LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, December 14, 2023

One of the most meaningful prophecies of Jesus from the Old Testament is found in Isaiah 42:1-4, where God proclaims what type of ruler the Messiah would be. 

Isaiah 42:1-4  “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.”

There are several significant attributes of Christ’s character as a King that are mentioned:

• He will be a ruler with a servant’s heart
• He will be upheld by God Almighty
• He will be the delight of His heavenly Father
• God’s Spirit will be upon Him
• He will reign in perfect justice
• He will be gentle, not obnoxious (He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets)
• He will be faithful to God’s purpose
• He will remain strong
• He will not be discouraged

I intentionally skipped over two items, because they are so meaningful to me and I want to address them specifically. These words have been of great comfort to me in times of hardship and hurt. They have encouraged me when I have been down on myself. They remind me that Jesus Christ does not abandon the unlovable and the hurting. He is the approachable King who will not break us when we are bruised or snuff us out when we have become nothing more than a smoldering wick. He will not lash out at us with harsh words of condemnation, but will lead us to healing with compassion, comfort, and care.

It’s simply amazing to me – with the power and authority of heaven to bring justice to the earth, Jesus will reign with gentleness. He even described Himself that way while on the earth. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Later, when He triumphantly entered Jerusalem days before His crucifixion, Matthew wrote that Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy that declares, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” He could have called down ten thousand angels to destroy all those who rejected Him, but He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). He came to conquer sin, not destroy the sinner.

Today, Jesus presents Himself to the world as the King who has already conquered sin and now seeks to restore sinners. His message to the world today is not one of condemnation, but of compassion. Read with joy these descriptive passages of the Messiah’s ministry:

Psalm 34:17-18 “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 147:3  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Isaiah 61:1-3  “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Jesus declared that He is the fulfillment of these prophecies. On one occasion, after reading from the scroll of Isaiah 61, He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4) Jesus came to restore people to fullness of life.

Are you brokenhearted? Is your spirit crushed? Are your emotions wounded? Are you being held captive by unforgiveness and bitterness? Are you suffering in the darkness of despair? Are you a bruised reed or a smoldering wick? Turn to Jesus and admit it all to Him. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

Pastor John