The Suffering and the Glory of the Servant
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Isaiah 52:13-15
13. Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14. As many were astonished at him -- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men -- 15. so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
Romans 15:17-22
17. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19. by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ, 20. thus making it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's foundation, 21. but as it is written, "They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him." 22. This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
All who looked upon Christ on the cross were indeed astonished! His battered, mutilated body was horrific, beyond imagining. Any who were not ashamed of the torture done to him, were certainly frightened at what the ultimate consequence may be for allowing it to happen! But more: we are startled at the stark truth of his message. So simple, yet so very difficult. So pure, yet so deeply stained by man’s sin. So right, and yet so easily corrupted. Kings shut their mouths because of him, because he clearly exudes power and strength and might beyond the imagining of any earthly king! His words leave no question as to what is required. Our hearts ache, because we know we can never, ever, live up to Christ’s sacrifice.
Paul understands these verses from Isaiah. He revels in the truth of the Risen Christ! His life has purpose and meaning because of Jesus! And His honor and pride are not because of his own abilities, accomplishments, victories—but rather how God has chosen Him to preach the good news to all “who have never heard of [Christ].” As Christians, we are also called to preach the gospel to everyone. We are disciples and prophets of this day and time. And by the power of signs and wonders—the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the salvation of our very souls—we are compelled and spurred on to declare unceasingly the wonders of Christ Jesus!
I had about 6 or 8 different scripture in mind this morning. Some of the verses described cities built of jewels of every color; walls of gold, extending to the sky. I wanted to talk about those verses this morning, but God brought me to the very last line of the Romans quote this morning: “22. This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.” I have many things I ardently desire to accomplish in this life—not for myself, but in order to bring glory to God. And I anxiously strive to accomplish them all right now—today—lest I miss my chance! But Paul sees the wisdom in God’s plan for him. Paul really wants to visit his brothers and sisters in Christ, but he realizes that God needs him to be exactly where he is at that point in time—for His purposes.
We share in The Servant’s glory when we raise and lift Him up in our hearts and in our minds. When we obey God’s plan and honor His timing, we are glorified. Our suffering, our anxiety, our desires become secondary. They take a back seat to God’s will. Like those kings mentioned in Isaiah, we shut our mouths—but we do so because we are unable to utter adequate and appropriate thanks and gratitude and praise to the perfect servant who gave everything for us. His suffering gives us hope and strength – and grace.
I hope you spend your day not venturing to speak of anything “except what Christ has wrought through” you.
Mary
