主的僕人
以賽亞書四十二1至9節
1看哪，我的僕人─我所扶持所揀選、心裡所喜悅的！我已將我的靈賜給他；他必將公理傳給外邦。
2他不喧嚷，不揚聲，也不使街上聽見他的聲音。
3壓傷的蘆葦，他不折斷；將殘的燈火，他不吹滅。他憑真實將公理傳開。
4他不灰心，也不喪膽，直到他在地上設立公理；海島都等候他的訓誨。
5創造諸天，鋪張穹蒼，將地和地所出的一併鋪開，賜氣息給地上的眾人，又賜靈性給行在其上之人的神耶和華，他如此說：
6我─耶和華憑公義召你，必攙扶你的手，保守你，使你作眾民的中保（中保：原文是約），作外邦人的光，
7開瞎子的眼，領被囚的出牢獄，領坐黑暗的出監牢。
8我是耶和華，這是我的名；我必不將我的榮耀歸給假神，也不將我的稱讚歸給雕刻的偶像。
9看哪，先前的事已經成就，現在我將新事說明，這事未發以先，我就說給你們聽。
信息分享
父神喜歡我們注視基督的僕人形象──祂對神的順服和忠心，與當時以色列民的背逆成了強烈的對比。以色列民在許多方面都很失敗，在順服神和為神作見證這兩方面就更不用提了。
神的兒子耶穌基督卻過了完全順服的一生，祂盡了諸般的義，到最後，還為了救贖我們而甘願捨命犧牲。
神怎樣論及這位僕人呢？首先，神說會扶持祂。耶穌基督所作的一切，都得到父神的支持。讓我們細想基督在世上所經歷的一切，若不是得到父神賜予恩典，又怎能熬得住呢？祂一直得到父神的扶持。
其次，神喜悅祂。父神稱耶穌基督為祂的兒子。對於祂倆之間的親密關係，我們實在是無法完全明白，也無法經歷到。
第三，神膏立祂。當耶穌基督接受洗禮的時候，聖靈降臨在祂的身上，藉此來膏立祂。祂雖然一直被聖靈充滿，但神仍然用這種獨特的方式來膏立祂，藉此裝備祂去面對前面的事奉。在路加福音四章14至21節，基督宣稱聖靈在祂身上用膏膏祂，叫祂去作傳道、教導和治病的工作。
神在基督身上的這三方面工作，同樣可做在我們身上。我們可以親身體驗到神怎樣用恩典來扶持我們、與神親密相交的甜美，以及住我們心裡的聖靈，如何幫助我們為基督而活和為祂作工。
但願我們在小事上，也能聽見父神稱讚我們說：「看哪，我的僕人，我心裡所喜悅的！」
THE SERVANT OF THE LORD
Isaiah 42:1-9
1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Message
God the Father loves to draw attention to this aspect of Christ's life and ministry. Here the obedience and work of Christ are set out against the dark background of Israel's failure. Israel failed in many ways but particularly in obedience and in witnessing for God.
Christ, God's Son, came to live a life of perfect obedience and to do all that man had failed to do. Having done all that, he gave his life for us all.
What did God say about his servant in these verses? Firstly, God upheld him. In all that Jesus Christ did, he had the loving support of his Father. Think of all the experiences Christ went through in his earthly life. Where did he obtain the grace to endure them? He was upheld by his Father.
Secondly, God delighted in him. We cannot understand nor enter into the depth of fellowship that exists between the Father and the Son.
Thirdly, God anointed him. In some special way, the Holy Spirit came on Christ at his baptism. He had always been filled with the Spirit, but in a unique way God equipped him for the ministry that was ahead of him. In Luke 4:14-21 Christ himself claimed that he had the anointing of God's Spirit for the work of preaching, teaching and healing.
These three aspects of God's work in the life of Christ can also be true in our lives. We know something of the upholding grace of God. We know a little of what being in fellowship with him can mean in our lives. We also have the Spirit of God dwelling within us to enable us to live for Christ and work for him.
May it be true of us, even in a small way, that God is able to say 'Behold my servant ... in whom I delight'.