God's Special Servant

Introduction

Matthew 12:15–21 ESV

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Last week, Tim took us through the end of verse 14 in the twelfth chapter of Matthew’s gospel, bringing us to the threshold of a new section: verses 15-21. Many bibles, perhaps most, subdivide chapters not only through the familiar convention of the verse numbering system, but at times will add section subheadings, like those found in the English Standard Version, which name verses 15-21: God’s Special Servant. Simply for convenient sake, I’m utilizing this subheading and making it the title of this morning’s sermon. However, I think we will discover as we analyze the passage, that these divisional subheadings may at times impede our progress and understanding of the passage under investigation. Therefore, we should keep in mind the artificial nature of the chapter, verse, and subheading system, recognizing that this format is not original to the author who wrote the book. The subheadings themselves often suggest theologically rich ideas. The subheading I’m using as a title for this morning’s sermon may suggest the Christological theme of Jesus as the passive, quiet, and gentle servant of God. Though the subheadings are often helpful and assist us with memorization, context, and other features of the text we may otherwise fail to recognize without their aid, they are nonetheless, imposed by translators and are, therefore, interpretative in their application to the text. Our passage this morning may be one such instance where the chapter subheadings actually serve to impede or obscure the intending meaning of the book’s author. Let me be clear at the beginning, so as to avoid possible confusion: I do not lightly dismiss conclusions of scholars who in many instances have spent years or decades examining a passage to come to the conclusions implicit in the chapter subheading. I believe it is incumbent upon us to have valid textual reasons to disagree with a consensus of scholarly opinion. Our conclusions, should they digress from the majority opinion, must have good textual support and even agreement with some biblical experts to validation our position, least we advance a novel idea. So, is it a valid conclusion to view Christ within the context of this passage as the subheading suggests? In other words, does Matthew’s use of Isaiah 42 suggest, as one biblical scholar argued, that “Matthew has especially underlined the humility and lowliness of Jesus. His withdrawal from the Pharisees, his command to silence, in fact his whole saving activity for the broken are signs of his lowliness, in which he proves himself the servant of God of Isa 42”? If you read any commentaries on the passage, you will find similar sentiments regarding it’s meaning and emphasis. Without denying this observation, let me suggest that there is actually more going on then we might suspect. To begin with, I believe we need to understand the context of the period Matthew is living in and further understand what is happening with the audience he is writing to. Matthew’s gospel, of all of the gospel accounts, as previously mentioned in this sermon series, is the most Jewish in its content. It appears that Matthew’s readers were Jewish Christians who still attended the synagogue and were experiencing resistance and opposition from many within the synagogue who rejected Jesus’ claims. We should be able to see this as we explore the passage this morning...

I. Jesus escapes the conspiracy by the Pharisees to kill him - vs 15 - 16.

Matthew 12:15–16 ESV

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known.

VS. 15 - Our passage opens with Jesus making a decision to escape the treachery of the Pharisees in response to the events in verses 9-14. Verse 15, then, is alluding to some of the persecution that Tim spoke of last Sunday, and opens with the statement that Jesus was aware of the conspiracy of the Pharisees to have him killed for daring to heal a man possessing a withered hand, and so retreated from the area so that he would not be apprehended. Neither Matthew, nor Mark’s parallel passage read earlier, tell us how Jesus became aware of the plot against him; whether he was informed of it by someone who overheard the conspirators or whether this was a display of his divinity as expressed through his omniscience, we are not told. The majority of manuscripts containing this verse state that as Jesus withdraws from the area, “large crowds” continue to follow him. Jesus’ care and compassion for the unfortunate is on full display as he “heals them all.” His compassion and care for the downtrodden and unfortunate will become an emphasis in Matthew’s selection of Isaiah 42, which we will look at shortly.

VS. 16 - Before quoting Isaiah, Matthew first brings to our attention that Jesus forbid the multitudes he has just healed from identifying him. This action is likely linked to his withdrawing in verse 15, and is done to avoid the possibility of prematurely being captured and executed. It would be wrong to conclude from these verses that Jesus flees due to fear of impending death, rather he is avoiding capture prematurely, because his time had “not yet come,” to quote John 7:6.

II. Matthew’s two-fold purpose in quoting from Isaiah 42. - vs 17-19

Matthew 12:17–19 ESV

17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

VS. 17 - In verse 17, Matthew states that the things which have occured are done in fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah spoke. This is an occasion where my recent Greek studies have been really insightful. Grammatically, verse 17 states that Isaiah is the intermediate agent through whom Yawheh spoke. What does this mean? When agency is spoken of in scripture it is often one of two types: Ultimate and intermediate agency.

1. Ultimate agency is used to identify the person who has the ultimate power or authority to bring about a given event and cause it to come to pass.

2. Intermediate agency refers to a person who is delegated the authority, power, and/or ability to accomplish something on behalf of someone who acts as the ultimate agent.

Matthew identifies Isaiah as the intermediate agent of the prophecy found in the book bearing his name, and it is through Isaiah’s intermediate agency that Yawheh works as the ultimate agent to bring about his will and plan in regard to the content of the prophecy in question. In other words, the Lord, who is not mentioned in verse 17, stands behind the scenes working through Isaiah to convey a message to his people, but we should not think that Isaiah’s personality is somehow repressed. Rather it is fully active so that the personality of Isaiah comes through the prophecy that Yahweh inspires through him. This is true of every author of scripture.

VS. 18 - Here begins Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 42:1-4. Many commentators see Matthew’s use of these four verses in Isaiah as reflective of Jesus’ ministry, specifically with regard to his compassionate healing of those less fortunate as demonstrated in verse 15 and highlighted in the “bruised reed/smoldering wick” motif found in verse 20. Additionally, Jesus’ withdrawal from the Pharisee’s plot in verse 15 is said to be reflected in the servant’s unwillingness in verse 19 to “wrangle or cry aloud.” I wish to suggest that there may be a two-fold purpose for Matthew to draw upon Isaiah 42: First, Isaiah is used to demonstrate that Jesus, as God’s elect Son, represents the true Israel. Secondly, Matthew uses Isaiah as a polemic against the Jewish opponents of the gospel of Jesus.

A. To demonstrate that Jesus, as God’s elect Son, represents the true Israel.

One of the common themes or motifs throughout scripture is that God elects, or selects, a corporate/covenantal representative who embodies a group that stands related to the representative in some sense. Several examples come to mind:

Adam is representative of all humanity. In one sense God elected Adam and, by virtue of our relationship to Adam, we were either going to be blessed or cursed, depending on what Adam did, by being “in Adam.” The Apostle Paul especially alludes to this concept in Romans 5:12 when he states: “12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned—” and 1 Corinthians 15, where he articulates that when Adam fell in transgression humanity, by virtue of our relation to Adam, fell with him. Paul states “22 For just as in Adam all die...”

Within the fallen race of humanity, God then selects one man through whom he will then bless the world. This man is Abraham, the father of the faithful. Again, Abraham becomes the representative head of a group of people, his immediate family, through whom God makes a covenant. Those who experience the blessings of the covenant God made with Abraham must do so based on their relation to Abraham.

As we just saw, God chose Abraham and his family through whom he would bless the world. However, God then further limits his election of Abraham’s descendants to that of the family of Isaac, who becomes the new representative head of God’s people. Isaac now becomes the covenantal representative and those who will experience the blessings of the covenant made with him must do so based on their relation to Isaac. As a consequence of being “in Isaac,” his family also becomes elect and benefits in the covenant God enjoins with them.

Once again, God further limits his election of his people in his selection of Jacob/Israel. In fact, Jacob’s name is changed so that eventually his entire family, as well as the nation issuing from him, become synonymous with the name Israel. It’s through the naming of Israel that the covenantal relationship is most clearly seen. Jacob, as Israel, is clearly representative of the nation bearing his name, and those who will stand in covenantal relationship with Yahweh must do so through their relationship to Israel, their representative head. In other words, they must be “in Israel,” which means they must be part of the nation bearing his name. However, members of the covenantal community can be cut off through unbelief and disobedience, just as those born outside of the nation may be grafted in, as were Rahab and Ruth.

This likely represents the type of arguments being leveraged by the opposition to the gospel that Matthew’s audience was facing in the synagogue. Their opponents were trusting in their ethnic relationship to Jacob/Israel as the basis of their acceptance before God. Matthew is demonstrating, through Isaiah, that Jesus has become the true Israel, and acceptance before Yahweh is based on one’s relation to him. To be justified, one must now be “in Christ;” ethnic solidarity, or any other perceived relational advantage, is insufficient. One way to think about it in our modern context is to realize that simply being part of an organized body, or church, is insufficient to find acceptance with God. We must be “in Christ” to experience forgiveness and justification, and this only takes place by trusting in Christ for that forgiveness and justification.

B. As a polemic against the Jewish opponents of the gospel of Jesus.

As we have just seen, Matthew is likely pushing back against Jewish opposition and demonstrating through Isaiah that covenantal representation has now been conferred or bestowed on Jesus, the true Israel. This brings us to the second purpose for Matthew’s use of Isaiah 42: as a polemic against his Jewish opponents. What is a polemic? The Oxford Languages dictionary defines polemic as, “a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something.”

It would appear that Matthew’s use of Isaiah 42 against his Jewish opponents is in response to their denial that Jesus possessed the authority he claimed to have; their accusations regarding the type of spirit operating through Christ; whether anyone would or should listen to Jesus’ preaching; the eventual judgement of the unbelieving; the eventual structure of the church, and the naming of Jesus. Furthermore, Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 42 serves to expose conspiracies and accusations against Jesus in the ongoing controversy in the synagogue, and ultimately rendering a verdict that condemns the unbelief and rejection of God’s Special Servant.

A comparison of Isaiah as found in the Old Testament with a Greek version found in the Septuagint provides the context of the passage in question: In it’s original context, Isaiah 42:1-4 is speaking of Israel, as stated explicitly in the version found in the Septuagint. The Septuagint is an early Greek translation of the Old Testament, translated from the Hebrew into Greek, occuring sometime between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C. Actually, the only trace of the Septuagint in Matthew’s version of the passage is found in verse 21, which corresponds to verse 4 in Isaiah. Original to Isaiah in this verse is that it is in “his law” that the nations were to hope, while in the Septuagint and Matthew’s quote, it is in “his name” that the nations will hope. This means that Matthew’s use of the text is a complete redaction that is completely different from either the quotation original to Isaiah or that found in the Septuagint.

Isaiah 42:1–4 ESV

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isaiah 42:1–4 LES2

1 Jacob is my child, I will help him; Israel is my chosen one, my soul has accepted him. I have given my spirit upon him; he will bring forth judgment upon the nations. 2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice, nor will his voice be heard outside. 3 He will not crush a bruised reed, and he will not extinguish a smoking flax, but he will bring forth justice to truth. 4 He will blaze forth and will not be shattered until he brings justice upon the earth, and the nations will hope in his name.

VS. 18 - It would appear that Matthew has changed the format of the quotation of Isaiah 42:1 to conform more to the baptismal formulation as given by the voice from heaven at the time of Jesus’s baptism.

Matthew 3:17 ESV

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew’s use of “servant” as opposed to “son” found in the Septuagint seems to be chosen because it is specifically applicable to the Messiah. While it may be a little bit surprising that Matthew uses “servant” rather than “son,” on the basis that he knows that Jesus, like Jacob, in a very unique sense is God’s Son, it is in this context that Matthew’s polemic comes into view: It is upon Jesus, God’s Son, the Messiah and new Israel, that God has placed his Spirit. The later portion of verse 18 serves as Matthew’s defense, known as an apology, against the unbelieving Pharisees, who will argue in verse 24 that it is the spirit of Beelzebul that Jesus is able to perform his miracles. The Pharisees then are prototypical of the opposition Matthew’s readers face in the synagogue. Matthew’s opponents are well aware of the Septuagint’s version of Isaiah, and see in it evidence of their own election based on their ethnicity and so reject Jesus’ claims of Messiah-ship. Matthew, in turn, points out that the covenantal relationship the nation has enjoyed has now been transferred to Jesus, the representative head of the covenantal community, and anyone desiring to benefit from the covenant must do so by virtue of their allegiance to Jesus.

VS. 19 - Verse 18 states that God’s servant will proclaim justice to the nations, which commonly has been taken to mean just the opposite of what is suggested in verse 19: God’s servant will not engage in polemical disputes. Most commentators appeal to verse 19 as evidence of the peaceful and quiet disposition of the God’s servant. Yet nothing in the verse suggests that the servant withdraws from conflict or disputes. If the traditional interpretation is accepted, then it appears that there are inconsistent arguments made about the servant: he proclaims retribution or punishment but does not engage in disputes or wrangling.

III. A Compassionate Servant - vs 20-21

Matthew 12:20–21 ESV

20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

VS. 20 - However, verse 20 provides an insight into the mission of the servant. The Greek word translated “justice” gives emphasis to the servant’s mission: he will bring justice. Nothing in the context of Matthew 12 to this point would shed light on this aspect of the servant’s mission; however, the remainder of the chapter is especially suggestive of what this aspect of his mission looks like. Matthew provides a narrative example to highlight the justice God’s servant will bring: Gentiles who respond to God’s messengers through repentance will rise up and judge this generation.

Matthew 12:41–42 ESV

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Matthew’s point is that unlike these Gentiles who repented at the preaching of God’s messengers, the Pharisees stand in judgement due to their unbelief and rejection of Jesus as their Messiah; their continual opposition as seen in their claims that his miracles are the result of Satan’s influence and power, and their words of criticism and opposition against him. Their fierce opposition causes Jesus to label them a “brood of vipers” in verse 34. They have rejected God’s special servant, and so judgement is proclaimed against their own polemical speech in verse 36.

Matthew 12:36 ESV

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

The idea is not that everyday language will be judged, but the confession one makes about God’s special servant. Like the Pharisees in the narrative, the Jewish opponents of Matthew’s audience stand in judgement due to their continual rejection and opposition to Jesus. In like manner, any confession of Jesus that is inconsistent with his claims and fails to accept him as savior faces impending judgement.

VS. 20 - Verse 20 emphasizes that the gospel of Jesus will be extended to all nations, and these nations will be given a new name to hope in. Whereas “law” summarized the old covenant, this “name” represents the new covenantal head of God’s elect people. That name is Jesus.

Illustration: The Savior Turned Judge.

A young man was drinking heavily and decided to go for a swim at a California beach. Fortunately, an older man was watching the young man as he entered the water and saw that when he dove in, he did not come back up for air. The older man ran toward the struggling young man, dove into the water, and saved his life. A few years later, that same young man was standing in court facing a sentence on drug charges. Suddenly, the young man realized the judge was the very same man who’d saved his life when he was drowning years earlier. He looked at the judge and said, “Sir, don’t you recognize me? You saved my life a few years ago. Don’t you remember?” The judge nodded and then looked at the young man. “Young man,” he said. “Then I was your savior, but now I am your judge.”