God not only announced His pleasure in His Son-Servant publicly at the Jordan, but prophetically through Isaiah. “Behold My Servant … in Whom My soul delighteth (Isa 42:1). We can, indeed, behold Him. He bears the closest of investigation and comes out of it unscathed, pure, and unblemished. Examined by friend, foe, and the fiends of hell, none could find any blemish in Him. Whether the investigation is of His movements or His motives, His words or His ways, He is unstained.
He can be beheld for emulation, that our service may take character from His. He has established a standard for service to which every subsequent servant should aspire to attain. Here is One of Whom God could say, “Behold My Servant!” and in Whom there was no flaw. In virtually every other Old Testament character called “servant,” flaws and defects can be found. Here is the only perfect Servant.
We can behold Him for adoration; He is deserving of our worship. Think of some of the reasons given in this cameo of the Servant from the pen of Isaiah. What joy must have filled God’s heart to behold His Servant.
Notice the Servant’s:
Dependence on His Master’s Hand: There was no independence in Him. The only Man who ever moved here Who was possessed of all wisdom, strength, and ability, chose to move in total dependence upon His Master. His words, works, deeds, and steps were all attributed to His Father. He did not cry or lift up or cause His voice to be heard (v2). He did not come to draw attention to His own prowess. He came to honor His Master.
Devotion to His Master’s House: Here was a Servant Who loved His Master’s House and Who did not go out free. “That the world may know that I love the Father” (John 14:31), were His words as He moved to a cross. No price was too great; He was obedient all the way to the extreme of a cross death (Phil 2:8). He never wavered in all His ways. He not only never turned back, it never even entered His mind to turn back. He loved His Master with all His heart, mind, soul, and strength. It was so full of love that nothing of disobedience or self-will could ever find a place to enter.
Delight to His Master’s Heart: “In Whom My soul delighteth” are the words of God about this Servant. Everything God ever sought to find in a servant, He found here. All the selfless consecration, all the diligence and care, all the faithfulness God desired – it was in Him, in Him in all its fullness, in Him continuously, and without a moment’s interruption.
Desire for His Honor: Our hearts are plagued by sin. The default position for each of us is self honor. Only divine grace enables us to rise in some little measure to seek God’s honor as we ought. But here was One Who knew no struggle, no internal conflict. Never did He have to bow in confession for failure of either commission or omission. No opportunity was lost, no word was left unsaid, no deed undone. Whenever and wherever He could bring honor to His Master, He did.
Continue your investigation of this Servant; strive for emulation of such service; but above all, bow in adoration to this Servant.
