Think Wink.

This is the third post on Mark 1:11 and its three sources of Genesis 22LXX; Psalm 2:7 LXX; and Isaiah 42:1 LXX. This post will conclude our examination of how Jesus is God’s Son (Genesis 22), Son (Psalm 2:7) and Servant (Isaiah 42:1). Let us get the scene of Mark 1:9-11 in front of us from the NET,

9 Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”

Again let us see the Greek text of Mark 1:11 and Isaiah 42:1 before us so that we can see the parallels.

Mark 1:11 — καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός ἐν σοὶ εὐδόκησα
Isaiah 42:1 LXX — Ιακωβ ὁ παῖς μου ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ αὐτόν κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει

Now what is most amazing about this text is the fact that Isaiah 42:1 actually represents the strongest parallel to Mark 1:11 if we look at Mark 1:10, which in the Greek reads, καὶ εὐθὺς ἀναβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος εἶδεν σχιζομένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον εἰς αὐτόν. Notice the words τὸ πνεῦμα in both Mark 1:10 and Isaiah 42:1 LXX. At the baptism in Mark 1:9-11, the Spirit descends upon Jesus. This is exactly what Yahweh prophesied through Isaiah in Isaiah 42:1 LXX! So let us see how Jesus is the servant in whom God delights. First let us get Isaiah 42:1-7 before us in the NET,

“Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I take pleasure. I have placed my spirit on him; he will make just decrees for the nations. 2 He will not cry out or shout; he will not publicize himself in the streets. 3 A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not extinguish; he will faithfully make just decrees. 4 He will not grow dim or be crushed before establishing justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 5 This is what the true God, the Lord, says – the one who created the sky and stretched it out, the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, the one who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live on it: 6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations, 7 to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness from prisons.

This is the first of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs.” The other texts are found in Isaiah 49:1-13; Isaiah 50:4-11; Isaiah 52:13-:53-12. There are three primary candidates for who this “servant” (ὁ παῖς in LXX) is: Isaiah, Israel, or Jesus. The LXX is very clear that it views Israel as the servant for it says, Ιακωβ ὁ παῖς μου (”Jacob my servant”) and Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου (”Israel my chosen”). Jacob is often synonymous with Israel when God is addressing the nation of Israel (Jacob’s name was changed to Israel in Genesis 32:27-28). Indeed Israel was to be “a light to the nations” (cf. Exodus 19:6). Israel was to shine forth Yahweh to the world through her covenant relationship to Yahweh. But Israel never “open[ed] blind eye” and “releas[ed] prisoners from dungeons” etc. Israel also fails to meet the requirements of the other Servant Songs. Plus, was not Israel one of the nations that needed to hear and receive the “just decrees”?

There is Isaiah as the Servant. But his ministry was described in Isaiah 6:9-13 as to cause the people to not see and hear God’s message of salvation so that they do not turn to God in repentance and be saved from the coming judgment until all of Israel’s cities were in ruins. Isaiah’s mission wasn’t to deliver people from God’s wrath but to deliver the people over to God’s wrath. He is only promising hope to the people that is yet to come. Isaiah does not really, in the end, fit the bill.

Then there is Jesus of Nazareth. Mark seems to think that Jesus was this ὁ παῖς μου and ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου. Well Mark 1:10 says that the Spirit was placed upon Jesus as Isaiah 42:1 says should happen. Let us look further at the ministry of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel account. Jesus healed the blind (cf. Mark 8:22-26; 10:46-52). He healed the sick and lame (Mark 1:29-31; 2:1-11; 3:1-6; 5:21-43; 6:53-56; 7:24-37). He was a “covenant mediator” (cf. Mark 14:23-24). Jesus preached and taught people (Mark 4, 7, 9, 10). Jesus reached out to Gentiles as well as Jews (cf. Mark 7:24-30). Jesus fits the role of the suffering servant very well in his life. This is not an exhaustive list but it is very overwhelming to think of exactly how it is that Jesus could be the servant of Isaiah 42:1-7.

In Part 2 of this series, I noted that some prophecy is not verbal-predictive. That is to say a person predicts something and it is fulfilled word-for-word. This is the way most modern lay-readers of the Bible think. The Old Testament says that the Christ will do X or will not do Y. Then they look for Jesus to do X or not do Y just as it was said in the Old Testament prophecy. Much of the Old Covenant prophetic voice is rather typological. That is to say, there is a pattern laid down and Jesus fits that pattern. David is an excellent example. David was rejected by his friends and family, so was Jesus. The king of Israel was called God’s Son and so is King Jesus. (On a side note, I forgot to mention that sometimes in ancient cultures heads of nations were called “gods” in a functional sense, e.g. they exercised their authority on either God’s behalf or the pagan gods’ behalf. Psalm 82:6 picks up on this as it refers to the unjust judges of Israel as gods failing to do what God has authorized them to do. Jesus cites this text in John 10:34. Functional categories are part of this typological paradigm to OT prophecy).

But Isaiah 42:1-7 is indeed verbal-predictive. God, through Isaiah, prophesied that his Servant would do X and wouldn’t do Y. Jesus did X and did not do Y as Isaiah stated. Jesus fulfills the role of the coming servant who would bring justice to God’s people and to the nations.

One last comment before I go. Notice that in this statement what God does. He takes the king function of the Messiah and the suffering servant function of the Messiah and puts them together in one office, they are actually one Messiah. Jesus functions as God’s King because he is God’s Suffering Servant. By being God’s Suffering Servant, God exalted Jesus to the throne of David. I close with Paul’s hymn in Philippians 2:6-11,

6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross! 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Amen!

Related posts:

Son, Son, or Servant and Mark 1:11 Part 1

Son, Son, Or Servant and Mark 1:11 Part 2

“Son of Man” and Jesus