Category: Expectation (Advent Series)

Take a moment to read Isaiah 40:1-11 before reading the devotional below.

God is a patient father. His people are crying, begging him to make things right again. Before Jesus came, they were crying for the Messiah. Today, we continue to cry out for a full restoration to the way things are supposed to be. God’s response to this crying is not, “Stop crying!” as our children are too often told. Instead, he picks us up and says, “Comfort, comfort, my people…” His reassuring tone reminds us of his patience and love.

John the Baptist points back to this prophecy as a description of his role in preparing the way for Jesus to come. He fulfilled this “voice in the wilderness” turning people back to God. The message God would bring through the Messiah was similar to what we’ve talked about in this series: the things of this earth will wither and fade, but God’s kingdom will last forever. Jesus came with that message and it still rings true today.

God is offering comfort to you and to us all. “I am coming, just hold on…” is his message to you today. The end of today’s passage reminds us of God’s power. But he uses that power to be on the side of those who have no earthly power. He’s for the down-and-out kind of person. If you feel like you can’t catch a break, then God has a special place in his heart and in his plan for you. He’s holding you. He has you today. Lean into his embrace and take a slow, deep breath. He’s coming.

Isaiah 42:1-4 (NLT)

“‘Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.'”

When Jesus got baptized in Matthew 3:16-17, this prophecy was directly fulfilled when “he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.'” Later when Jesus was arrested and on trial in Matthew 26:63, he fulfilled another piece of this prophecy as he remained silent before the judge. On the cross, Jesus brought justice in Luke 23:34 the moment he said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” and later in verse 43 when he forgave one of the criminals hanging beside him. 

So many examples come to mind as I think about ways Jesus fulfilled all of the aspects of this prophecy. The woman accused of adultery, the calming of the sea, the forgiveness of sins that he gave to so many. Jesus was acting on God’s behalf, which no one but God himself can do. These are some of the reasons that Jesus’ deity is central to the Christian faith. And his reign continues.

These verses say that our Savior “will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth.” Countless times I have faltered or lost heart, and yet Jesus has not. I lose hope, he does not. I wonder how good can come from tragedy, he does not. Jesus will prevail, and he will not ever stop fighting Satan on our behalf until justice is complete. Don’t give up — he’s not finished just yet.

Isaiah 42:5-9 (NLT)

“God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, ‘I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. ‘I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.'”

Recall from yesterday’s post that God described a coming servant upon whom God would place his Spirit. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy and more throughout his time on earth. That backdrop makes today’s verses even more interesting because they continue to paint the picture of Jesus as God. Notice here he says that he will not give his glory to anyone else, nor will he share his praise with false gods. If Jesus was not one-and-the-same with God, then he would violate this portion of Scripture because of the way he directly claimed (and received) God’s glory.

We see throughout the New Testament that those who were not God were very clear to say so — John the Baptist, Paul,  and Peter to name a few. All of these pointed the glory back to Jesus and overtly stated their belief that he was in fact the Messiah. These men were well-versed in Old Testament prophecy and they (along with many others alive at the time) affirmed Jesus’ fulfillment of these prophecies. God makes a strong statement at the end of today’s passage that his prophecies will come true. He knows the future and can tell it perfectly.

God knows what is going to happen, both in your life and in his master plan. And he knows how those two things intersect better than we can ever possibly grasp. He’s the starter and the finisher of the plan and he knows it inside and out. When you have those times of doubt and you wonder if you can trust God, just ask yourself who seems more qualified to run your life — him or you? Considering how much we do not know, it seems like letting him roll out the details is a good way to live.

Isaiah 52:7-10 (NLT)

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.”

Prophets know what it is like to be the bearer of bad news. So many prophets, perhaps most notably Elijah, risked their lives to deliver threatening messages from God to kings who were not particularly inclined to listen. I can imagine that Isaiah would be glad to be able to bring messages of good news and hopefulness to Israel. “Peace!” and “We’re saved!” go over pretty well with most people.

Jesus was the ultimate messenger of peace and salvation. His mission was not only to tell good news but to actually deliver redemption to God’s people and to open the gates of heaven to the whole world. He walked into Jerusalem while on earth knowing that he would be arrested and killed. But he walked out of Jerusalem a resurrected and victorious Savior. He did indeed demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations.

God is in the business of redeeming people. He remakes and rebuilds. He restores and renews. If we align ourselves with God, we participate in his victory and begin to see his power in our own lives. Notice the last two words of today’s passage: “our God.” He is ours. He has given himself to us and he is proving to the whole world that he will reign forever. What supernatural victories are you expecting in your life today?

Isaiah 52:13-15 (NLT)

“See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.”

We don’t know exactly what Jesus looked liked. Artists have guessed throughout history, but many have depicted him as a white man (due to many European influences in art). These verses describe the face of God’s servant, describing it as disfigured and that he may not even seem like a man. This reminds me of Luke 24:13-32 after Jesus had resurrected from death. He is walking along the road to Emmaus and those who have just heard about his death talk to him but they do not recognize him. The Bible says that God stopped them from recognizing him, but many have also wondered if there was something about his post-death appearance that made him look unfamiliar even to those who had seen him before.

In today’s verses we have an odd juxtaposition: someone described as “disfigured” yet that same one will be exalted and will cause kings to understand things they have not yet understood. Will he startle them because he does not seem like a person who would on an earthly level garner much attention or praise? Will he defy our human expectations of what a “leader” should look like?

You may not think you are all that beautiful, or talented, or worth a whole lot. But all of the earthly reasons that contribute to you feeling that way are all things God does not care one tiny bit about. He made you, so he likes you. He has a knack for taking what the world discards and turning it into a beautiful masterpiece. He looks into the deepest caverns of your heart to mine the gold that is hidden there. These verses may mean that Jesus was or is an ugly man. If he was, God made him that way intentionally to astound the world and to redefine where glory comes from. Any glory that you have in your life either comes from God lifting you up or from the world building up your pride. Humility is where the real spiritual beauty is found.