Life Project Blog

The Suffering Servant

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Don Merritt

In Isaiah 53, the prophet describes for us a servant who would be despised, rejected and die; with the result of saving many. The poem here actually begins with verse 13 of the preceding chapter…

See, my servant will act wisely;
    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
    his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness—

Isaiah 52:13-14

Notice in 52:13-14 an account of one who was disfigured beyond the likeness of a man. Of course this disfigurement was the result of the brutality of men. He was to undergo terrible treatment, but in the end he would receive great honor for what he had done. As the poem moves forward into chapter 53, we see that he would be despised in part for who he was; having no apparent nobility or pedigree. He came from the most humble of roots, and grew up as one who was not beautiful or privileged. (53:1-3) People hid their faces from him; but why? He was a man of sorrow and hardship who grieved at the way he was received, for who would believe his message?

In verses 4-6 we find that he was oppressed on our account; that he was to bear the afflictions and sins of all of us who have gone astray. This was no ordinary man, but rather He was One who had come to save the rest of us! Note the parallels in this poem:

Our Experience	His Experience
Grief	Bore
Sorrow	Carried
Transgression	Pierced Through
Iniquity	Crushed
Peace	Chastening
Healed	Scourging

In verses 7-9 the servant is silent during his trial; offering no defense against wrongful accusation. He bore our guilt upon himself willingly, and was sent away to die. Nobody would take much notice of his fate, even though he was guilty of no crime. He would be tortured beyond human endurance, disfigured, ridiculed… and who would care?

Yet, in the final verses we see His triumph. He would live after death; His “seed” (disciples) would spread over many nations and countless millions would be saved by His suffering. He would share the spoils of His victory over sin and death with His followers; He had changed the course of human history, and accomplished the purpose of God.

Compare this account with that of the Apostle John: John 12:37-41. Who is this servant, and how has He affected your life?

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Jesus is Born!

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Don Merritt

J. The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-20

BETHLEHEM 5 BC In due course the time came for Mary to give birth to her son; they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told them. There really is no point in my retelling of the story since it is quite possibly the most familiar story in the entire Scriptures for Christian and non-Christian alike. Even so, there are a couple of things I’d like to mention here…

First, you’ll notice that Luke’s account begins with a call by Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. Augustus was the most powerful man in the world, and he ruled the mighty Roman Empire as a military dictator. As the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who had been assassinated in 44 BC, he was his heir and became the first Emperor of Rome in 27 BC and ruled until his death in 14 AD. Augustus was not his name; he had been born Gaius Octavian− Augustus was actually his self-given title and means “majestic”. He arranged for himself to be declared divine, and all of the people of the Empire were required to worship him…

So, he demanded a census be taken so that he could be sure his treasury was collecting the full amount of tax from the people, and thus, Mary and Joseph were required to travel to Bethlehem to be counted… and so that the prophecies of old would be fulfilled. I mention all of this because in Luke’s account, the greatest and most powerful man of all, the ruler of the greatest Empire, the one who would dare to claim divinity and demand worship, became nothing more than a footnote in the story of the birth of a “nobody”, a poor carpenter’s son by all appearances, in a nowhere little town on the edge of the Empire… who just happened to be God Incarnate.

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor!

The child was born in a manger, just about the last place anyone would want their child to be born. The announcement of His birth wasn’t made to princes or nobles; it was made to a group of shepherds out in the fields at night. Shepherds, because of the nature of their work, were considered to be at the very lowest rung of the social ladder, and as Jewish shepherds, there was little they could do to avoid being ceremonially unclean every day of their lives. Yet, God announces the birth of His Son to them, making unclean shepherds the very first to worship the Son of God.

This Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas came into this world confounding all of the great people, the smart people, and the “beautiful” people. He continued to confound them throughout His ministry, and still does to this day, for God couldn’t care less about the glories of this world; He is the glory of heaven.

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Bonus Post: Isaiah 11 Fulfilled

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Don Merritt

Romans 15:7-15

This is a section that shows that the unification of Jew and Gentile is clearly and unmistakably the work of the Christ. In bringing these two groups together in the Body of Christ (Kingdom) Jesus has done something that would have been considered so improbable that it can only be the work of God. To make matters more interesting, Paul cites Isaiah 11 in this section as being fulfilled in this unity within His Body.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^[a] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”

Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”

Romans 15:7-11

Paul admonishes the two groups to accept one another as Christ has accepted them, in other words Jews and Gentiles should accept one another as Jesus has accepted each group; a group of sinners. In doing this Jesus, who became a servant to the Jews, has kept His promise to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God by joining in relationship with God, rather than to continue in rebellion against Him. Paul then goes on to cite several Old Testament passages that confirm this statement. (Rom. 15:9 cf. 2 Sam. 22:50; Ps. 18:49; Rom. 15:10 cf. Deut. 32:43; Rom. 15:11 cf. Ps. 117:1;) Note that these quoted verses are spoken of as present reality and not something in the distant future.

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.” (15:12)

In this verse, Paul quotes Isaiah 11:10 from the Septuagint, which is an ancient translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, as was his custom. Again, this verse is quoted within the context of vv. 7-9 as present reality. I point this out because, from time to time, people assume that the prophecy of Isaiah 11 must refer to some future date, since lions and lambs don’t usually hang out together these days. However, it is vital to understand that prophecy is generally understood as not being literal in fulfillment. In this case, the predators and their prey referred to by Isaiah are about as likely to live in peace as Jews and Gentiles… and Jews and Gentiles are a whole lot more important! For God to accomplish unity in the Body of Christ between Jew and Gentile is every bit as miraculous and theologically speaking, much more significant than peace in the animal kingdom.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (15:13)

Here, Paul winds up with a prayer for joy and peace amongst God’s people who trust Him, that they may be filled with hope. Considering what we have just seen in these two passages, I would say that if we cannot find hope and trust in God here, then we are woefully weak in understanding. Unity on this earth, in this life between these two devoted and committed enemies of the ancient world, may not seem like such a big deal to us… but that is only because of the magnitude of the miracle that God has performed through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

As we consider this Christmas, and all that it means to us and our celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ, the more we look, the more we consider and the more we ponder… the more awesome and amazing the Incarnation becomes, for it truly changed everything. In spite of the best efforts of sinful Man, God has done the “impossible” in more ways than we usually even begin to consider. Beginning with a miraculous birth, God has accomplished so many more miracles through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that it may even seem that the miraculous birth was no big deal, for if God can take away sin, redeem Mankind, and unite Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ, then what is there that God cannot do?

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Joseph Gets Interesting News

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Don Merritt

I. Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25

This scene explains the ambiguity that we found in 1:16 regarding the father of Jesus, and I’m sure you will recall our discussion of that point. Joseph was betrothed to Mary, which in that place and time was a process of about a year in length. During that time, the couple was legally married, but their union could not be consummated. During this time, the woman would normally continue living with her parents, and after the appropriate time had expired, she would move to her husband’s house to begin their lives as husband and wife and consummate their marriage.

Since they were legally married, even though they were not living together, the only way this betrothal could be broken was by the death of one of the parties, or by a legal divorce. When our story picks up, Joseph has just found out that Mary is pregnant. Joseph does not know who the father of her child is, but he does know who the father is not. OK, so you are Joseph: What would you do?

Being a righteous man, Joseph recognizes that his betrothed has committed adultery, and that the Law prescribes what must come next. Being a compassionate man, he doesn’t want to initiate formal proceedings and bring Mary to disgrace, so he resolves to present her with a bill of divorce quietly, in front of two witnesses, rather than have formal proceedings, which technically would have her facing a capital crime.

With this all bouncing around in his mind, God steps in.

A messenger of God comes to Joseph and explains the situation (vv. 20-21) telling him that the child has come from the Holy Spirit of God. All of this takes place in a dream and then Joseph awakens. Verses 24 and 25 tell us that Joseph believed this and did as he was instructed, taking Mary into his house, and when the son was born, naming him Jesus; we are also told that Joseph and Mary did not consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born. It’s all well and good for us to read this and accept it without much more thought, but we also know how the story of Jesus ends, so the news that He was the Son of God is already a given in our minds, but what about Joseph? Every December we hear sermons and stories about the great faith of Mary, while Joseph is only mentioned in passing. Clearly, Mary’s faith was amazing, but it always strikes me that Joseph’s was even greater. Maybe it is because I’m a man, but Joseph was still faced with a rather significant choice here; what if that was just a regular old dream and not an angel coming to deliver a message?

Remember: Mary knew she was still a virgin; Joseph only knew he wasn’t the father of her child.

Whatever thoughts and lingering doubts may have been in his mind, Joseph did as he was instructed, and Jesus was of the royal line of David by adoption.

Some might be thinking here that Mary was also of David’s line as seen in Luke’s genealogy, and that would appear to be true. However, Mary was a descendant of David through David’s son Nathan, while Joseph was of David’s line through King Solomon, and the throne was passed down to and through Solomon, not Nathan, thus any claim Jesus would have had to the throne of David, would have been by his adoption by Joseph which, by the way, would be perfectly legal.

Much more important than any claim to the throne at that time, was the fact that Jesus’ actual father was God, and His unique status as royal heir and Son of God will continue to play a major part in his early years that are discussed in the next chapter.

Coming up next, I will discuss the two verses I had skipped, verses 22 and 23 which tell us that Jesus’ unconventional conception took place to fulfill the prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14; see you then!

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I just want to let you know…

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Don Merritt

…that my posting stopped suddenly because my trusty computer met an untimely end.

R.I.P.

I think I have my old one back up and running finally and, Good Lord willing, we’ll get back to blogging tomorrow morning: Fingers crossed, see you then.

Posted in Christian Life | 2 Comments

The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Don Merritt

Isaiah 11:1-16

As we continue in the run up to Christmas, here is a brief tour of another messianic prophecy from Isaiah, this time from chapter 11…

Chapter 11 is the beginning of the concluding portion of the first section within the Book of Isaiah which runs from chapter one through chapter twelve. Here, the prophet takes a victorious view of better days ahead to top off a section that is primarily discussing Judah’s sin and its devastating consequences. Here, the messianic figure found in chapter 9 is revealed more clearly as the key to the future, culminating with a hymn of praise found in chapter 12.

Isaiah used the image of a stump in chapter 10 in referring to what would become of the Assyrians (10:33-34) and again in chapter 6 in reference to Judah itself (6:13). The idea is that Judah and the House of David had become so utterly corrupt as to require tearing down (as you might chop down a sick tree) but that out of the stump would grow a shoot that will ultimately bear great fruit. In mentioning Jesse, rather than David, it could be that Isaiah intends to minimize David’s Dynasty because of the corrupt state it had fallen into. (Remember that Jesse is David’s father)

In verses 1-5, we see that there is coming a day when there will be a new ruler for God’s people, one that comes from the ruins (stump) of the old Davidic line of kings. This ruler will be noteworthy for several reasons. First, the Spirit of the Lord will be upon him, and he will have power and abilities lacking in current kings of that period. He will possess attributes that kings over Judah had not held for a very long time, such as wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will rule with justice, righteousness, and he will even give fairness and justice for the needy; all of these attributes being in stark contrast with the status quo of that time. In short, this coming king would be nothing that the people have ever known.

There are several contrasts between predator and prey in vv. 6-9 with the statement that they will lie down together in peace. Recall that in the times of Eden, there were no carnivores (Gen. 1:29-30) and how this changed when sin entered the world. What is being depicted here is not a literal return to Eden, but rather the removal of the curse of sin. Notice also that Isaiah uses the image of an infant and a small child; pictures of innocence not being harmed by sin’s curse. God’s holy mountain is a reference to God’s dwelling place, and in that dwelling place, nothing will either harm or destroy those innocents. Paul tells us in Romans 1:18-32 that the root of man’s fallen position is the suppression of the obvious knowledge of God, and in this image the knowledge of God covers the world. In 1 Cor. 15:24-25, Paul refers to the church age as a time when Christ reigns over His kingdom until all of the remaining curse of sin is removed.

In the final part of this chapter, we see the result of the triumph of the Messiah as He rallies not only the remnant of Israel, but the nations of the Gentiles to His cause. Clearly, this is an indication that both Jew and Gentile will respond to His massage of salvation (rest, i.e. peace) by the removal of sin through the atonement of the blood of Christ, which enables Man and God to once again live in fellowship. Verses 15-16 help us to see that this passage is not to be taken literally, as they are Apocalyptic, but rather that all barriers will be taken down. Both remnants of Judah and Ephraim (Israel) will come together from the nations to which they have scattered (13-14) to join in the new kingdom of the Messiah. This is a victorious picture of the redeemed in Christ living within His kingdom, the church now, and with Him in Heaven ultimately.

As I mentioned briefly above, Paul discusses the fulfillment of this prophecy in his letter to the Romans. At no extra charge to you, I’ll post a brief tour of that passage tomorrow in a Bonus Post. See you then!

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John’s Early Days

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Don Merritt

H. Early Life of John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80

At some point after Mary’s song, it was Zechariah’s turn. His was a prophetic song and though it was primarily about his son, it also included elemental references to the Messiah he would serve…

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (1:76-79)

Notice in these verses the clear reference to his son John who came to fulfill the prophecy of old and “prepare the way of the Lord”. Of particular interest is the ending, Zechariah’s mention of the “tender mercy” of God and the way he uses the example of the rising sun each day as an example of God’s mercy. Where would we be if the sun stopped rising?

As we continue reading it becomes abundantly clear that Zechariah isn’t talking about the literal sun, rather he is referring to God’s Son, coming to shine the light of His presence in a dark world that teeters on the edge of destruction. God’s Son will light the path so that we might avoid falling into disaster and be redeemed by God to find the path of peace.

This is a powerful and gripping image, reminiscent of the prophets of centuries before, and one that should light our hearts still today, for it has come to pass, and we who follow Jesus Christ have received its incredible blessing.

With this, Luke has set the stage for the arrival of God’s Son, but this arrival will have an unusual kind of glory…

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For Unto us a Child is Born

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Don Merritt

Isaiah 9:1-7

There is so much that goes on this time of year, so many distractions, so many little traditions that we find ourselves going through, sometimes without even thinking about what we are doing. Yet the birth of Christ, His arrival on the scene was an event that had been foretold centuries before, had been anticipated, yearned for, and dreamed about… and then it happened! You know… there is a lesson just in that small fact: “and then it happened!” Isaiah 9 is one of the prophecies that is held dear by millions… let’s have a quick look at it:

This passage falls within a section that runs from 8:1-9:7. The section begins with a discussion about the relationship between the lack of belief in Judah and the resulting invasion of the Assyrians. (8:1-10) It affirms that God will not allow His people to be entirely wiped out, and moves on to tell those who remain faithful not to join in disbelief (8:11-22) presenting a very dark picture of anguish for those who are not faithful to God. 9:1-7 tells of hope; that just as God brought light out of darkness at the creation, so will He bring light to a world darkened by unbelief.

Our passage begins by telling the people that deliverance will come first in the North; “Galilee of the Gentiles”. This area was the first to be invaded by foes from the North, and would also be first to see deliverance. It is “of the Gentiles” because at the time of writing, the Israelites had been taken into captivity from this area, and the resultant inhabitants were Gentiles. The two tribes mentioned in the text, Zebulun and Naphtali were representative of those “lost” tribes. The reference, in verse 4, to the defeat of Midian is noteworthy, as it reminds the people of what God has done for them in the past. In addition, it was a deliverance that had particular effect on Zebulun and Naphtali (Judges 7). Of course, after God’s deliverance the people again fell into disobedience and were re-conquered. This was a cycle that Isaiah’s readers should have been well aware of. Yet this time, the deliverer would be far greater than before!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV

Deliverance would come through a child of the House of David; but not a ruler like any they have seen before. Verse six contains a series of names for this coming ruler which reveal beyond dispute that the child will be no mere mortal: “Mighty God” for example is hardly a term that Jews would apply to a mortal man. “Everlasting Father” is most definitely another one that is beyond debate: the child would be God! Verse 7 indicates that His rule will last from that time on forever, and that all of this would be accomplished through the “zeal of Lord Almighty”.

In short, Isaiah is telling the people that they have grave trouble with God, and bad times ahead. This is all brought on by their own disbelief and rebellion against God, yet in the end, God will replace their disbelief with deliverance when He Himself will rule over His people.

It would be unthinkable for a Christian not to see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment for this prophecy in light of Matthew 4:13-17 in which Matthew specifically states that Jesus went back to Galilee to fulfill it. Note also that in verse 17 what is Jesus telling the people? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus was bringing the kingdom of heaven to Galilee. He established this kingdom by bringing deliverance to those who would remain faithful to God through His work on the cross. This was deliverance not by the sword, but by forgiveness; and the Kingdom of Heaven came into being. Finally, this Kingdom makes war obsolete, for it is not of this world. (Isaiah 9:5; cf. John 18:36)

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Elizabeth Has a Visitor

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Don Merritt

G. Mary Visits Elizabeth Luke 1:39-56

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:39-45

JUDEA 5 BC In a scene reminiscent of 1 Samuel 1-2, Mary arrives at the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth and, as the text tells us, two interesting things happen when she enters the house. First, the unborn John the Baptist, leaps for joy upon hearing her voice, and then his mother Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. You will recall that the angel had told Elizabeth that her son would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born, and this has been borne out; now Elizabeth herself utters a more or less prophetic message.

Elizabeth became the first human to ever proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

If nothing else, we see in this scene that Elizabeth, in spite of her joy at conceiving a child in her old age, and in spite of being joyous at the important role her son would play in redemption history, that she was fully aware that Mary was carrying the greater of the two, and that as a result, Mary was the more blessed.

What does this tell us some 2,000 years later?

It tells us that this child whose birth we are celebrating now, was no ordinary child, that He was God incarnate. It tells us that this child was/is the One who would change everything and that this change would be for all time. It tells us that in our celebrations, the birth of this child is not to be treated as an afterthought or an “oh by the way” kind of thing― t is well and truly The Point.

Everything else is fluff.

In vv. 46-55, in one of the New Testament’s best-known passages, Mary expresses her faith and her joy in terms that point us directly at God’s purpose and shows us what our attitude should always be.