God’s Chosen One – January 9, 2023

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

God’s Chosen One

Although Jesus Christ has been alive for two thousand years, only recently has he been authenticated. On November 9, 2022, Twitter blessed Jesus Christ with a “blue check verified mark.”

In this Age of Information, fact-checking services and identity verification software are a necessity. Companies have official websites, so you do not accidentally surf into and spend your money in the wrong store. Influential users on social networks receive checkmarks as verification that they are really who they claim to be.

But Jesus does not need a blue check. God himself has verified Jesus. In the Old Testament, God made over three hundred prophecies about who the Messiah would be. The gospels show that Jesus Christ matches all of them. In comparison, an average fingerprint has 150 unique points. Yet, most legal systems only require a twelve-point match to be irrefutable evidence.

What evidence does God provide in our Bible passage today? He identifies his servant as his chosen one in whom he delights. Seven hundred years later, God echoed these same words over Jesus. Not once, but twice, God verified Jesus as the Messiah. First, at Jesus baptism, as he stepped out of the Jordan and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. Then, near the end of his ministry at the transfiguration, Jesus’ appearance changed before three of his disciples on top of a mountain.

God chose this Jesus to set everything right. And God delights in this Jesus because he has pioneered our salvation. Not by forcing his will upon us but by crediting us with his perfect life. Not by shedding our blood but by shedding his own as payment for our sins.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, you also are God’s chosen one. For the sake of Jesus Christ, you are God’s delight. Filled with his Spirit, you are God’s servant to share the forgiveness, life, and salvation of Jesus with the world.

Prayer:
O Lord, I praise you for choosing me in Christ, calling me by his gospel, and giving me your Spirit that I may serve you. Amen.