PRAYER PRACTICE
SPOKEN PRAYER: Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Jesus, the Lord's Servant
by Dave Mann
Today, let’s just connect the dots, the dots from Old Testament prophecy with New Testament fulfillment.
Isaiah 42 is one of the several Servant Songs, which point ultimately to Jesus the Messiah. Here are just a few of the ways that Jesus fulfills prophecy.
42:1 Here is my servant -- Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
42:1 my chosen one in whom I delight -- Matthew 3:17 "a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
42:1 I will pour out my Spirit on him -- John 1:32 "John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.”
42:1 he will bring justice/righteousness to the nations -- the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), a Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), the centurion at the foot of the cross proclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God," (Mark 15:31), and many more.
42:3 a bruised reed he will not break -- Matthew 11:29-30 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
42:3 In his teaching, the islands will put their hope. -- Matthew 12:21 “in his name, the Gentiles will hope.”
42:6 to be a covenant for the people -- Matthew 26:28 “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
42:6 a light for the Gentiles -- Luke 2:32 "a light for revelation to the Gentiles"; Matthew 28:18 “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
42:7 to open eyes that are blind -- In John 9, the man born blind brings glory to God.
42:7 to free captives from prison -- Luke 4:16-21 Jesus begins his ministry by announcing that he fulfills the Scripture promising freedom to the captives.
All hopes and dreams which come from God will ultimately be fulfilled for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Lord, I pray that you would inspire our longings and yearnings so that they coincide with your provision for us, which is already planned for our future, as we live in Christ. Amen
Pastor Dave:
Thank you very much for linking the prophecy of Isaiah to NT completion. I sit in wonderment at how God fulfills His Word through Jesus, The Word, the Logos, the Lamb of God the Father. Scripture is such a blessing that enables us to live out our faith. You are a blessing to so many of us at UALC. We thank God for you, Dave.
In Him
Robin Lorms