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Jesus as the Chosen One

After almost 50 years, I can recall the process of choosing teams for pick-up ball games in elementary school. I still remember how significant it was to be chosen to play and to be chosen first was an honour that raised one’s status significantly on the playground. Through the years, I’ve observed the sense of respect that follows those who are chosen for special purposes.

In Isaiah 42:1, we find these prophetic words about Jesus: “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him...” Jesus was God’s Elect One, His Chosen One. I’ve been thinking about the fact that Jesus was the chosen one of God, chosen for several reasons.

God’s choosing is absolutely sovereign. His choices are never affected by schemes and manipulation. He chooses whom He will for whatever purpose and that is true of His naming Jesus, His Eternal Son, as His Elect One.

You could say He was the obvious choice because He was the only one in the whole universe who could do the job that God had chosen for Him to do, to come and die for the sins of humanity. A life of infinite value was required to die for all the people who would come to Him for salvation. An angel wouldn’t do because an angel was a created being and didn’t have life of infinite value. Only God whose life is of infinite value could stand in the gap for us so He was chosen on that basis, if nothing else.

But there is more. God referred to Jesus specifically as “My Elect One in whom My soul delights.” Perhaps you’ve had a relationship with a person in whom your soul delighted. Look back to when you first fell in love or think about your relationship with your children or children with parents. I've seen this kind of mutual delight in different kinds of situations.

I think of a father with a little son and the father just delighted in the child - totally smitten with him and, for the little boy, Daddy stands in God's place. Daddy does everything right. He’s the smartest. He’s the biggest, the strongest daddy in the whole world and the little kid delights in him. So you have the father delighting in the son and the son delighting in the father.

Now here’s where it gets a bit complicated. Part of the reason that the father delights in the son is the fact that the son delights in him and the son takes delight in the fact that the father delights in him. That takes it to another level.

You may have experienced or seen relationships in which person A delights in person B, but person B couldn't care less that person A delights in them. That disturbs the delight of person A because A wants B to delight in the fact that A is delighting in B. In the case of God the Father and His Son, Jesus, there is wonderful mutuality. Each is thrilled that the other loves Him so much.

Since the Lord Jesus Christ is the One that God chose and delights in, does it not make sense to follow God’s assessment and also delight in Him? We are easily distracted and it is a challenge to take fresh delight in being in the presence of God when we gather to worship. We know why we are there, yet we don't seem to feel anything. Without doubt a relationship that is all emotion is all wrong, but a relationship that is entirely devoid of emotion is equally all wrong. We need to have some warmth, some feeling of gratitude and tenderness toward the Saviour and delight in Him as our Father does.

Ron Hughes
© July 2007