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January 12, 2003
Epiphany 1
Isaiah 49:1-6
Pastor Joel Zank

Jesus Knew What He Wanted to Be When He Grew Up!

(Isaiah 49:1-6) Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."4 But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God."5 And now the LORD says?? he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength-6 he says: "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 you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

In Christ Jesus, who for the joy set before him, endured our shame on the cross, dear fellow redeemed,

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" There's a question we've all been asked at one time or another. Do you remember some of your answers? "I want to be a fireman." "I want to be a race car driver." "I want to be an astronaut." Think of how many times those dreams change over the years. Even in college it's not unusual for young men and women to change majors a couple of times or more as their dreams for the future shift from one career to another. Wouldn't it be nice if the Lord just wrote his choice for our profession right after our name on our baptismal certificate: Joel Marlan Zank, pastor - that would have saved me some time, and a few sleepless nights too. But that's not the way the Lord works, or should I say that's not the way he usually works.

There have been some exceptions to the rule, like the one before us in our text. Today we hear from Jesus, not as a little boy dreaming about his future, but as the God anointed, eternally appointed Savior, speaking seven hundred years before his birth as a human baby. Already then he spoke clearly about the work he would do on earth, a truth which prompts us to take as our theme today, "Jesus Knew What He Wanted to Be When He Grew Up!" He knew because from all eternity he was called to be God's faithful servant; and from all eternity he was honored to be our world-wide Savior.

Have you ever heard a child say, "I want to be a servant when I grow up? I want to live to please my master?" We would think there was something wrong with such a child. The sinful nature in us leads us to dream of being the master, not the servant. But Jesus had no such nature, no such sin in him. He would live on earth to do the work and will of his Father, and what would that be? Even before he tells us we get a clue as he says, "Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations" (v.1). As a child I use to stand in front of the huge picture window in my parent's home and pretend I was speaking to a large audience. Jesus isn't pretending. He's telling the whole world, people far and near, "I'm going to grow up to be a public speaker." He says, "Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver" (v.2).

Even before time began, God had given his Son a message and a mission to speak it. But the mission wasn't to begin immediately. Only when the time was exactly right would God send his Son, "...born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law" (Galatians 4:4-5). In the meantime Jesus would remain God's secret weapon against sin, like a sword hidden in the shadow of God's hand; like a polished arrow, concealed in God's quiver.

Today we witnessed God's weapon unveiled at the baptism of our Lord. At that moment in time in the River Jordan, God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and announced that he was pleased to have his grown-up Son go to war against sin. The war would begin as a war of words as Jesus went from town to town, person to person, pointing out sin and it's damning consequences. You've been wounded in that battle haven't you? Can you even begin to count the number of times the Savior's words, like a sharpened sword, have cut you to the quick. It happened just yesterday when he caught you cursing out a family member. Do you recall what he said, "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell" (Matthew 5:22). Or how about when he caught you staring the other day. It was only for a second, but in that second he read your mind and told you: "...anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:28-29).

Our sin, no matter how insignificant it may ever seem to us is always an damning offense to our holy God. So God sent Jesus, not to excuse or condone our sin, but to condemn it and so prove himself God's faithful Spokesman and Servant. But God sent Jesus to be and to do so much more. He told Jesus "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor" (v.3). After pointing to sin as the damning thing it always is, after showing sinners like us we deserve nothing but God's punishment in hell, Jesus did something that brought the greatest glory and splendor of all to God's reputation. Jesus took up the cause of sinners and became a living testimony to the love God has showered upon undeserving souls.

God calls Jesus his servant, Israel. This title identifies Jesus with the nation God had established by that name, a nation God had created for no other reason than to bring from its people a Savior. But there's more here. In calling Jesus, "Israel," God is naming Jesus as that people's substitute. Jesus is to be the faithful servant to God that every Israelite failed to be. With his one life Jesus is to provide the holiness all of Israel owes to God; and, then, as God's obedient Servant, he is to take that perfectly holy life of his and offer it as a sin-payment in hell, and by his sacrifice cancel the eternal debt of every last sinner in Israel.

His would be no easy task. Even before his birth Jesus knew how difficult his mission would be. Words he spoke to his Father centuries ahead of time revealed the depth of the pain and sorrow he would feel, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing" (v.4). Last week we heard that during his days on earth Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Think of Jesus' life of service. What did he accomplish? In the end his followers deserted him. Even his heavenly Father forsook him, leaving him to suffer the anguish of hell itself. How tempted Jesus must have been, hanging there on the cross with his life passing before his eyes, to see it all as one gigantic waste of time and effort. But he did not give in to despair.

Even as he looks ahead to what would become of him when he grew up, he concludes in all confidence, "Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God" (v.4). This is the very confidence that prompted Jesus to cry out to the God who had just forsaken him, "Father into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). Even on the cross Jesus is God's faithful Servant-a perfect example of submission, obedience and trust. He even as he was dying, he knew his Father would raise him from the dead and turn his sacrifice for sinners into their salvation. That would be his reward-all those souls he rescued from hell living with him in heaven forever. Oh how Jesus looked forward to saving them-a truth which brings us to our second point: Jesus Knew What he Wanted to Be When He Grew Up! From all eternity he was honored to be our world-wide Savior.

Honored, that's how Jesus sees himself. He says, "...for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength..." (v.5). Can you imagine that? Jesus was honored that God saw fit to give him the dirtiest job in the universe. Jesus was honored that God chose him to set aside the power and glory that were his as God's equal and instead live out his days on earth completely dependant on God's strength and care. None of us would take on such a job. None of us could. But Jesus could and he did. In fact he who considered it an honor to take the place of his people under God's wrath and punishment did his saving work so well that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice as sufficient payment not just for the sins of his people Israel, but for all humanity! As it turns out, this had always been part of God's plan. Letting us in on a conversation that took place before the creation of the world, Jesus informs us, "And now the LORD says,-he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself,...he says: '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 you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth'" (vv.5-6).

This is the good news of Epiphany, my friends: Jesus is our world-wide Savior. This is why he cries out, "Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations..." (V.1). It's obvious isn't it? Jesus meant for the saving sound of his voice to pass through all the lands on earth and to cross all the centuries of time. He meant for his voice to reach us today. He wants us to know he's our Savior too. The fact that we may not be able to trace our bloodline back to Jacob, Isaac and Abraham does not mean that we must face the outer darkness of hell. The light of Jesus' holiness from a life he lived so long ago covers even our dirty sins today. The death he died in hell twenty centuries ago still pays for that angry outburst of ours yesterday and for our lustful thoughts last week and for all our sins of our entire lifetime. Like his people Israel, Jesus has brought us back from eternal destruction. He has restored us to a right relationship with our God. And best of all, he is honored to have done so. He loves being our Savior and is looking forward to living with us in heaven.

Friends, Jesus knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. He always wanted to be God's faithful Servant and our loving Savior. Because he is both, we know what we want to be today, tomorrow and always. We want to keep growing up in our faith to be God's thankful people, serving him every day in love and sharing in every way the light of his salvation to the ends of the earth. God grant us the strength and love we need to live as the people he has saved us to be for Jesus' sake. Amen.