Teaching the Bible in Shorthand, God's Servant, Part 2
- Pastor Jay Christianson
- Jul 11
- 7 min read
“He warned them not to make him known, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight;’” (Matthew 12:16-18 CSB)
In the previous part, we examined the well-known and frequently used rabbinic teaching method of remez, which means “alluding to” something else in God’s Word. Again, remez is a form of teaching in shorthand. A rabbi would often quote a word or short phrase, use an object, or act in such a way that it sparks the student’s mind into recollecting a portion of scripture that is crucial to the rabbi’s point. By using remez, a rabbi can bundle tremendous amounts of scripture together and weld it to the focus of his lesson, frequently resulting in a stunning “Aha!” moment of revelation.
Our previous example was Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” In one short phrase alluding to the entirety of Psalm 22, Jesus revealed to those observing His execution that His death on a cross was no accident. It was planned before the world was created, and clearly foretold by King David about one thousand years before Jesus. As I see it, Jesus’ cry was not one of distress, but a prophecy; not of foretelling, but of forth-telling.
In short, using one sentence, Jesus alluded to Psalm 22 and cried out, “This is Me!”
Mic drop
What more needed to be said? His hearers knew the scriptures. Imagine the impact of them recalling Psalm 22 as they looked up to see it laid open in living, gory color before their eyes. What a jarring “Aha!” moment for them.
Speaking of revealing who Jesus was, Matthew uses the same remez technique in his Gospel. He wrote his account of Jesus’ teachings from a distinctly first-century Jewish perspective under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It makes sense that he would use the same technique.
In his twelfth chapter, Matthew records the intensifying opposition of the Jewish leaders to Jesus’ ministry. In verses 1-8, Matthew shows Jesus serving His fellow Jews by proving that the Sabbath was made for people, not people made to “serve” the Sabbath, i.e., become enslaved to manufactured Sabbath regulations. In verses 9-14, Matthew again shows Jesus serving His fellow Jews by demonstrating that human needs, such as the need for healing, can sometimes take precedence even over God’s laws. Through both examples, Jesus served to alleviate people’s needs. Bottom line? Jesus came to serve, not to be served, as Mark and Luke put it in their Gospels (Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27).
Jesus, as His Father’s servant, was Matthew’s point as well. Jesus came to serve His Father’s children. Being a servant was at the core of His mission and character. However, for Matthew’s Jewish readers, the remez he used strikes deep into the Hebrew scriptures. Matthew’s quotation from Isaiah 42:1-4 reveals a profound insight about Jesus that’s as brilliant as a summer sunrise.
“Servant” is the key term.
Let me share some background with you first. The book of Isaiah is a two-parter. The first part, chapters 1-39, is generally known as “The Book of Condemnation.” The second part, chapters 40-66, is commonly referred to as “The Book of Consolation.” The first part contains condemnation for Israel (and all people, actually) for their sins. The Book of Consolation contains Yehovah’s comforting promises of forgiveness and future restoration.
As you read through the consolation chapters, you come across sections that refer to a “servant.” Servants are noted throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, such as Moses, Joshua, and David, as well as classes of people, including kings and prophets. Even Israel, as a nation, is called God’s servant (Psalm 136:22). However, Isaiah takes the title to an astonishingly high level.
There are four sections within Isaiah 42-55 about Isaiah’s special servant known as the Four Servant Songs. These Servant Songs refer to an unnamed servant whose traits could refer to an individual, a group, or both. Yes, this can get confusing. Christian and Jewish scholars have narrowed the choices down to Jesus or Israel. The context and divine revelation reveal that while some of the Servant Songs can be applied to the nation of Israel, they find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
When Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-4, his Jewish readers’ minds would get sparked by the word “servant” and quickly jump to these four Servant Songs. In doing so, Matthew applies all the information about Isaiah’s wondrous Servant to Jesus. So, let’s take a brief walk along Matthew’s remez path. As you start each Servant Song, be sure to read the verses in Isaiah before you read my take on it.
Servant Song Number 1, Isaiah 42:1-4, The Servant’s Call.
This Servant Song, which Matthew quotes, is the first in the series. After reading it, do you see what Matthew did? By quoting this first Servant Song, it would propel the reader’s mind to the next three Servant Songs in succession. The fantastic thing is that the succession of Servant Songs reveals the Servant’s Call, Mission, Method, and Path.
To summarize Song Number 1, the Father’s Servant is His special choice, and the Father is well-pleased with Him. The Servant’s assignment and goal are to bring forth justice through God’s laws to the nations, empowered by God’s Spirit, and establishing God’s reign. The Father’s Servant won’t be self-promoting. He’ll be tender to the bruised and will strengthen the weak. His mission to the world will not fail.
Here’s a key point. While Israel is sometimes referred to as God’s Servant (Isaiah 49:3), this is obviously not Israel, because the people of Israel have stumbled to fulfill the Father’s plan. Therefore, this Song finds its fulfillment in Jesus. So, if Jesus is the fulfillment of the First Servant Song, what do the others tell us about God’s Servant?
Servant Song Number 2, Isaiah 49:1-6, The Servant’s Mission.
This Servant Song starts with a prophetic bang. “The LORD called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.” Is this not what happened when Gabriel appeared to Mary, foretelling Jesus’ birth and relaying His Father-given name, Yeshua? “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). There it is. Jesus is the Father’s Servant who is “on a mission from God.”
The rest of this Song reveals,
(Verse 2) This Servant was given the Lord’s word and held until the right time to fulfill His mission.
(Verse 3) But in this verse, Isaiah calls Israel, the nation, God’s servant. That’s true. But in context, Jacob was not named while in the womb. Jesus was. So, how do we square this? Jesus is the picture of Israel redeemed and perfected. But Israel was made of fallen people, unable to fulfill their mission of being a light to the world. However, they were never meant to do so at that time. They were to be the servant nation from which THE SERVANT would emerge to complete God’s mission. As we’ll see, the context reveals that only a person can fulfill what God’s Servant is called to do.
(Verse 4) The Servant appeared to have failed (as evidenced by Jesus’ crucifixion), but the Father vindicated Him.
(Verse 5) The Servant’s mission was to bring the nation of Israel back to the Father.
(Verse 6) Finally, God’s Servant will not only regather the people of Israel to God, but also gather Gentiles from all nations, as he becomes a “light to the nations,” that is, reveals the way to God’s salvation.
Servant Song Number 3, Isaiah 50:4-9, The Servant’s Method.
In this Song, although he suffers as an obedient servant, the Servant’s confidence remains in His Father. He hears His Father’s word and shares it “to sustain the weary” (Isaiah 50:4; Matthew 11:28) while subjecting Himself to abuse from the wicked (Isaiah 50:6). Yet, the Servant’s trust holds firm. He will stand with His Father and will prevail over His opponents (Isaiah 50:7-9).
Servant Song Number 4, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, The Servant’s Path.
Finally, we come to the Grand Finale of the Servant Songs. The Servant has accepted His call and His mission. He has embraced the method of helping the weary and enduring opposition. Now, we come to the path the Servant must follow to achieve His goal, accomplishing His Father’s pleasure, which is “justifying many” by taking upon Himself their iniquities (Isaiah 53:10-11). As the Servant follows the path toward His goal, He will be raised up and exalted (Jesus’ crucifixion and triumph over death). He will “sprinkle many nations.” The Hebrew word used here is the same one used for sprinkling blood as a sacrifice, for atonement, cleansing, setting apart, and purification.
Because He was beaten, abused, despised, and rejected, the Father’s Servant provides forgiveness and healing, for this is what the Father planned all along. Though “He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels,” the Father’s Servant “bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.”
Jesus is the Servant of whom the Songs sing.
Matthew doesn’t quote the thirty-one verses of all four Servant Songs to explain Jesus’s call, mission, method, and path. He quotes a few verses, alluding to the rest, and lets his readers fill in the blanks. Just as Jesus used the first verse of Psalm 22 to reveal who He was, so Matthew did the same.
Jesus declared, “This is Me!”
Matthew declares, “This is He!”
A special note to you, dear reader: I want to know what you think of the Frothy Thoughts Blog. If you’d like, please send a brief email to HighBeamMinistry@gmail.com with your thoughts on this blog, or to let me know you’ve read it. Your response can be a sentence or a page. Don’t worry. High Beam Ministry won’t use your email for spam. For notifications about new material, please use the subscribe button on the website. Thanks so much for reading and replying!
Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts