April 17, 2004

THE EXALTED AND EXTOLLED SERVANT

"Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high" (Isaiah 52:13, NKJV).

The prophet Isaiah paints a magnificent portrait of the Messiah, the suffering servant, whom God would ultimately exalt and extol. It is a vivid picture of Christ rising from the deepest level of vicarious suffering and humiliation to the very zenith of exaltation and divine honor.

Nowhere in all the Bible is there a more powerful portrayal of Christ's atoning sacrifice than in Isaiah's portrait of the suffering servant (see Isaiah 52:13; 53:12). In amazing detail, Christ's birth, incarnation, anointing, earthly ministry, suffering, and death are presented. The prophet takes his audience beyond the suffering and death of our Saviour to the final deliverance.

In this touching portrait, the prophet eventually leaves behind the dismal picture of Christ's suffering and brings us to the day when He would see the "Travail of His soul, and be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). Christ's mission of redemption will be fully accomplished in keeping with God's timetable. The exaltation of Christ began with the triumph of the resurrection and continues until His jubilant enthronement at the Father's right hand in the highest heaven (see Philippians 2:9, 10). The process of exaltation will finally reach its zenith when Jesus returns in majesty to reign supreme.

For all eternity, the redeemed and the angelic hosts will praise their Redeemer and Lord. "God has exalted Christ above every name that is named. But Christ first reached to the very depths of human woe, weaving Himself into the sympathies of the race by His meekness and gentleness."--Pacific Union Recorder, February 23, 1905.

My Prayer Today: Lord, you have exalted and extolled Your beloved Son for His victory over sin and death. Help me to be ready for the final exaltation. Amen.