This is the first of five talks given at the Northwest Family Camp held Labor Day Weekend at beautiful Camp Lutherhaven and sponsored by Trinity Church (Coeur d’Alene), Christ Church (Spokane), and Holy Trinity Church (Colville).
These talks address the Servant Songs of Isaiah and seek to uncover how Jesus had such a clear sense of His calling and His mission. For as we read Gospels it is evident that Jesus had a radically different sense of His calling than His contemporaries – so different that many concluded Jesus wasn’t the Messiah, while others, who knew better – knew that He was God’s chosen one – still didn’t understand him. While most of Jesus’ contemporaries expected the Messiah to be a militaristic ruler, Jesus came as a humble and gracious Servant. Why? The answer is revealed in the Servant Songs – songs that Jesus meditated upon for the first 30 years of His life so that He could put them into practice during the course of His ministry.
This first talk identifies Jesus as God’s Elect Servant – chosen by God and precious because of His righteous character. The Servant’s purpose is described and God’s goal in sending Him is made clear – God has every intention of restoring to Himself the glory that the nations have been giving to false gods.