Christ’s Autobiographical Song

CHRIST’S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SONG

Read Isaiah 49:1-6

Read Isaiah 49:1-6

“But I said, ‘I have labored in vain.’” Isaiah 49:4

The second Song of the Servant is different from the first one. It is autobiographi-cal––the Servant speaks for Himself and about Himself. H. C. Leopold comments, “Some have suggested that the Servant, whoever he may be, is in reality telling the story of his life (Volz). Our approach to the problem of identity of the Servant is that he is in the last analysis none less than the Messiah”³⁰ I agree, and so in Isaiah 49:1-6, Jesus talks about the three phases of His life

His years of solitude (49:1-2)

His years of suffering (49:3-4)

His years of significance (49:5-6)

In His youth, adolescence and young adulthood, Jesus Christ, the Servant, was “hidden” by God from the world, in order that He might develop into the Savior of mankind (49:1-2). These hidden years of Christ are alluded to by only five verses in the Gospels: Luke 3:39-40 and Matthew 2:23 and 2:51-52. These were years of financial poverty, social obscurity, political oppression, sorrows of life in a fallen world and sinful family, and a myriad of human disappointments. Jesus suffered in all things like us. But these were also the years of self discovery and development, when Jesus slowly but surely came to grasp the full measure of His Messianic calling. In Luke, chapter 2, when Jesus visits the Temple in Jerusalem for His bar mitzvah, He comes to realize more fully his atoning life. When He sees the endless sacrifices and the river of lamb’s blood that flows from the altar of God, He realizes that He is the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world.

This forms the second part of this second Servant Song: The Years of Suffering (49:3-4). The sadness of these years almost overwhelms the Servant. He begins to muse: “has it been for nothing that I endured all I did to reconcile God and His people?” “No!” He answers. First of all, in the Suffering Servant, God is glorified (49:3). Luther was right. God is never more glorious than when He is in Christ dying on the cross to reconcile and redeem the elect. As well, “justice” is due the Servant. There is that ever-popular prophetic word mishpat; the idea of God’s perfect order installed on earth. (“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”) God cannot let His faithful servant go unrewarded.

Thus, the third part of the song: The future significance of the Servant’s life and mission (49:5-6). God “honors” Christ. His life will impact mankind more than any other person in human history, and His mission of suffering will transform the world. He will restore the people of God to divine favor. He will bring an end to all false religion. He will gather the elect together in the Church. He will bring the nations to salvation. And He will restore creation to its intended end…glory!

The One who suffers for God will be glorified by God. First the cradle, then the cross, and finally the crown. Such is the way of God, the way of the cross, the way of the Gospel life. We who suffer now will rejoice in the Kingdom yet to come. Christ knows our sorrows and sufferings; He has gone through them Himself. His promise to us is sure: “Suffer now for My Father; share My glory in the future…with Me.” The Suffering Servant offers hope to all God’s servants.

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

AC: Ask the Father, by His gracious Spirit, to enable the staff of the Stated Clerk’s Office to serve the Church in wisdom and godliness as they handle a wide variety of needs and requests by PCA members and others. We need the wisdom and fruit of the Holy Spirit to be able to serve his people.

CTS: Pray for Brad Anderson, Covenant Seminary’s vice president for advancement, as he and his staff nurture relationships with Seminary friends and supporters, recruit promising new students to our pastoral training program, and seek new ways to walk beside and support our alumni as they engage in ministry.

MTW: Pray for strong missionary marriages, families and spiritual lives.

RUM: Much of the summer is spent equipping the staff of RUF. Please pray for the various training sessions held during the summer months. Pray that this time of learning and fellowship will be centered on the Gospel and leave the staff encouraged and strengthened. Pray that the instructors will be well prepared and able to communicate the goals and philosophy of ministry to the new staff members.

RBI: Gary Campbell, Mark Melendez and Harry Cooksey travel to Presbyteries, churches, conferences and schools to make presentations to those in leadership positions, as well as church and organization employees. Pray for traveling mercies and effective communication of PCA employee benefit plans. Also pray that those opportunities will continue to open.