In His humanity, Christ is spoken of as the servant. As such, He came to do the perfect will of God. Isaiah 42: 1 reads: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, 1 have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth justice to the nations.” This was a promise and a prediction in the Old Testament and became a fulfilled reality in the New. All sons and daughters of God were made acceptable to the heavenly Father by Jesus Christ, the Son.

After the Spirit of God came upon Christ, He was the anointed Messiah and began His ministry. In Luke 4, from verse 18, He read the prophecy pertaining to Him of Isaiah 61: 1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set a liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The God-ordained plan and purpose is being fulfilled. Because Christ rose from the dead and lives in the redeemed, He continues His ministry through them. The lost are saved, those who are bound are made free, the sick are being healed, for Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and for ever. We are a part of the covenant God made through Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 42: 6-7, it says, “I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison house.” We know that this prophecy has become a fact. The fulfilment can be read in Matthew 12: 17-21, “… that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah, the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show justice to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth justice and victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”

The prophet Isaiah describes the Redeemer as a servant in His sufferings in chapter 52, from verse 13, through chapter 53: 12. The prophets have foreseen His road to Gethsemane and up to Calvary by divine revelation. Isaiah wrote, “… when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” (chapter 53: 2b-5).

In Psalms 129: 3, His sufferings were also foretold, “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” We might wonder why He had to go through all the sufferings, but we understand that he had to take our chastisement. We were the guilty ones. In Isaiah 50: 6, a similar thought is being expressed, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Every Bible reader knows, how our Lord and Saviour was mocked, beaten, spit at and so on. Everything the prophets foretold, was fulfilled.

As a servant, the Messiah was humiliated in a way that perhaps no other person was at any time. He was treated as though He was the most guilty criminal on earth. In Mark 14: 65, we read, “And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy. And the guards did strike Him with the palms of their hands.” Who can comprehend that the Lord of glory became the man of sorrows, tears, and agony? In Mark 15, we can read about the crown of thorns, which was put upon His head, how the scoffers made fun of Him. In verse 28, the explanation is given, “And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

In His sufferings we don’t see Him as King in His beauty; we see Him as a servant, taking all the human burden upon Him. The prophet Isaiah has also foretold what the fruit of His sufferings would be, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (chapter 53: 11). He was Lord, but had to act as a servant. We were the guilty ones who deserved death, but are justified by faith. We were forsaken by God, but then He took our place while dying on the cross, and cried with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” That was the moment, the sins of all the world were placed upon Him. God cannot tolerate sin, so He withdrew at that point, but the next moment the spear was put into His side, the holy blood was shed for our redemption, and we were reconciled with God.

In Psalms 22: 1, David had prophesied by divine inspiration that this would happen. In verse 7, we read, “All they who see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head”. We know from the account they have done it. David further states in verse 16-18, “For dogs have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I may count all my bones; they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”

Do we actually realize, how perfectly more than one hundred prophecies, given in the Old Testament, were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ? Everything from His birth to His going up to heaven was predicted and became truth. The apostle Peter makes the following statement, “… receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did signify, when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (I Peter 1: 9-11).

As the Spirit of God revealed to the prophets what would happen, we now look back and see by the revelation of the same Holy Spirit that it took place for our sake. Paul expresses it so beautifully in Eph. 2: 13-16, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were near. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

We are the beneficiaries, recognizing by faith that we are what God made us to be through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. We are no longer what Satan made of us through disobedience and sin. We recognize our total redemption being placed back again into the position of sons and daughters of God, having obtained eternal life.

To think that our Lord had to walk this way because of us, we feel very little. His amazing grace was bestowed upon us, His love was manifested towards us. He, the Lord and Master (John 13: 13), refused to be called so, when He was acting out His role as servant. “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, except one, that is, God.” (Luke 18: 18-19).

When we see Him in His humanity, He did not even take any honour or glory from anyone. He said in John 5: 41, “I receive not honour from anyone.” In verse 44, He said, “How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” It shows His role as servant. As such He came to do the will of God and accomplish the redemption work. In this respect He said, “And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’’ (John 8: 29). As a servant, He came to minister. Therefore, we read in Matthew 20: 28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In His outward appearance, the Messiah was a servant, but inwardly He still was the Lord of glory. It was only necessary for Him to become everything, so the great plan of salvation could be fulfilled.

In His humanity, Christ is spoken of as the servant. As such, He came to do the perfect will of God. Isaiah 42: 1 reads: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, 1 have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth justice to the nations.” This was a promise and a prediction in the Old Testament and became a fulfilled reality in the New. All sons and daughters of God were made acceptable to the heavenly Father by Jesus Christ, the Son.

After the Spirit of God came upon Christ, He was the anointed Messiah and began His ministry. In Luke 4, from verse 18, He read the prophecy pertaining to Him of Isaiah 61: 1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set a liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The God-ordained plan and purpose is being fulfilled. Because Christ rose from the dead and lives in the redeemed, He continues His ministry through them. The lost are saved, those who are bound are made free, the sick are being healed, for Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and for ever. We are a part of the covenant God made through Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 42: 6-7, it says, “I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison house.” We know that this prophecy has become a fact. The fulfilment can be read in Matthew 12: 17-21, “… that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah, the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show justice to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth justice and victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”

The prophet Isaiah describes the Redeemer as a servant in His sufferings in chapter 52, from verse 13, through chapter 53: 12. The prophets have foreseen His road to Gethsemane and up to Calvary by divine revelation. Isaiah wrote, “… when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” (chapter 53: 2b-5).

In Psalms 129: 3, His sufferings were also foretold, “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” We might wonder why He had to go through all the sufferings, but we understand that he had to take our chastisement. We were the guilty ones. In Isaiah 50: 6, a similar thought is being expressed, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Every Bible reader knows, how our Lord and Saviour was mocked, beaten, spit at and so on. Everything the prophets foretold, was fulfilled.

As a servant, the Messiah was humiliated in a way that perhaps no other person was at any time. He was treated as though He was the most guilty criminal on earth. In Mark 14: 65, we read, “And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy. And the guards did strike Him with the palms of their hands.” Who can comprehend that the Lord of glory became the man of sorrows, tears, and agony? In Mark 15, we can read about the crown of thorns, which was put upon His head, how the scoffers made fun of Him. In verse 28, the explanation is given, “And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

In His sufferings we don’t see Him as King in His beauty; we see Him as a servant, taking all the human burden upon Him. The prophet Isaiah has also foretold what the fruit of His sufferings would be, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (chapter 53: 11). He was Lord, but had to act as a servant. We were the guilty ones who deserved death, but are justified by faith. We were forsaken by God, but then He took our place while dying on the cross, and cried with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” That was the moment, the sins of all the world were placed upon Him. God cannot tolerate sin, so He withdrew at that point, but the next moment the spear was put into His side, the holy blood was shed for our redemption, and we were reconciled with God.

In Psalms 22: 1, David had prophesied by divine inspiration that this would happen. In verse 7, we read, “All they who see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head”. We know from the account they have done it. David further states in verse 16-18, “For dogs have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I may count all my bones; they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”

Do we actually realize, how perfectly more than one hundred prophecies, given in the Old Testament, were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ? Everything from His birth to His going up to heaven was predicted and became truth. The apostle Peter makes the following statement, “… receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did signify, when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (I Peter 1: 9-11).

As the Spirit of God revealed to the prophets what would happen, we now look back and see by the revelation of the same Holy Spirit that it took place for our sake. Paul expresses it so beautifully in Eph. 2: 13-16, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were near. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

We are the beneficiaries, recognizing by faith that we are what God made us to be through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. We are no longer what Satan made of us through disobedience and sin. We recognize our total redemption being placed back again into the position of sons and daughters of God, having obtained eternal life.

To think that our Lord had to walk this way because of us, we feel very little. His amazing grace was bestowed upon us, His love was manifested towards us. He, the Lord and Master (John 13: 13), refused to be called so, when He was acting out His role as servant. “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, except one, that is, God.” (Luke 18: 18-19).

When we see Him in His humanity, He did not even take any honour or glory from anyone. He said in John 5: 41, “I receive not honour from anyone.” In verse 44, He said, “How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” It shows His role as servant. As such He came to do the will of God and accomplish the redemption work. In this respect He said, “And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’’ (John 8: 29). As a servant, He came to minister. Therefore, we read in Matthew 20: 28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In His outward appearance, the Messiah was a servant, but inwardly He still was the Lord of glory. It was only necessary for Him to become everything, so the great plan of salvation could be fulfilled.