Matthew 12:15-21

So Far in Matthew 12, We’ve Seen Jesus Dealing with the Pharisees…

And Their Strict Traditions Regarding the Sabbath

Last Week, After Their Interaction with Jesus in the Synagogue…

They Left and Began Plotting Jesus’ Destruction

Our Text this Morning Starts Right Where Last Week’s Left Off

Matthew 12:15–16 (NASB95)

But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to tell who He was.

Jesus Knew They Were Planning His Death…

So He Withdrew/Got Out of There

Matthew Then Quickly Summarizes What Happened After He Withdrew

Many Followed Him

He Healed Them

And He Warned Them Not to Make Him Known

Where Matthew Summarizes All of This, Mark Doesn’t

Mark 3:7–12 (NASB95)

Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him.

And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

Mark Tells Us He Withdrew to the Sea of Galilee and Had a Huge Crowd of People Following Him

We’re Talking People From All Over Palestine

He Even Wanted to Have a Boat Ready in Case the Crowd Became Too Intense

In Both Accounts He Commands Them Not to Tell Anyone Who He is

In Mark’s Account it Seems to Have More to Do with the Demons Confessing His Identity

But in Matthew’s Account, it Seems to Be a More General Statement

Possibly to Keep the Pharisees and Rowdy Crowds Off His Back

Matthew 12:17 (NASB95)

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Matthew Tells Us that What Jesus is Doing…

Is Fulfilling a Prophesy From Isaiah

But Before We Get into the Prophecy…

What was it Exactly that Jesus was Doing?

Well, He Withdrew to a Private Place to Conduct His Ministry Quietly

The People Expected a Loud, Powerful, Political, Violent King…

Who Marched His Troops Through the Streets with Great Splendor…

And Who Would Lead Israel to Victory Over Their Enemies with Military Strength

They Were Looking for David, the Warrior-King

But What They Got was David, the Shepherd-Boy

Jesus’ Self-Description was “Gentle and Humble in Heart”

This Prophecy From Isaiah 42 that Matthew is Quoting…

Describes this Gentle and Humble Aspect of the Long-Awaited Messiah

Matthew 12:18 (NASB95)

“Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42 is the First of Several “Servant” Songs in Isaiah

God’s “Servant” Initially Referred to Israel

Israel was God’s Chosen People

They Were Beloved By God

They Were Guided By God’s Spirit

And Their Mission was to Proclaim Justice to the Gentiles

Isaiah 42:6 (NASB95)

“I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,

The Mission of Israel was to Bring the Pagan Nations Back to God…

So All the World Would Know, Love, and Serve the One True God

But Israel Miserably Failed at this Mission

Matthew 12:18 (NASB95)

“Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

But Where Israel Failed, Jesus Succeeded

Instead of the Nation of Israel Fulfilling Their Destiny in Being the Faithful Servant of God

God Sent One Man to Represent the Entire Nation

Israel was the Immediate Fulfillment of this Prophecy…

But Jesus is the Ultimate Fulfillment

Jesus is the Servant God Chose

He is the Servant God Loved and is Pleased with

He is the One Who Received the Spirit at His Baptism…

So That He Could Fulfill God’s Will

And He is the One to Proclaim Justice to the Gentiles…

To Be a Covenant to All People

To Be a Light to All of the Nations

Jesus the Messiah is the New and True Israel

Matthew 12:19 (NASB95)

“He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

The Servant’s Ministry Will Not Be One of Loud and Angry Arguing

The Servant Will Be Just as Jesus Self-Described, “Gentle and Humble in Heart”

“But What About the Times Jesus was Angry, Flipping Tables, and Rebuking the Religious Leaders?”

“That Doesn’t Sound ‘Gentle and Humble in Heart’ to Me!”

We Wouldn’t Think it Outside the Character of a Gentle and Humble Shepherd…

If He Occasionally Got Loud and Wrathful When a Predator was Threatening His Flock

The Primary Demeanor of Jesus was Always Quiet, Gentle, and Humble

Matthew 12:20 (NASB95)

“A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory.

Reeds Were the Stems of a Variety of Plant Species that are Often Found in Marshes

They Were a Very Common Material Used to Make All Sorts of Things:

Pens, Walking Sticks, Baskets, Parchment, etc.

But You Know What a Battered/Crushed Reed was Good for?

Pretty Much Nothing

They’re Only Good for Breaking Off and Throwing Away

But the Servant of God Doesn’t Break the Battered Reed and Throw it Away

A Wick On an Oil Lamp Had One Primary Purpose:

To Burn to the Extent that it Provides Light

A Wick Might Smolder if the Lamp is Low On Oil or if the Wick was Trimmed Improperly

A Smoldering Wick is Very Fragile and Barely Alive

It Produces Lots of Smoke But No Light

The Only Sensible Thing to Do at that Point is Put it Out

But the Servant of God Doesn’t Put Out the Smoldering Wick

What is Isaiah’s Prophecy Telling Us About the Servant of God?

He Doesn’t Break or Put Out Those Things the World Considers Worthless and Useless

He Heals the Broken and Gives Purpose to the Useless

He Opens Himself Up to Those Who the World Rejects

The World’s Trash is the Messiah’s Treasure

What the World Throws Away, He Collects and Repurposes

The Weak and Vulnerable are Those of His Kingdom

He Deals Gently and Humbly with Them

The Servant of God in His Gentleness and Humility…

Gives Love, Hope, and Glory to the Battered Reeds and Smoldering Wicks of the World

Instead of Breaking or Quenching Them…

He Leads Them to Victory

He is the Bringer of True Justice

The Original Hebrew Text in Isaiah Says:

“He Will Faithfully Bring Forth Justice”

He Will Right All Wrongs and Bring Fairness to a Very Unfair World

The Victory of the Messiah and His People Will Be Won Through Gentle and Humble Justice

Matthew 12:21 (NASB95)

“And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

This Gentle and Humble Servant is the Hope of All the World

Outside of a Covenant Relationship with Him…

There is No Justice

There is No Victory

There is No Hope

Application

There’s a Lot Going On in the World Right Now

There’s War

There’s Fear

There’s Injustice

There’s Wicked and Corrupt Systems Seemingly Controlling Everything Around Us

But This is Nothing New

For All of Human History There’s Been War, Fear, Injustice, and Wicked/Corrupt Systems

We’re Being Short-Sighted, Forgetful, or Just Downright Ignorant…

Whenever We Think that Things are Worse Today Than They Ever Have Been

I Hear this All the Time, “America Isn’t a Christian Nation Like it Used to Be”

When I Hear That, I Always Think, “When was America Ever a Christian Nation?”

Sure, it was Founded On Many Christian Principles and Morals

But We’ve Got Rose-Tinted Glasses On if We Think America was Ever a Christian Nation

It Wasn’t that Long Ago When the Bible Teaching and Prayer was Allowed/Celebrated in Our Schools…

But Black People Weren’t

I Only Know of One Christian Nation that Ever Has and Ever Will Exist:

The Church of Jesus Christ - the Citizens of His Kingdom

A Kingdom that Has No Borders

A Kingdom Where All People From All Nations are Welcome

And Jesus Didn’t Establish this Kingdom with Political Savvy or Military Might

It Wasn’t Through Shouting and Arguing

It was Established Through Gentleness and Humility

I Know in Uncertain Times it’s Natural to Want Godly Leaders Who Will Establish Godly Laws

And that’s Not a Bad Thing to Desire

But if Our Idea of Fixing the World’s Problems…

Is By Giving Moral Men Political Power and Military Strength…

We’ve Completely Missed the Point of Jesus’ Kingdom

Jesus Came to Bring Justice to the World

But Not Through Politics or Power

Through Gentleness and Humility

Do You Not Remember How Jesus Fought the Wickedness and Injustice of His Day?

It Wasn’t Through Turning His Disciples into a Militia

It Wasn’t By Parading Through the Streets with an Anti-Tyranny Campaign

He Gently and Humbly Allowed the Wickedness and Injustice of His Day to Kill Him

He Had Opportunities Presented to Him More Than Once to Take a Kingly Throne

Satan Offered Him All the Kingdoms of the World

The Crowds Tried to Forcefully Make Him Their King

But Each Time He Refused

He Didn’t Come to Establish a Worldly Kingdom, But a Heavenly One

One Whose Leaders are the Slaves

One Whose Battle Tactics Consisted of Love, Prayer, and Turning the Other Cheek

One Whose Politics Consisted of Submission to Him as King

One Where All of His Citizens Seek to Think, Speak, and Behave Exactly Like Him

Jesus is the Gentle and Humble Servant of God

He Wasn’t Loud, Angry, and Argumentative

He Didn’t Break the Battered Reeds or Put Out the Smoldering Wicks

He Began to Establish and Will One Day Fully Establish Justice in the World

But What Does that Mean for Us?

What are We to Do in These Uncertain Times?

How are We Supposed to Live and Behave in this World of War, Fear, Injustice, and Corrupt/Wicked Systems?

Jesus’ Brother James Tells us Exactly What to Do

James 5:1–8 (NASB95)

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

The Rich and Powerful Have Lived in Luxury…

All While Dealing Corruptly, Persecuting, and Murdering the Righteous

What are the Righteous to Do About this Injustice and Corruption?

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

What is Our Primary Instruction On How to Live in Uncertain, Fearful, and Corrupt Times?

We are to Be Patient

We Must Set Our Hearts On the Fact that Jesus, the Lord of Armies, is Coming Soon

And When He Does, Justice Will Be Officially and Forever Led to Victory

And While We’re Being Patient, Let’s Be Like Our King

Quietly, Gently, and Humbly Ministering to Each Other and to the World…

Knowing that Justice is Coming Soon