Jesus is displaying the works of God which He has for the world so all might see, both physically and especially spiritually, the salvation found only in Christ.
This is the first of Isaiah’s four Servant Songs (42:19; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). From 42:14 all the way to 44:23, the Lord makes the case that He is Israel’s redeemer. He may have held back in the past but now He will wait no longer. All the other idols that claim to have a hold over His people will be cast off. He will buy back Israel from the trash heap of idolatry. But this redemption will begin with the sound of a “woman crying out in labor” (42:14). This signals the coming of the Servant who will redeem. Notice, here, how the Servant in Isaiah is not described the same as the way He is described in 42:1-9. Here it is important to note that though Israel is described as blind and deaf, the Servant Messiah will open these ears and eyes so all will see and hear the light of the salvation of our God (35:5).
This connects to the Gospel Lesson from John 9 perfectly. Here, we see the enactment and fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus does, in fact, open the eyes of the blind and He Himself is the light of the world. Jesus is displaying the works of God which He has for the world (9:3) so all might see, both physically and especially spiritually, the salvation found only in Christ. But they must keep looking at what the Messiah does to see specifically what His salvation looks like. They need to cast their eyes further onto the cross and empty tomb.
In Lent, we press on to the cross and empty tomb. When Jesus’ eyes were closed in death our eyes were opened to what this Suffering Servant Messiah has done for us when the tomb of Jesus was opened and empty on Easter. Focusing on the acts of the Messiah from Isaiah as fulfilled in John 9 will help us to have a way to connect to the acts of God through Word and Sacrament. Many are blind and deaf to what is happening through the means of grace and, therefore, they despise it. But God has placed His promises there, which open our eyes and ears to receive Christ through the Word prophesied and fulfilled for us and delivered to us by the means of grace.
Jesus does, in fact, open the eyes of the blind and He Himself is the light of the world.
Since a sermon on this text will have very high theological concepts at play, it is wise to balance that with a more relational structure. The Relational Structure allows you to make personal connections with the text which leaves your hearers with a sense that God is with them always.
“The relational sermon structure, articulated by Andy Stanley in his work Communicating for a Change, uses the dynamics of relationships to organize the experiences of the sermon. The relationships considered are those between the preacher, the people, and God. According to Stanley, the sermon is built around relationship rather than content and intentionally fosters the formation of a relationship within which content is communicated to the hearers. It does this in five sections, moving from a personal orientation toward the topic (ME), to identification of how the community relates to the topic (WE), to illumination of God’s word on the topic (GOD), to application of God’s work in the life experience of each individual hearer (YOU), and finally to the inspiration of God’s people for God’s work among and through them in the future (WE).
This sermon structure begins with an act of trust: The preacher builds a relationship with the people, sharing his personal investment in the focus or function of the sermon in a way that highlights the common ground he has with the hearers. Often, this connection is one in which the preacher is honest about tensions or struggles he encounters in relation to the topic at hand. The preacher then expands participation in this personal experience by recognizing his hearers and inviting them to see the various ways in which they also are involved in the topic. Here, the preacher recognizes the diversity of the hearers and names the various ways they relate to the topic at hand. During this engagement, God’s people have a vision of the community of faith, the body of Christ, and the experiences shared with one another and brought before God this day. The sermon, then, shifts at this point to consider God’s relationship with His people, allowing the text to clarify God’s work and His will for His people gathered this day. After this orientation toward God, the sermon returns to the people with a more personal approach (YOU), naming the way in which God’s Word and work apply to each hearer’s life. In conclusion, the sermon moves from the individual to the larger community of faith. Here, the preacher addresses the community again, noting the various aspects of faith experience brought up in the earlier communal section, often allowing the Word of God to reframe that life experience, and, ultimately, turning attention to the future, sharing a common vision for God’s people based on this Word from God today.”[1]
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Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Isaiah 42:14-21.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Isaiah 42:14-21/
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
[1] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/dynamic/relational/
