A Light To The Gentiles

Introduction: The World in Darkness

Last week Isaiah showed us a tender Branch rising from a dead stump. Today he turns our eyes to the purpose of that Branch. Christ did not only come to give hope. He came to bring light.

By the time Isaiah wrote, darkness lay heavily upon the nations. Sin had blinded hearts. Idols had stolen worship. Even Israel, God’s chosen nation, stumbled into disobedience and unbelief. Yet in the middle of that darkness, God promised a Servant who would shine with truth and grace.

When the angel announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, he called it good tidings of great joy for all people. That is exactly what Isaiah 49 declares. The Child born in Bethlehem was not given to Israel alone. He came for the whole world. His salvation would reach far beyond Judah, reaching to the ends of the earth.

Advent reminds us that God sent His Son into a world covered in darkness in order to bring the light of salvation to all nations.

I. The Servant’s Divine Calling (verses 1 to 3)

“The Lord hath called me from the womb.”

Here the Servant speaks of His divine mission. He was chosen before birth, appointed before time, and called by name. The phrase “from the womb” points us to the virgin conception of Christ. He was not an emergency answer to man’s failure. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Isaiah says His mouth would be like a sharp sword. The words of Jesus cut through hypocrisy and falsehood. When He taught, people said, Never man spake like this man. His voice exposed the heart, yet He also spoke comfort to the broken and needy.

In verse 3 God calls the Servant “Israel.” Not because He is the nation, but because He fulfills everything Israel was meant to be. Israel was to reveal God’s glory to the world. They failed. Christ did not. He is the true Servant who perfectly displays the holiness, truth, and obedience of God.

Application:

The story of salvation did not begin at Bethlehem. It began in the eternal purpose of God. Before the world was formed, God had already called His Son to redeem mankind. And the same Lord who called His Servant by name calls us by name to walk in His light.

II. The Servant’s Apparent Failure (verse 4)

“I have laboured in vain.”

From a human perspective, the ministry of Christ looked like failure. Rejected by His own nation. Opposed by religious leaders. Deserted by His disciples. Crucified between thieves. The world judged His work as wasted effort.

But the verse continues: “Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord.” What man calls failure, God calls fulfillment. The cross was not defeat. It was victory. The tomb was not the end. It was the beginning.

Application:

Many of God’s servants feel the same way. You labor, pray, witness, and give, yet see little fruit. But faithfulness is never wasted. The Lord keeps perfect records. Obedience is never in vain. Your work is with God, and He will honor it in His time.

III. The Servant’s Expanding Mission (verses 5 to 6)

God first declares that the Servant will bring Jacob again to Him. His mission includes the restoration of Israel. But then the horizon widens, and verse 6 makes one of the most important statements in the Old Testament.

“It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles.”

Restoring Israel alone was too small for the Son of God. The Father sent Him to redeem all nations. The Gospel cannot be confined to borders. It stretches beyond every language, ethnicity, and culture.

When Simeon held the infant Jesus in the temple, he quoted this verse. He called Christ a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. The light Isaiah saw from a distance, Simeon held in his arms.

Application:

God’s heart has always included the entire world. From the promise to Abraham, to the command of the Great Commission, God calls His people to carry the Gospel everywhere. Advent reminds us that Christ came for all nations, and the task of taking His light remains ours.

IV. The Servant’s Enduring Faithfulness (verses 7 to 9)

Kings shall see and arise. Princes shall worship. Why? “Because of the Lord that is faithful.”

Isaiah shows the Servant despised, yet exalted. Humiliated, yet triumphant. This points us directly to Calvary and the empty tomb. He who was rejected will one day be honored by every nation. Paul said that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In verse 8 the Lord speaks of an acceptable time. Paul quotes this in the New Testament and applies it to the present age. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Isaiah’s prophecy is unfolding before our eyes in the church age.