Isaiah 42:1 - Meaning and Application

We can be sure these verses speak of Christ, because the evangelist says plainly that this prophecy was fulfilled in him (Matthew 12:17-21). So let us look at him with faith, and see what we are meant to notice. “My servant, whom I uphold” is a title full of honor, and it makes him stand out above all others. Old Testament believers were meant to behold him, remember him, and admire him.

First, see the Father’s care for him and his close relation to him. God calls him “my servant.” Though Christ was the Son of God, as Mediator, that is, as the one who stands between God and sinners, he took the place of a servant. He obeyed God’s will, gave himself to the work of God’s kingdom, and lived in loyal service to his Father.

God also calls him “my elect,” my chosen one. Christ did not take this work on himself without calling, but was chosen by God as the best and fit person for it. God’s wisdom made the choice, and then God openly confirmed it. The Father also trusted him completely. Some understand the words as, “my servant on whom I lean,” meaning the Father relied on him to carry out the work and bring many sons to glory.

The Father also upheld him. He supported him, stood by him, and strengthened him for his task. And the Father took great delight in him. “My elect, in whom my soul delights” points to God’s eternal pleasure in the Son, even before the world began (Proverbs 8:30). The Father also showed this delight openly, saying he was well pleased with Christ (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5). So let our souls delight in Christ too, trust him, and rejoice in him. Then, for his sake, the Father will be pleased with us.

Second, Christ is fully equipped for his office. “I have put my Spirit upon him” means God gave him the Holy Spirit to fit him for his work, just as promised in Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit did not only come upon him, but rested on him (Isaiah 11:2). Unlike God’s servants, who receive the Spirit in measure, Christ received him without limit. Those whom God sends to serve him may be sure that he will uphold them and also give them his Spirit.

Third, consider the work Christ was appointed to do. He was to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, that is, to establish in the world a religion marked by wisdom, holiness, and fairness, one the Gentiles would come under and share in its blessings. The laws and truths of the Lord, which had been hidden from the Gentiles (Psalm 147:20), Christ came to make known to them. He was to be a light to them.

Fourth, notice how mild and tender Christ would be in carrying out this work (Isaiah 42:2-3). He would do it quietly, without shouting or display. He would not make a noisy show of himself, as earthly rulers often do. He would not fight back in a fleshly way against opposition, but would patiently bear the insults and resistance of sinners. His kingdom is spiritual, so it does not come with outward pomp or carnal weapons.

He would also deal gently with the weak and the broken. Wicked people would not be treated with harshness at once, even when they were like bruised reeds. He would give space for repentance. And those with little strength, little courage, or little faith, like a bruised reed or smoking flax, would not be despised. A bruised reed is something weak and easily broken. Smoking flax is the dim, dying wick of a lamp. Christ would not crush such people or put more on them than they could bear. Instead, he would kindly consider their weakness.

More is meant here than is said directly. He will not break the bruised reed, but strengthen it, until it becomes like a cedar in God’s courts. He will not quench the smoking flax, but fan it into a flame. Jesus is very tender toward those who have true grace, even when it is weak. He accepts the willing spirit and pardons the weakness of the flesh.

Fifth, Christ would go on with courage and steady purpose until he finished his work (Isaiah 42:4). “He shall not fail nor be discouraged” means that even though his work was hard, and though he knew the world would be ungrateful, he would keep going until he could say, “It is finished.” He also enables his apostles and ministers to keep going in their work, so that they too do not fail or lose heart until they finish their witness.

In this way, he carries out what he came to do. He brings forth judgment to truth, proving the truth of his teaching by many miracles and finally by his resurrection. He sets judgment in the earth, establishing his rule in the world, forming a church among people, and reforming life by the power of his gospel and grace. The isles of the Gentiles wait for his law, meaning they welcome his gospel as something they had long hoped for. They become his disciples, sit at his feet, and are ready to receive instruction from his mouth, asking, “What do you want us to do?”