Week #30 | "Jesus, the Servant-King"

 LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Isaiah 38-57, 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32, Psalms 95, 97, 98, and 100

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus the Servant (Isaiah 40-55). After introducing us to Jesus as "the Child" (Isaiah 7-12) and "the Cornerstone" (Isaiah 13-39), Isaiah gives us his most famous set of prophecies about the coming Messiah: he is "the Servant" (Isaiah 40-55). Now initially, in chapter 40, Israel is God's servant. But in chapter 42 God calls them a blind and deaf servant, and tells them to look upon his Servant--which should make us wonder what is happening here. In chapter 48, God tells Israel "I have refined you, but not as silver" (48:10). There is still sin and brokenness remaining, and the servant Israel is flawed. Then in chapter 49 we get our second prediction of God's Servant, and we find that he takes the place of Israel and suffers unjustly before becoming a light to all nations. In chapter 50 this Servant becomes more clearly defined as one who takes the place of his people Israel, becomes a light to the nations, but who must suffer and be treated shamefully. And then in chapter 53 we have the famously clear depiction of Jesus as the Suffering Servant who takes on the punishment for sin that his people deserve, dies, and then is found alive again, along with many of the specific details in that passage that are unique of Jesus in all of human history. Chapters 54-55 respond to the revelation of Jesus as the Suffering Servant with songs of joy, similar to what Isaiah 12 did for the Child and Isaiah 35 did for the Cornerstone.

Hezekiah's Failures Point to Jesus (2 Kings 20; 2 Chronicles 32). The passages from the history books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles for Week #30 (which isn't to imply that Isaiah and Psalms aren't also works of history) focus on the failures of King Hezekiah. He selfishly doesn't care about the fall of his kingdom as long as it will happen after his own time (2 Kings 20:19) and he foolishly exults in his own riches and shows them to the messengers from Babylon. We have to remember that Hezekiah was one of the greatest Kings that Judah ever had--maybe even the best. But ultimately he too proved himself to be a flawed person whose failures point to the need for an even better Deliverer. Hezekiah's successes help to give us a sense for what a truly godly King might do, and help us to imagine what Jesus himself might do when he returns one day to earth. But in Hezekiah's failures, we see evidence that someone like Jesus is still very much the only hope that humanity is. Because Jesus comes as the Suffering Servant to take the place of broken, flawed people like Hezekiah, and you, and me. None of us is without need of Jesus as our substitute and savior.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean