Following the Way of Jesus - Series on Matthew's Gospel

The Character of the King - He dispenses Justice! - Matthew 12:15-21.

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His Divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a Cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was His coat. When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Such was His human life—He rises from the dead. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race and the Leader of the column of progress. I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. James C. Hefley, author

Our culture, which for centuries would have regarded itself as Christian is increasingly anti-Jesus in that it contradicts His teaching; ideas; moral outook and agenda. He is increasingly ignored as irrelevant and is mostly mentioned on the lips of people as a joke or a swear word.

the overwhelming, everyday attitude is one of indifference, until Christians happen to mention what the Bible teaches or brings under scrutiny, what Jesus has to say about certain accepted behaviours and moral norms and then we feel the full vent and fury of the Commentariat and Keyboard warriors who are determined to introduce a irreligious and godless culture in which no moral authority or absolute is allowed to interfere with the determination people to “be who they are”; to “find themselves” and “be true to themselves.”

And yet this is tragic, for as Kenneth L Woodward, Newsweek editor said of Jesus, “Any secular standard, Jesus is also the dominant figure of Western culture. Like the millennium itself, much of what we now think of as Western ideas, inventions, and values finds its source or inspiration in the religion that worships God in his name. Art and science, the self and society, politics and economics, marriage and the family, right and wrong, body and soul – all have been touched and often radically transformed by the Christian influence.”

The opposition that Jesus encoutered in His own day, manifested itself differently.

It was after all a largely religious society, but it too was hostile to Jesus and it was so because of the nature and character of who He was and what He taught as well as what He did that threatened those in authority! It would ultimately lead to His death, for as Andy pointed out to us alst week, they were so offended by His teaching and appalled by His activity that they looked for ways to “destroy Him”!

These are chilling words! But history is replete with examples of so many good people who have been destroyed because they pose a threat to corrupt and deceitful leaders in Society and sometimes even in the Church itself.

In the meantime, Jesus “Aware of” there hostile attitude, “...withdrew from that place. “ He will not stay where He is not welcome! And that is the tragic truth that explains our Culture’s godlessness today. The vast majority of our Society are saying with the crowd at Jesus’ trial, “we will not have this man to rule over us”(Luke 19:14)!

1. The King-Messiah’s Secret - vs 15,16.

“Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was.”

Jesus had engaged in ‘tactical withdrawals’ before (see Matt 4:12).

There were various reasons for this, including the people wanting to make Him “King by force” because of His miracles(see John 7) and here because of His awareness of the Pharisees’ plots, not because Jesus was afraid of them or of the consequences of their hostility which would result in violent death, but because his “hour” or “time” had “not yet come”!

Instead, Matthew wants to stress Jesus’ control and awareness of the situation and His non-retaliatory; non-aggressive attitude to it all (see v19).

And Matthew also notes that however unpopular Jesus was with the Pharisee the common people still “followed Him” and in return He “healed all their sick” (see Matt 3:7-12), though strangely, He warned “them not to tell who he was.”

Jesus’ demand for silence - the so-called “Messianic secret” - is the cue for the Isaiah quotation, which serves to explain the ‘Messianic secrecy’ (c/f Matt 8:4; Matt 9:30; Mat 12:16; Matt 16:20; Matt 17:9) not as the result of weakness and timidity, but as the deliberate and authoritative fulfilment of the role of the Servant.

Matthew’s longest quote from the Old Testament appears here to emphasize the contrast between the violent opposition of the proud Pharisees who had determined to unjustly “destroy” Jesus and the gentleness and humility of the Lord’s Servant portrayed in Isaiah 42. who in His concern for the weakness, frailty and vulnerability of many will “proclaim justice to the nations…till he leads justice to victory” and “in His name, the nations will put their hope!” In Jesus, ultimate victory is assured!

The healing of many was a witness to Jesus’ Messianic mission, as the conqueror of disease (cf. Matt 11:5).

However the requirment of secrecy, reflects a real danger that Jesus could achieve unwanted popularity merely as a miracle worker, or even worse as a nationalistic and political liberator, rather than as the Saviour of the World.

There had grown up all kinds off false notions as to what and who the Messiah was and would do, and so too much exposure would lead to serious misunderstanding of the true nature of his mission and the undoubted raising of popular acclaim would lead to an uprising against the Romans, which then would be violently suppressed. on on the part of the Romans.

Jesus faced this challenge and temptation to become King by any means when the Devil tempted Him saying: Matthew 4:8-10 “the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Likewise in John 7:4-8 “Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.” Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.”

Jesus had not come to do His own will but His Father’s (Matt. 26:29; John 6:38), and it was not yet the Father’s time for the Son’s ministry and life to be ended. When that time came, Jesus accepted His arrest, trial, and crucifixion without complaint or resistance—although at any time He could easily have saved Himself and destroyed those who sought to destroy Him as He indicated in the Garden of Gethsemane, when those who came to arrest Him, fell down in awe simply at hearing Him say, “I am He” (John 18:6). and when he ordered Peter, who had drawn his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, to put his “sword back into its place” warning that “all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword” and reminding Him, “do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:52–53).

God’s ultimate purpose for His Son, was that He should die upon the cross for the sins of the world. This is what calls for us the great mystery of our faith - bring Gentiles, along with Jews into the Kingdom of Heaven - “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”(2 Cor 5:19-21 see also Eph 3:5).

Though Jesus had great compassion for the physical and social afflictions of the people as well as their spiritual ignorance, His primary work was to save souls, not bodies. To heal our world, requires the healing of our souls! Jesus is not a politician but a physician - To fix our broken world requires, first the fixing of our broken lives! It is “by His wounds we are healed”!(Isa 53:5).

It is really important for us to grasp this!

The British philosopher and writer G.K. Chesterton was claimed to have responded to an article in the Times on that subject of “ What’s wrong with the World” in this way, “Dear Sir: Regarding your article 'What's Wrong with the World?' I am. Yours truly,”

In fact this is slightly apocryphal. The misquote derives from the Daily News in response to an article entitled “The Heretic” in which Chesterton points out the limitatons of Governments to reform society: “One thing, of course, must be said to clear the ground. Political or economic reform will not make us good and happy, but until this odd period nobody ever expected that they would. Now, I know there is a feeling that Government can do anything. But if Government could do anything, nothing would exist except Government. Men have found the need of other forces. Religion, for instance, existed in order to do what law cannot do—to track crime to its primary sin, and the man to his back bedroom. The Church endeavoured to institute a machinery of pardon; the State has only a machinery of punishment. The State can only free society from the criminal; the Church sought to free the criminal from the crime. Abolish religion if you like. Throw everything on secular government if you like. But do not be surprised if a machinery that was never meant to do anything but secure external decency and order fails to secure internal honesty and peace.”

That’s the point you see, no law can make us good - even religious laws like the 10 Commandments cannot make us good, these just point out that we are sinners; they reflect the truth of who we are back to us. So Chesterton goes on to say, and here is the source of the misquote: “In one sense, and that the eternal sense, the thing is plain. The answer to the question, “What is Wrong?” is, or should be, “I am wrong.” Until a man can give that answer his idealism is only a hobby. But this original sin belongs to all ages, and is the business of religion.”(Daily News August 16, 1905).

Jesus has offered a cure for original sin - “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,...hrist has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”(1 Cor 15:3,4,20-22).

“The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!”(John Stott).

2. The King-Messiah’s Hope! - vs 17-21.

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Matthew quotes from Isaiah 42:1–4 to emphasize how Jesus’ mission differs so dramatically from that of the Pharisees.

This quotation serves to demonstrate how Jesus was commended by the Father as He was commissioned by the Holy Spirit at His baptism.

It reveals His character and shows us, the tone of His communication of God’s word and the character of His person as He served in meekness and humility, leading Him in the end to certain to ultimate victory!

Jesus, claim to be the Son of God is seen in His character and endowment as:

(a). God’s Servant - His “holy servant” (see Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30).

Matthew employs the word “pais” which is not the usual word for “servant” but is often translated “son” because in Greek it was used of a loyal and trusted servant who was loved like a son. (see LXX where pais is used of Abraham’s chief servant (Gen. 24:2), of Pharaoh’s royal servants, including Jospeh (Gen 41:10; Gen 41:38). and of angels as the Lord(Job 4:18).

(b). God’s chosen and loved in whom He delights -

This speaks of His privileged position but also of the quality of His person.

God is absolutely delighted in Him as we were previously told in Matthew 3:16-17, not just because of what He has done and achieved but because of His willingness to come and serve!

(c). God’s annointed One - “I will put my Spirit on Him”

The mention of the bestowal of the Spirit in the next line reinforces the reminiscence with Jesus’ baptism when the “Spirit descended on Him like a dove.”

The baptism signified the formal entry into His Service and the miracles signposted that King-Messiah was now here and operating in the world for which He came!

He was endowed with the Spirit for commissioing into the work of Messianic redemption but also for equipping for ministry. This enabled Him to say at the outset of His public ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18–19).

Jesus, claim to be the Son of God is also seen in His attitudes during His ministry:

The verbs in Matthew 12:19–20 are mostly negative. It emphasizes what Jesus DID NOT DO in contrast with what the aggressive Messiah of popular expectation was expected to do!

(a). He will not quarrel or cry out , no one will hear his voice in the streets:

The word translated “quarrel” is epizō which carries the idea of wrangling, hassling, or even brawling. The popular Messiah of Jewish perception and expectations was assertive and domineering; Jesus, in contrast was unassertive and unassuming of character, “gentle and humble of heart”(Matt 11:28-30).

The word transated “cry out” is kraugazō meaning to shout or scream excitedly. The word was sometimes used of a dog’s barking, a raven’s squawking or men bawling out loud!

Jesus will not make a “BIG NOISE” or “wrangle” over words or complain of injustice! He will not harangue or cajole people into the Kingdom but rather, He will persaude them carmly, respecting their reason and dignity! I doubt Jesus would have used Twitter or Facebook to ‘shout back’ at the Pharisees who were unjustly plotting against him.

His preaching was not aimed at confrontation in the streets; no attempt to raise an angry crowd in an effort to oust the Roman occupation of the land. Nor did he try and enforce good moral behaviour through threat our punishment. Rather He chose by example and teaching to gently and patientlty bring before the people the reality of their loving Father – this was the manner he used in bringing the ‘truth’ that will win the hearts of the people.

And, Jesus chose to be among the crowds of the sick instead of pleasing the educated elite. He avoided seeking either confrontation or popularity in order that He might not be distracted from His core mission. There is definitely something for us to learn in terms of how we engage with the world and how to avoid losing sight of our core mission!

(b). A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out:

The weak and vulnerable, likened to a “bruised reed” which is in danger of snapping altogether or a “smouldering wick” which is in danger of going out altogether, are the special objectsof his mission, and he deals with them with all the gentleness offered to the over-burdened in Matt 11:28–30.

In Jesus day, reeds were used for many purposes, including for musical flute-like purposes but if it was bent or battered it was useless. Likewise when a lamp burned down to the end of the wick, it would only smoulder and smoke without making any light.

A smouldering wick was useless, and would therefore be discarded just like the broken reed. This represents people whose lives are broken and worn out, ready to be discarded and replaced because they can no longer “make music” or “give light” having no discernible, functional value or use to society - to be cast off, even terminated!

Jesus, always had time for those who were suffering and in need.

We have already read in Matthew of His weeping over “the multitudes” and His deep fellings of “compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36). How this contrasts with the Pharisees who despised the ignorant masses - John 9, those “steeped in sin” who had no buisness trying to teach them anything!

Jesus is sensitive to, and gently fosters and restores all the signs of life in us. He is attracted to hopeless cases. He loves the fragile. He loves healing people who have been beaten, battered, and bruised in life, whether those bruises show on the outside or not! We are told that Jesus will heal “the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1). He is a a compassionate physician, ready to heal all spiritual diseases. He died that he might heal our souls with the medicine of his own blood.

We have already read of His willingness to carry the burdens of those oppressed by the endless cycle of religious rules that weighed down the ordinary folk who genuinely sought to follow God but who were prevented by the religious establishment who were more interested in binding heavy burdens onto their backs and were “not willing to lift a finger to move them.”(Matt 23:2). Instead, He says “Come to me all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yole upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls”(Matt 11:28-30).

Christ feels the pain that hurts us and the weight of burdens that grind us down; and in His gracious lovingkindness,He heals our hurts and lifts our burdens and He will go on doing so until he leads justice to victory - Far from letting them be broken and quenched, he will lead them to victory, for in him they will find justice,not just a mere legal vindication, but the settling of all their scores; the righting of all their wrongs; the vindication of all their genuine greivances as the earth is made whole and all wrong is righted and the “will” of God is “done, on earth as it is in Heaven” .

We need to appreciate that the essence of Jesus’ life, what He referred to as His “food” was to do His Father’s will and “to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).

This is a model of service that you and I are called to imitate if we are to be followers of Jesus; becoming like Jesus and doing what Jesus did!

Jesus had the true heart of a servant! He was submissive to His Father and gave Himself fully to the task of redeeming a lost world.

Though He was “by nature God”, He did not “regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6–8). And before we are tempted to say, “ah yes but that is Jesus and I am not like Him, Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in our Lord Jesus Christ! Be willing to serve one another; love one another and even die for one another as you imitate and follow your Lord Jesus Christ.

The GOOD NEWS - our Hope is that Jesus, our King-Messiah will ride on to victory!

Revelation 19:11-16 “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Matthew wants us to grasp the reality that the power structures that seem to control society - the powerful governing elites; either political and religious, that have the ability to opporess and destroy, they shall not win!

“At the heart of the Old Testament is the expectation that God will send a unique king, associated with the Davidic dynasty, who will bring God’s blessing to the nations of the world. Significantly, he will sacrifice his life to atone for the sins of others.”(The Gospel Coalition).

As Isaiah puts in 700 years before He was born - "or to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6-7).

In Jesus, every wrong shall be righted So, victory is certain for King-Messiah! - The “valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’” (Luke 3:5-6)

He will be the victim of injustice but He will establish justice. The Pharisees will seek and succeed in extinguishing His life so that it will feel that all hope is gone; but He will rise again and bring HOPE for all who die in Him.

He will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and declare from an empty grave - “where O death is your victory, where O death is your sting”(1 Cor 5:55)! That is why “In his name the nations will put their hope” because “thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”(1 Cor 15:56).

Ultimately right will win. In spite of oppression, persecution, and rejection, Jesus is destined to be be victorious. As He leads justice to victory, He will bring with Him all who belong to Him and who have themselves been oppressed, persecuted, and rejected by the world. When Christ takes His rightful place as Lord and King, justice will “roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).

And contrary to the thinking and expectations of most Jews, the Messiah would be the Redeemer of the whole world, not just of Israel. Israel had forgotten that it was called to be the channel of God’s grace to the rest of the world. That God has in fact promised to Abraham, that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). Israel had failed in this calling and now God has raised up a new agent, the church, to accomplish that purpose as His “royal priesthood and holy nation, to delcare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light “ for once we were “not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”(1 Pet 2:9-10).

So this is now on us! We are called to declare the Good News of Jesus, King-Messiah! Jesus has risen and the tide of human history will now change forever. The kingdom of God is here and the King, Jesus is on the throne and He commission us “ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."(Matt 28:18-20).

We are given authority to speak with authority. We are to proclaim His rule as King and His offer of salvation as Messiah.

We are to proclaim the way into the kingdom through faith and call people to obedience to His commands as His disciples.

He promises to be with us until the end of the earth, to be with us in this work until we die or He returns, whichever comes first.

Let us then , Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.” (Francis J. Crosby: Rescue the Perishing).

Grace and honor be to our King and Savior, Jesus Christ, forever and forever, Amen.

Reflection & Practice:

As a Church we want to BE WITH JESUS; BECOME LIKE JESUS and DO WHAT JESUS DID so we ask of this passage, how can we walk in Jesus’ footsteps and imitate him?

1. Jesus dispenses justice - what can I do to promote justice in my community and further afield?

Justice for the oppressed; the disciminated against, the marginalised and excluded? The Assylum seeker? The homeless and helpless of our communities? The unwanted children without a family?

This will demand costly sacrifice but it will also help us to bear witness to him by being a person for others.

2. Jesus experienced constant opposition - am I willing to accept that being on the side of Jesus will bring with it opposition?

Even in the face of hostility, Jesus did not allow hostility to distract Him from His ministry of healing, forgiving and spreading the Good News.

Perhaps we need to recommit to God, our willingness to suffer for Him; to find the courage and strength to persevere in times of difficulty and suffering.

3. Jesus is on the side of the weak, the vulnerable and the broken - Am I on their side?

Am I helping people or crushing people; bringing hope or increasing bondage?

Am I showing compassion through caring?

Am I willing to patiently support and stick with those who are broken in body, mind and spirit? To help them find rest in Jesus

Am I willing to bring my brokeness and bruises; my scars and wounds, and allow Jesus to heal them?

Let us pray to strengthen our souls in God using the words of Isaiah as our own!

Lord, I am here as your servant. You chose me! I am loved by you and you are pleased with me. Fill me with your Spirit, so that I may lovingly serve and support those who are the victims of oppression and injustice as well as those who are bruised and crushed in their lives, that I may help them find acceptance; healing and forgiveness in your Son, the Lord Jesus, until He shall come to right all that is wrong in this world and bring justice to victory. Amen.