The Baptism of the LORD (OTA)

Isaiah 42:1-9

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

       I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

²    He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

³    a bruised reed he will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

⁴    He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his law.

⁵    Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

       who gives breath to the people on it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

⁶    “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;

       I will give you as a covenant for the people,

a light for the nations,

⁷        to open the eyes that are blind,

       to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

⁸    I am the Lord; that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to carved idols.

⁹    Behold, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

       before they spring forth

I tell you of them.”

In baptism God has placed his spirit on his children. In Numbers we see the Spirit of a God allowing his  people to prophesy. God's Spirit rested upon the prophets and even some of the Kings of Israel are said to the Spirit of God from time to time. This is the historical fact that God places his Spirit upon his servants.

God placed his Spirit on the children of Israel and they disobeyed. They would not listen to God. They would snuff out the smoldering wick. They would break the reed. Likewise, we today do not hear the voice of our master. We talk negatively about our neighbor. We try our best to look better than other people. We do not want to get broken so we break other people.

There is only one who actually does what the servant God is supposed to do. Upon Jesus Christ the Spirit of a God descends out of Heaven. The Spirit of God rests upon this servant of God as he takes your selfish deeds and actions to the cross. He takes your sins upon his own shoulders. He serves not to snuff out or break but to build up and renew. God therefore does create in you a new spirit so that you can do what is right. Therefore go and sin no more because God has forgiven you and given you his Spirit, so you can hear and obey his word.