pisidian Antioch, remember they go first to a synagogue 
on the Sabbath day. They meet with rejection and 
with opposition. And what do they say? They take 
this prophecy. They take Isaiah 42 and 49. They say we're going to go to 
the Gentiles because God has given us as a light to the Gentiles. In other words, when the church 
is engaged in the missionary enterprise, she is functioning 
in harmony with and in conjunction to her blessed Lord and Savior. And as a result, she is shining 
the light on the Gentiles, the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful description. It is a wonderful display of 
God's salvation. Notice in the in verse six as 
well. This would be a demonstration 
of God's salvation globally. I will give you or I will also 
give you as a light to the Gentiles. Notice that you should be my 
salvation to the ends of the earth. Look to me, and be ye 
saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no 
other." That's already been stated in the prophet Isaiah. Here he 
hones in. It's the servant of the Lord 
that will affect the salvation of God to the uttermost parts 
of the earth. This is why Jesus, in the Great 
Commission, uses this global language. He doesn't say to his 
disciples, go to Israel and make disciples of Israel, baptize 
those disciples in Israel and teach Israel all that I have 
commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always to 
the end of the age. No, Jesus is the servant of the 
Lord. God has specified his particular 
mission. God has stated to him, it's a 
small thing for him to simply save the tribes of Jacob, but 
rather he is a light to the Gentiles, that he should be the salvation 
of God to the ends of the earth. That's why Jesus says, go therefore 
and disciple the nations, all of them. preach the gospel, proclaim 
the truth, every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation 
ought to hear the great news of Jesus Christ the Lord. This 
is a missionary passage, an evangelistic passage, a passage for the church, 
to motivate and spur her on, to pray for missionaries, to 
pray for the men of God who preach the Word, to be faithful in season 
and out of season, convincing, rebuking and exhorting with all 
longsuffering and teaching. Notice that rulers will submit 
to this one. Verse 7, thus says the Lord, 
the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises. You see, you can't forget that. 
He's a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. John says that he 
came into this world, he made the world, he came into 
the world, and the world did not know him. They rejected him. Well, here we see that same opposition 
to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to 
the servants of rulers. What a beautiful thing. He is 
the servant not only to us, the church, but to rulers as well. Kings shall see and worship. 
Princes also shall worship because of the Lord who is faithful, 
the Holy One of Israel. And he has chosen you, rulers. 
will submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, this servant of the Lord. Notice the restoration of the 
earth. I think this looks forward from 
our time, verse 8. In an acceptable time I have 
heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. 
I will preserve you and give you as a covenant to the people 
to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate 
heritages. I think that new age, or the 
age to come rather, not the new age, we're not talking crystals, 
but the age to come has broken in upon this age. But we have 
not entered into the completeness and the consummation of the new 
heavens and the new earth. That is Christ's task. Remember, Adam was told to do 
something, wasn't he? What was he told to do? A little 
question here. Everybody get some blood flow. 
Spurgeon said, the next best thing to the spirit of God in 
the soul is oxygen in the brain. And I think Spurgeon's right. 
Take a deep breath. Especially when it gets warm 
in here, we had the water in here, it gets humid. Oh, that's 
a recipe for heavy eyes. What was Adam's task? To subdue 
the earth. To present it unto God. Remember I already said Israel 
had a calling, they failed, so Jesus is the true Israel. Adam 
had a calling, he failed, Jesus is the last Adam. So Adam's task 
was to subdue the earth, be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth, extend 
the garden temple. That's what was created in the 
Garden of Eden was a temple, the place of worship, a place 
of communion, a place of the presence of God with his people. Adam's task was to extend that. But because Adam failed, Jesus 
comes as the last Adam or the second Adam. But the mission 
remains the same. He will redeem. He will save. He will usher in a new heavens 
and a new earth. That's why in Revelation 21, 
when John sees the holy city coming down out of heaven, when 
he sees that new Jerusalem, if you follow John's description, 
he's describing a temple. He's describing God's presence 
with his people. He's describing what the prophet 
anticipates here to restore the earth. It is cosmic in its and 
its focus. Christ's work, yes, is to liberate 
and deliver us from our individual sins. But God so loved the world 
that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in 
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. If any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away. What 
God is doing with these new creatures is he is remaking things, making 
all things new according to the plan of God. Adam failed. The second Adam succeeds, he 
does all that the father gave him. The earth is not bad. Sin is bad. He will revitalize. I don't know all the logistics 
and all the dimensions of what's going to happen, but we do realize 
and we do know there is a promise of a new heavens and a new earth. 
But as well, notice in verse nine, I think this speaks to 
justification, what we would call in the New Covenant or New 
Testament justification that you may say to the prisoners, 
go forth to those who are in darkness, show yourselves. The 
idea being liberty, freedom, blessing, no more slavery, no 
more prison house, no more darkness. The idea is being called out 
of darkness in the marvelous light. He's speaking in the language 
of his day. Isaiah is prophesying in the 
terminology that Israel would understand. When we think about 
it, we ponder it, we meditate upon it. What he is speaking 
about here is the calling of sinners unto salvation and what 
we would call justification. Then verses 10 to 12 describe 
what we might call sanctification. They shall, verse nine, feed 
along the roads, and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 
They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun 
shall strike them. For he who has mercy on them 
will lead them. Isn't that what sanctification 
is? Our shepherd leads us. Our shepherd feeds us. Our shepherd 
cares for us. Our shepherd protects us. He 
watches over us. He doesn't let us get hurt. He 
doesn't let us falter. It is the Lord Christ who will 
perform this. It is the servant of the Lord 
who will accomplish this, not only justification, but sanctification 
by his word, by his spirit. Even by the springs of water 
he will guide them. I will make each of my mountains 
a road and my highway shall be elevated. Surely these shall 
come from afar. Look, those from the north and 
the west and these from the land of Sinai. What we find here is 
the comprehensive mission of the Lord Jesus Christ anticipated 
several centuries before his arrival. We could go to the New 
Testament and flesh out each of these areas and see that Christ 
is, in fact, the servant of the Lord God Almighty that accomplishes 
the task of saving Israel, saving Gentiles, demonstrating God's 
salvation globally, bringing rulers into submission, restoring 
the earth, justifying, sanctifying, doing everything that the Father 
has laid upon him, and that to the glory of God most high. You are my servant, O Israel, 
in whom I will be glorified." Is it any wonder that verse 13 
is there? What's the response? Praise, 
worship, doxology, adoration. Our Calvinism shouldn't just 
be something. Our comprehensive view of Christ 
shouldn't just be something that we know that we attack others 
with. We have theologized over, I'm 
not necessarily saying these things are bad, but it ought 
to promote praise. You know, you take the worship 
situation, you know, who looks more excited? Reformed people 
or the Pentecostals? Well, the Pentecostals look more 
excited, right? They're whooping it up there, 
you know, doing this and whatever it is they do. It looks pretty 
amazing. We know this servant of the Lord. We ought to be the most excited 
worshipers ever. We ought to be filled with the 
desire to come to the house of God. Psalm 122 ought to be our 
reality every Sabbath day. I was glad when they said unto 
me, let us go to the house of the Lord. A glad heart will bring 
us here. on time. A glad heart will bring 
us here ready. A glad heart will bring us here 
receptive. A glad heart will bring us here 
reverent. A glad heart will bring us here 
with godly fear. A glad heart will bring us here 
with the knowledge and a desire to praise our triune God, to 
sing his glories, to magnify his name, to give attention to 
his word and to rejoice in him. Sound, biblical, good theology 
ought to promote doxology on the part of the people. Take 
a cue, take a pattern, take an example from the prophet. He 
highlights the call of the servant, the mission of the servant, and 
verse 13 says, Sing, O heavens, be joyful, O earth, and break 
out in singing, O mountains. Why? For the Lord has comforted 
his people and will have mercy on his afflicted. Do you need 
any other reason than that to come to church on the Lord's 
day? To go to your closet on the Tuesday? to meet with God 
in private, to meet with God as families, to meet with God 
in the public place, in corporate worship. Based on who this servant 
is, based on what he accomplishes on our behalf, this verse, verse 
13, is a no-brainer and it flows as it ought. Sing, O heavens, 
be joyful, O earth, break out in singing, O mountains, for 
the Lord has comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted. If the heavens and the earth 
and the mountains are to break out in song, praise, and rejoicing 
over God in his goodness to sinners, how much more the sinners who 
are the recipients of his goodness. If we are the ones who have been 
comforted, if we have received mercy in our affliction, certainly 
we ought to be those who worship God with joy, with thanksgiving, 
and with great delight. Well, brethren, the servant song 
indicates Jesus is not only a prophet. We saw that in verse two, but 
he's also a priest. How does he accomplish this task 
of saving Israel? How does he accomplish this task 
of saving Gentiles? How does he accomplish the task 
of justification? It is through his crosswork on 
behalf of sinners, prophet, priest, and he's a king. Because ultimately, 
kings shall see and arise. Princes also shall worship. For kings and princes to bow 
down, it highlights the royal office of Jesus Christ the Lord. So the prophet Isaiah, speaking 
of the servant of the Lord, presents him to us in that threefold office 
of prophet, priest, and king. And then with reference to missions, 
I've already mentioned Simeon's song in Luke 2.32, Paul, In Barnabas in Acts 13, John 
Calvin says, God intends to express something more, that notwithstanding 
the efforts of Satan and all wicked men, the power of God 
will be victorious so that Christ shall triumph gloriously and 
the majesty of God shall shine forth in his gospel. It's hard 
to come out of Isaiah 49 with a bleak dim and discouraged view 
about the extent of Christ's kingdom, isn't it? It's hard 
to finish Isaiah 49, especially when we get to that pinnacle 
of rejoicing where the prophet calls on the earth, the heavens 
and the mountains to sing and praise God. It's hard to come 
out of Isaiah 49 and say, well, you know, missions isn't going 
to work. Evangelism is going to fail. 
We're not going to see conversions. Virgin says, so as the Lord has 
sent Jesus to be a light, you may be sure that he means to 
open blind eyes. Jesus will enlighten the people. 
Souls will be saved. God has set his king upon the 
holy hill of Zion, and he has not set him there for a king 
without intending to give him a kingdom. God will not allow 
his son to be a savior who never saves, a redeemer who does not 
redeem. In other words, Isaiah 49 ought 
to fuel our fire for prayer and for earnestness and for action 
with reference to the peoples of this world. May God indeed 
put this in our heart and may God indeed encourage us as we 
consider the servant of the Lord and as specifically tonight we 
focus on his priestly work in terms of sacrifice on our behalf. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you very much for this depiction, this presentation of Christ as 
the servant of the Lord. We thank you, Father, that you 
have included us in this blessed plan. We thank you that the servant 
glorifies the Father, that all things redound to the praise 
and glory of God most high. Lord, I pray that we as a church, 
we as individuals would think in terms of passages like these, 
that we would be prayerful for the cause of God and truth throughout 
this earth. That we would be encouraged and 
hope filled and that we would be zealous with reference to 
all that we can do in terms of support and encouragement of 
others. God, I just pray that you would 
do great things for your glory sake. Cause the light of Christ 
to shine upon the nations of the earth and do this for your 
glory sake. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen.