What Kind of Man Is This? (Isaiah 11)
The eleventh chapter of Isaiah begins, “Out of the stump of David';s family will grow a shoot — yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root” (Isaiah 11:1). This tells us that Jesus would be a descendant of King David, the fulfillment of which is found in the first chapter of Matthew.
But Isaiah didn';t just write in this chapter about the events and circumstances having to do with the earthly ancestors, birth, and life of Jesus Christ. He also wrote about the kind of person he would be and the things he would do.
This passage tells us even more wonderful facts about the Jesus Christ that Isaiah saw centuries before his birth. Isaiah tells us that God';s Spirit would rest on Jesus (Isaiah 11:2), that he would have exceptional wisdom and understanding and fear of God (11:2), that he would love obeying God the Father (11:3), and that he would be a righteous and fair judge (11:3–4).
Each of the four Gospels look sat the life of Jesus from different perspectives and focuses on different aspects of his person. The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as Isaiah did in Isaiah 42 — as a humble servant of God and of those he came to save from their sin.
Later on, Isaiah presents a picture of the Messiah who comes to earth to serve God and to serve those who are so desperately in need of the works he was going to perform during his earthly ministry:
Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction. (Isaiah 42:1–4)
Jesus came to earth and taught a new and radical kind of justice, mercy, and grace, and all those things were in keeping with what God had said centuries before Christ';s birth through the prophet Isaiah as well as others.
Study Questions
Reread Isaiah 11:1–5. What attributes of Jesus Christ did Isaiah recognize?
According to Isaiah 4:2:1–4:, what works will the Messiah perform while on earth?
