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LOOK WHO IS HERE -- January 13, 2008

Sermon Text: Isaiah 42:1-7

“With liberty and justice for all” are words we have memorized and have spoken many times as we pledged our allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands.

Are these words we believe? In the United States, is there liberty and justice for all? With 2008 being an election year, we are going to hear many people who do not think there is liberty and justice for all. Politicians will hit the campaign trial raising their voices citing how unfair our current system and administrative structure is to the poor, the rich, the elderly or working class and promising justice, reform, freedom from tyranny oppression, cronyism and poverty.

Whoever is elected in 2008, whatever policy, programs and plans will be signed into law in an effort to bring more liberty and justice for all, it won’t matter. In 2012, 2016 and 2020 the same topics and issues will come up again. But that doesn’t matter, because there already is liberty and justice for all.

Look who is here -- the One who brings justice for all is here. The One who brings liberty for all is here.

Who is this One? The Lord tells us, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight, I will put my spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations." Some of those who have read these words believe the nation of Israel is the one who brings liberty and justice for all, because in Chapter 41 Israel is called the Lord’s servant.

Others want to believe some political figure will arise. We also know Christians many times are called servants of the Lord. Paul himself knew he was the Lord’s servant called to be a light to the gentiles. But there is no doubt the servant who is referred to here, who would bring justice to the nations, is the one who was born in Bethlehem, revered by some Magi, fled to Egypt and lived in Nazareth. The gospel for this morning tells us of what happened at the baptism of this servant. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon Jesus, and a voice came from Heaven saying, "This is my Son, whom I love. With Him I am well pleased."

And the justice Jesus, the Lord’s Servant, came to bring was not from unfair treatment and rulings, but the judicial announcement that the nations of the world have been declared to be not guilty of any and all wrongdoing. The entire world, all nations, all people, are innocent of all sin against the Lord of all for the sake of the servant’s suffering and death upon a cross.

The way Jesus brought about justice for all was unlike anything this world has ever known. He was not like a Republican or Democrat, Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., who brought about justice by going though the streets with signs and banners, blow horns, taking out ads on television saying, "Vote for me, and I will see justice is done."

He will not shout or cry out or raise His voice in the streets. Instead of quarreling with His opponents and get into a shouting match, He withdrew from the place where people were trying to kill Him. Instead of having his followers go out and campaign for Him, He warned them not to tell Him who he was.

In faithfulness, Jesus brings justice for all not with force or power. Not by taking advantage of others. But quietly, gently, kindly: "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out." He sees people who think they are nearly overcome with despair and tenderly, not forcefully, brings them close to him.

When we look who is here and hear of the justice and the way Jesus brings justice for all -- gently, tenderly, quietly -- do we want more? Haven’t we wanted our Savior to be more like the judicial and civil rights, activists of today and want Jesus to shout and cry out, raising His voice in the street, putting up a fight, instead of quietly, tenderly going about His work?

Haven’t we been critical of Jesus’ justice saying, "God, it is not fair what you are allowing to happen in my life"? "Jesus, how can you allow that family to suffer as they are, especially when they are such good folk?" Aren’t we clamoring for Jesus to alter society and our social structure to bring about justice instead of Jesus altering our hearts and status with the God of all creation?

It doesn’t sound right to us when we hear Jesus withdrawing Himself from those who wanted to kill Him -- why not stay and fight? Or when He told His followers not to say anything about who He is -- why not? Or Jesus remaining silent as He is accused falsely and ridiculed -- stick up and defend Himself, claim His innocence.

But if Jesus was like ever other activists who try to bring justice with force or power, His efforts would have failed and often been futile as well. And every year we would be trying to improve the justice and liberty Jesus brought, just as politicians attempt to do today with the liberty and justice the forefathers of America won for all.

But Jesus would not falter or be discouraged. He did not lash out and send thousands upon thousands of angels to His aid when He was spit upon and slapped and whipped. He did not give up on the people of this world, He does not give up on us, even when time and time again He faced one rejection after another, even when all His disciples fled in his hour of need, because Jesus is the Lord’s servant, the chosen one, in whom the Lord is well pleased with to bring justice to the nations.

Jesus did not falter; He always did the will of His father, and by His perfect life Jesus has established justice for all. Because of Jesus not faltering, everyone has heaven won for them. Everyone. And because Jesus did not become discouraged, even when we ourselves have been dissatisfied by Jesus' actions, and He did go to the cross, everyone has been forgiven and declared to be not guilty of any sin. Jesus has won justice for all by His gentleness, quietness and tenderness.

No one has been left out. Look who is here -- the One who brings justice for all.

After hearing about the one who brings justice for all and how Jesus would do that, the Lord allows us to sit in on a conversation He has with His servant, the one whom He is well pleased with. He tells his servant, "I the Lord have called you in righteousness. I will take hold of your hand, I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the gentiles. To open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

Hear what the Lord is saying to His servant? Look who is here -- the one who brings liberty for all.

How do you think you would feel if you were going to spend the rest of your days in a prison cell? Depressed, hopeless, numb? What would your reaction be if one day the guard came, opened up your cell and said, "You're free to go"? Excited? Felt like you have been given a new lease on life? Relieved? Because of the One who is here we have liberty. We have been set free from the chains that forever enslaved us -- sin and death.

From the moment of our conception, we had no hope. We were slaves to one master sin, that is all we could do and what waited us was eternal death. But look who is here -- the Servant -- the one who brings liberty for all. By the holy precious blood of the Servant, the price for our freedom has been paid. We have been released from the punishment of our sin and eternal death.

And as a result of the Servant's death, we have been given a new life, which is eternal. A life where we have been set from having to work for our salvation. The life we live we do not live hoping to earn eternal life. We live because we, who were once captive to sin and death, have been set free by the Servant, the one who brings liberty. We want to live to thank Him. It is no wonder this Servant has freed us. The Lord took this Servant by the hand and supported Him.

With liberty and justice for all. Despite what we are going to hear from the presidential candidates in 2008, no politician or civil rights activists can accomplish liberty and justice for all. But what people attempt to do has already been done. For look who is here -- the Servant, the one whom the Holy Spirit descended upon in the form of a dove and was heard, "This is my son with whom I am well pleased." This is the one who brings justice and liberty for all. Amen.

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