Hope For The Discouraged

Isaiah 42:1-9

So many people, including believers, feel broken and bruised in life.  Life has been hard and harsh for them. They have been rejected by so many people, sometimes unfortunately, even by those in the Church.  The world just loves to crush those who are already down, and it is so easy to just give up all hope, feeling that even God has abandoned us.  All those who feel like this should take heart, though, as our passage today from Isaiah tells us.

As our passage opens, Isaiah introduces us to God’s Servant (vs. 1).  This servant of the Lord is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God’s Chosen One, in whom He delights.  Jesus had God’s Spirit upon Him all throughout His ministry. Isaiah proceeds to describe the character of this Servant.  When Jesus first came to earth 2,000 years ago He had a quiet and submissive demeanor (vs. 2). All throughout His ministry, Jesus was humble, and did not seek a “super-star” role.  He obeyed the Father in all things.

Jesus also brought comfort and encouragement to the weak and oppressed (vs. 3).  God lifts up those who are broken in spirit. He treats the broken with tenderness.  There are multitudes of people who feel like this. They are broken, weak, and oppressed with nowhere to turn.  Jesus calls them to Himself. “Come unto Me”, He says to us when we are weary and tired of the world kicking us down (Matthew 11:28-30).  God does not crush those who turn their hearts to Him. When we feel broken, bruised, and burned out, God won’t toss us out as useless. Many have felt used, abused, and tossed to the curb by others throughout their life.  However, God will never treat people that way. Jesus is gentle and encouraging. He is just and truthful.

Jesus fulfilled verses 1a and 2-3 at His first coming.  He will fulfill verses 1b and 4 at His second coming.  At that time Jesus will rule the earth with perfect justice.  In Jesus’ coming millennial kingdom all the nations of the world will experience the righteousness and justice of the Messiah.  As verse 6 says, Jesus is the Mediator of a better covenant than the one that came through Moses (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6).  Jesus came to be a light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). For countless centuries they had been in spiritual darkness. Jesus offers salvation to everyone, Jewish, Gentile, male, female, with no discrimination (Galatians 3:28).

Jesus frequently brought physical healing to the blind.  However, what is more important is that He brought spiritual sight to the spiritually blind (vs. 7).  All religions that who do not hold to the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, only bring spiritual blindness.  Yahweh does not, and will not, share worship with the beliefs of any false religion (vs. 8). When we turn to Jesus, and only Jesus, for salvation, the Light of His Truth will come shining through into our souls, and we receive sight.

Jesus set those who were spiritually captive free.  Sometimes we need to be set free from things that hold us captive, such as addictions, bad relationships, debt, etc.  We often cannot do it in our own power. Jesus has come to set the captive free. If we know someone who is in some type of bondage, as believers, we need to pray fervently for them.  Prison bars cannot withstand the power of God. He can break the strongest of chains. We must claim Jesus’ victory in our life and walk in His light. He has set us free!