Servant Songs & The Beauty of Jesus

By Brandon Lemons

Beauty is captivating. I think of a sunrise over Lake Michigan: the vivid colors that paint the sky, the rippling waves, the expansive views. My wife is known to spontaneously clap and proclaim “Yay, God” and “Thank you, God” when she sees a sunrise over the lake – even when she’s by herself! Beauty is captivating. I imagine you, too, can identify beauty that captivates you.

Jesus is beautiful, and Jesus is captivating. For myriad reasons, we can easily miss or neglect His beauty. Yet it’s always there, and beholding His beauty helps us be captivated by Him!

During our sermon series on the book of Isaiah, we have encountered “Servant Songs” that point to Jesus. In these four sections of Isaiah, God presents His “Servant,” who will represent Him and accomplish His purposes. There are a few instances when Isaiah identifies Israel as God’s servant (such as 41:8 and 44:1-2), but a resounding theme throughout Isaiah is that Israel failed again and again to faithfully represent God. In contrast, God’s true Servant – the Messiah – faithfully fulfills all the work God gives Him to do. The Servant succeeds where Israel, and humanity, fails. God’s ultimate Servant is Jesus. The New Testament authors, and even Jesus Himself, clarify this connection by applying passages from Isaiah’s Servant Songs to Jesus; examples include Matthew 12:17-21; Luke 22:37; Acts 8:32-35; and 1 Peter 2:22-25.

The Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12. From these four Servant Songs, I am going to highlight six glimpses of the beauty of Jesus.

The beauty of God’s delight in Jesus

The word “delight” conveys joy and pleasure. Delight warms the heart. Even when we witness someone else’s delight, it is natural to smile.

Listen to how God describes His servant: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight” (Isaiah 42:1). God is not a cosmic curmudgeon. He is a God who delights. In this case, He delights in His Servant, who is also His Son. We see God displaying delight when Jesus was baptized. As Jesus arose from the water, the voice of God rang out: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). What son would not want to hear those words?! How can we not smile when we hear this expression of love from Father to Son?! God the Father is delighted in His Son! This is a glimpse of pure beauty and joy!

When we delight in what God delights in (including His Son, Jesus), it will fill us with joy!

The beauty of Jesus’ shalom-restoring mission

Shalom is the wholeness, flourishing, and vitality we were made for and that our hearts yearn for. Usually translated as “peace,” I believe the Hebrew concept of shalom is the best one-word description of Jesus’ mission: He came to re-establish the flourishing that occurs when everything is functioning according to God’s design. Our world’s underlying problem is that sin shattered shalom. Jesus came to restore shalom. This is why, earlier in Isaiah, Jesus is called the “Prince of Shalom (Peace)” and that when He reigns, “of the increase of his government and of peace (shalom) there will be no end” (9:6-7).

The Servant Songs, especially in Psalm 42, highlight the theme of “justice.” Three times in the first four verses of Isaiah 42 (verses 1,3,4), Isaiah writes a version of, “He will bring forth justice.” The Hebrew word for justice (mishpat) reflects God’s priority on ordering things rightly so everyone can experience wholeness and flourishing. What does this sound like? Shalom. Mishpat (justice) is the process of working toward and establishing shalom. Revelation 21:4 pictures the restoration of shalom when it says: “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Shalom is what Jesus came to restore, and part of His beauty is that He embodied shalom throughout His earthly ministry.

The beauty of Jesus’ far-reaching mission

Most (if not all) of us reading this article are Gentiles, meaning are not of Jewish descent. For this reason, it is wonderful news – for us! – that Jesus came with a far-reaching mission!

In Isaiah 49:6, God said to His Servant, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” The Servant Song in Isaiah 42 highlights this same global vision. The Messiah’s ministry will benefit the world! Fast forwarding to Matthew 28, Jesus said: “go and make disciples of all nations” (28:19).

Jesus came to provide us with good news of His victory over sin, evil, and death. It is joyous that this Gospel is not restricted but is available to anyone, anywhere – including us!

The beauty of Jesus’ gentleness

Jesus’ ministry is gentle and healing rather than aggressive or oppressive. We see this, for instance, in Isaiah 42:3, which says: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Bruised reeds and smoldering wicks would often be thrown away as useless or cast aside as hopeless. These images represent people, showing that Jesus will protect, nurture, and heal those who are struggling and broken.  

Another Servant Song says, “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary” (Isaiah 50:4). Jesus lived this out. Broken people flocked to Jesus! We can as well. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

Broken, messed-up people wanted to be with Jesus, which displays His beauty!

The beauty of Jesus’ sacrifice

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is the most famous Servant Song, and it features Jesus’ suffering on our behalf. For instance: “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (53:5-6) Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves: redeem us from sin and reconcile us with God. Yet the cost was immense. Another Servant Song picks up on this theme: “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

As I said in the sermon on the fourth Servant Song, “If Isaiah 53 doesn’t inspire us to worship Jesus, I’m not sure what will. Jesus is amazing!”

The beauty of Jesus serving

Let’s not overlook the fact that God chose the term “servant” to describe the role and identity Jesus would fulfill. Jesus could have rightly been called “Master,” “Lord,” “King,” “Boss,” or any number of other honorific titles. Instead, God called Him “servant.” Rather than recoiling from this title, as many people would do, Jesus embraced it. In Luke 22:27, Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.” In Mark 10, after pointing out that people often try to gain advantage over others, Jesus said: “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45) Finally, think about Jesus’ astounding act in John 13 of washing His disciples’ feet, which was a task normally reserved for the lowest of servants. He said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:13-15)

Jesus’ beauty is perhaps best seen in His willingness to serve selflessly. His servant’s heart is what compelled Him to serve us by dying on our behalf so we could be reconciled with God!

Conclusion

The beauty of Jesus turns many of the world’s values upside down. In doing so, Jesus shows us what true beauty is. I pray that as we behold the beauty of Jesus, we will be captivated by Him to such a degree that we burst out in spontaneous praise as well as devote our lives to beholding and reflecting His beauty and glory in every-increasing ways!