Isaiah 42:1b

I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Justice. We all want justice. From #MeToo to #BlackLivesMatter, we all recognise the anger that comes from injustice. The frustration of seeing wrong-doing left unpunished. We have a deep-seated instinct that tells us that justice should be done.

God agrees. In Isaiah’s day, injustice is one of the clear indications that God’s people have turned away from him. Back in Chapter 1 God tells them “Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice.” Justice matters to God because he himself is just. Isaiah 30:18 tells us “For the Lord is a God of justice” It is an essential aspect of his character.  Again and again, throughout the book, when God describes the great future which lies ahead for his people, after they have been carried through his judgement, we’re told that it will be a time of justice.

So it’s no surprise that when the Servant comes, he brings justice with him. In fact, it’s such a characteristic of this servant that it’s repeated 3 times in 4 verses! He will rule rightly. He will properly discern between right and wrong. He will ensure that righteousness is rewarded and evil is punished. He is not dependent on a committee to agree the rules, or a criminal justice system to hold trials and investigate offences. He has the Spirit of God himself, the one who alone can properly determine right from wrong. So he is uniquely able to establish justice. To put every wrong to rights.

So today, let’s praise Jesus for his perfect justice, and thank him that we can look forward to an eternity under his just rule, where every evil will be banished and righteousness will finally flourish.