Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, April 8, 2013 Read – Isaiah 42:1-20 We pick up Isaiah again today with what is known as the first of four “servant songs” in Isaiah 40-53. Luke has used this passage in his telling of the story of Jesus – at the baptism and on the mount of Transfiguration when God speaks. I suppose we could say that God has used these words of Isaiah to talk about the identity of his Son. The connection between the “suffering servant” in Isaiah and Jesus is something that each of the synoptic gospel writers – Mark, Luke, and Matthew – want to make. Luke has introduced us to his concept of “Messianic Exegesis” and this is likely a good place to start. When Isaiah wrote these words he likely had no idea of the specific story of Jesus. They had a whole different meaning in his context – the suffering of God’s servant and even of God’s people, who are often spoken of as God’s servant, and the subsequent deliverance promised to those in Babylonian captivity. When Luke and other Christian followers read Isaiah’s words and contemplated them in light of the experience of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, they recognized Jesus in the Old Testament story and they used that Old Testament story to help them tell the story of Jesus. That is precisely what “Messianic Exegesis” is – seeing Jesus in the Old Testament story and then using that story to tell the story of Jesus! Of course on a much deeper level that none of us can really enter or fully comprehend God was moving in a direction of saving his people. I don’t think it is right to think of Isaiah writing his words only to “predict” the coming of Jesus – his words were of importance and meaning to the people of his day. But, God saw further than is possible for any human eyes can see. And it is only in going through the experience of the cross and resurrection that we can see more in what Isaiah wrote than Isaiah could possibly have imagined. The marvel of God’s work in the world!