Here is a glorious portrait of Christ Jesus, the Son of God Who has always been the pleasure of the Father. In this passage God graciously gives us a view of His glory in the face of the Lord Jesus, Who is the image of the invisible God (see Col. 1:15). May we meditate on this truth (from the O.T. which we must not let go of, and from the N.T.) this week, as we seek first His kingdom and yearn for righteousness and His return!
Isaiah 42:1-10, ESV (italics and boldness added to the references of Christ Jesus)
1 Behold My Servant, Whom I uphold, My Chosen, in Whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the coast-lands wait for His Law. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 “I am the Lord; I have called You in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and keep You; I will give You as a Covenant for the people, a Light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord; that is My Name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols. 9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
What a glorious passage that declares so many beautiful statements about Christ Jesus and the gospel of grace. For ALL that He is and ALL that He has done in the incarnation is ALL our salvation. Therefore our justification, sanctification, and glorification are guaranteed in, by, and because of King Jesus! May we by faith desire to have the heart of God to so delight in Jesus that we too can say “in Whom My soul delights”! Christ Jesus was, is, and always will be the joy of the Church!