Bible Note #7 — Esteeming Christ

 

Goldfinches in the Snow; photo by GAC

Isaiah 49:1-6

Lord, there are some things about this passage of your scriptures that I don’t think I understand.  I know that you want me to understand your word.  But sometimes that isn’t easy.  Here in these verses someone is speaking about his mission – a mission he has received from you, but who is it?

Is Isaiah speaking of himself?  Is he speaking of his own mission from you?  You are doing through him some of these things he speaks of, at least on some level, aren’t you?  It is Isaiah’s mission to bring your light to the nations, to reveal your redemption.

But somehow, it seems to me that you are speaking past Isaiah to someone who is bigger than Isaiah, to someone whose mission is deeper and bigger than Isaiah’s.  The prophet was an earlier and smaller forerunner of this greater One.  These words that Isaiah wrote down so long before are meant for Jesus, aren’t they?

These are words for Jesus.  You gave them to Isaiah to store them up for Jesus, for when Jesus’ time came.  When your eternal Son came down and became flesh and blood, he did become nothing (v.4 – see Phil. 2:7).  The powerful ones of this world thought he was insignificant (v. 6 – 1 Cor. 1:24-31), but he is your power and your light for all the world.

Lord Jesus, give us eyes to see the brightness of your light, and by the power of your Spirit, make us to shine with your light, so that through us your light might shine out into the darkness.  Amen.