主的仆人
以赛亚书四十二1至9节
1看哪，我的仆人─我所扶持所拣选、心里所喜悦的！我已将我的灵赐给他；他必将公理传给外邦。
2他不喧嚷，不扬声，也不使街上听见他的声音。
3压伤的芦苇，他不折断；将残的灯火，他不吹灭。他凭真实将公理传开。
4他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理；海岛都等候他的训诲。
5创造诸天，铺张穹苍，将地和地所出的一并铺开，赐气息给地上的众人，又赐灵性给行在其上之人的神耶和华，他如此说：
6我─耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你作众民的中保（中保：原文是约），作外邦人的光，
7开瞎子的眼，领被囚的出牢狱，领坐黑暗的出监牢。
8我是耶和华，这是我的名；我必不将我的荣耀归给假神，也不将我的称赞归给雕刻的偶像。
9看哪，先前的事已经成就，现在我将新事说明，这事未发以先，我就说给你们听。
信息分享
父神喜欢我们注视基督的仆人形象──祂对神的顺服和忠心，与当时以色列民的背逆成了强烈的对比。以色列民在许多方面都很失败，在顺服神和为神作见证这两方面就更不用提了。
神的儿子耶稣基督却过了完全顺服的一生，祂尽了诸般的义，到最后，还为了救赎我们而甘愿舍命牺牲。
神怎样论及这位仆人呢？首先，神说会扶持祂。耶稣基督所作的一切，都得到父神的支持。让我们细想基督在世上所经历的一切，若不是得到父神赐予恩典，又怎能熬得住呢？祂一直得到父神的扶持。
其次，神喜悦祂。父神称耶稣基督为祂的儿子。对于祂俩之间的亲密关系，我们实在是无法完全明白，也无法经历到。
第三，神膏立祂。当耶稣基督接受洗礼的时候，圣灵降临在祂的身上，借此来膏立祂。祂虽然一直被圣灵充满，但神仍然用这种独特的方式来膏立祂，借此装备祂去面对前面的事奉。在路加福音四章14至21节，基督宣称圣灵在祂身上用膏膏祂，叫祂去作传道、教导和治病的工作。
神在基督身上的这三方面工作，同样可做在我们身上。我们可以亲身体验到神怎样用恩典来扶持我们、与神亲密相交的甜美，以及住我们心里的圣灵，如何帮助我们为基督而活和为祂作工。
但愿我们在小事上，也能听见父神称赞我们说：「看哪，我的仆人，我心里所喜悦的！」
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'.