In the Gospel of Mark
Mark 1
The second book of the New Testament, Mark, seems to tell of the Lord Jesus as the Holy Servant for God on earth. The prophets had written that the Holy One would come as a Servant as well as, the King.
“Behold My Servant, Whom I uold, Mine Elect, in Whom My soul delighted, I have put My Spirit upon Him.” Isaiah 42:1.
That Servant’s coming was as sure as that the heavens and earth had been created, for these words follow:
“Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens... He that spread forth the earth... He that giveth breath unto the people upon it... I the Lord have called Thee... and will keep Thee.” Isaiah 42:5,6.
This Servant would be meek and humble, not like any other, and doing great good for people: He would open the eyes of the blind; cause the deaf to hear; bear the sorrows of the people, and preach God’s words to them. (See Isaiah 42:2,7; 53:3; 61:1.
In this history of Jesus, as the Holy Servant, the stories of His birth are not told, but, when He began His important work for God, He came to the Jordan River to be baptized by the prophet John, and the Spirit from Heaven rested upon Him: and His faithful, constant work began.
This Holy Servant made the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the sick well; He cured the lepers, fed the hungry, and told God’s words: all that the prophets had written and more.
A good servant does his work promptly, and that was told of the Lord Jesus many times in this book of Mark: Jesus went or did “immediately” or “straightway” (right away). When He cured sickness, the persons were immediately: made well.
When Jesus called the men of Galilee to follow Him, they came “immediately” as good servants (Mark 1:18,20).
We would expect such a faithful, holy Servant for God would be well treated by all men. But He was not: the prophets had written that also o the Holy Servant: Isaiah wrote, “He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him: He was despised and we eeemed Him not.” Isaiah 53:3.
Jesus spoke of Himself as coming to “minister”, to do for others, or serve. He said,
“For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45.
“The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6.
“Christ... who made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Phillippians 2:7.
ML 01/09/1944