It is painful to have people kick you while you are down. You already feel low. You are already hurting. Your mind is already spinning. You already feel like you can’t get any lower. But then someone comes along who you hoped would help you and they only make things worse. Job’s three friends fall into this category. Job’s friends spend 7 days in silence only then open a barrage of words against Job, pointing out all of his flaws and problems, many of which were not even true. When we are down and hurting, we need someone who can really help us. One of the hard things can also be that even those who come to our side and want to help cannot really do too much for us. They can listen. They can be encouraging. But there is not really much else they can do. We need someone who can really help. This is the picture of what we need in a savior. Jesus wants you to see him as the savior you need and put your hope in his name. Turn in your copies of God’s word to Matthew 12:15-21.
Jesus has the Pharisees now conspiring on how to kill him (12:14). The Pharisees, rather than listening to Jesus explain the purpose of the Law and who he is in relation to the Law, are ready to destroy Jesus because he healed on the Sabbath. But Jesus is the Lord and he is aware of the conspiracy. So he withdraws himself from there because it is not his time to give himself over. But this does not mean that Jesus is going to stop doing his work and fulfilling his mission. Many followed Jesus and he healed them all (12:15). This is an important picture. Those who are following Jesus are healed. Those who are not willing to follow Jesus are missing out on his healing. Jesus also orders his followers to not make what he is doing known due to this growing conspiracy. But then Matthew says something interesting. In verse 17 Matthew says that all these things were happening to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah. This lengthy quotation from Isaiah comes from Isaiah 42. The point of the prophecy is to show who Jesus is and what his work is.
Who Jesus Is (12:18)
Verse 18 reveals many descriptions about the Christ that we are to see in Jesus. Jesus is the servant of the Lord. He is the servant of the Lord that the Father has chosen. The point of calling Jesus the chosen servant is to show that the Lord’s plans will succeed through him. Israel is called the servant also in Isaiah’s prophecy (cf. Isaiah 41:8; 44:1-2; 44:21; 45:4). The problem is that Israel failed to carry out God’s plans and purposes. The problem is that Israel failed to be the light to the nations and salvation to the ends of the earth. Rather than rescuing the world through Israel, Israel itself now needs to be rescued. So the Christ, the Messiah, is now God’s servant. He is the one chosen to do God’s will and fulfill God’s purposes.
This success is seen in the fact that the servant is not only chosen but is also the Father’s beloved in whom he delights. The Lord will delight and be well pleased with Jesus. The Lord was not well pleased with Israel and did not delight in it because of its sins. But Jesus is the beloved and he will be the Father’s delight because he will perfectly obey God’s will. The Spirit of the Lord will be upon him. He will be empowered to carry out the task and that Spirit will not leave him because he will not sin nor fail at the mission. This is who Jesus is. Jesus is the savior we need. Jesus is the servant we need. Jesus is the one in whom the Father can take pleasure in and through whom God’s great saving work can be fulfilled.
What Jesus Does (12:18-21)
So what is the task that has been given to Jesus? We noted it in the descriptions given to Jesus as the servant in verse 18. But his work is more clearly expressed in verses 18-21. First, Jesus will proclaim justice to the Gentiles and bring justice to victory (12:18, 20). This is a wonderful picture that all people will be able to experience justice. Jesus as the chosen servant is not going to bring justice to the few. He is not going to bring justice only to the Jews. He is going to bring justice to victory for all people. The work of Jesus is to bring justice. He will bring righteousness. He will right the wrongs committed. He will resolve injustice. How desperately our souls want this! Just recently there was a verdict and sentencing in the Parkland shooting trial. Those parents were outraged because they did not feel like they received justice. Even if they were able to get the sentence they wanted, they still would not have a full sense of justice being delivered for the horror of what that shooter did. By the way, if there is no God and no standard of morality, then how can there be a sense of justice? Justice does not have a definition without God. Justice does not have a standard if morality is only based on each person’s determination. But Jesus shows that there is justice, there will be justice delivered, and he will be the deliverer of that justice to every single person. You want to be with Jesus and on his side because he will bring the justice that every soul deeply yearns.
Second, Jesus will work in humility (12:19). Verse 19 says that he will not argue, fight, or shout. No one will hear his voice in the streets. Now this does not mean that Jesus would not be talking, teaching, or reasoning the scriptures in public. The picture is that Jesus was not going to make a commotion. He would not be combative. He would not be a self-proclaimer or self-promoter. He did not go around shouting that he is God and everyone needs to bow before him everywhere he goes. The humility of Jesus is staggering. He goes into people’s homes and talks to them. He heals people who come up to him. He does not act like he is someone important even though he clearly is. He did not make a scene with people or push people to get his way accomplished. How do people today try to get things done? Typically people try to get things done by exerting their power against the will of others. I am going to make you do what I want. I have authority and I will use it against you so that you will do what I want and submit to my will. Jesus does not ever do this. It is truly amazing. He does not exercise his will and power against people. When people want to kill him, he does not kill them first. Jesus simply leaves the city. Jesus does not fight back, strike them blind, or cripple them. He just goes on to another region. This is what Jesus is doing in verse 15 that is being fulfilled in Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus accomplishes the mission by speaking and acting gently, not by asserting himself or fighting with others.
Friends, we see Jesus’ disciples being taught to do the same thing. In Luke 9:51-56 we read about a Samaritan village rejecting Jesus. When James and John saw it, they asked Jesus if they should tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them. Jesus does not tell them to do it to show them they were wrong and who he was. Rather, Jesus rebukes James and John and went to another village (Luke 9:55-56). Jesus did not strong-arm anyone.
Third, Jesus will do his work gently (12:20). Verse 20 tells us that he would not break a bruised reed and he would not quench a smoldering wick. Now this is a picture of us as a hurting people. Jesus does not come to us when we are wounded and bruised and finish us off, snapping us in half. Think about the picture of a smoldering wick. The fire is nearly out and all you can see is some smoke. Jesus does not come and put that little fire out. He does not come put out our fire but to reignite the fire. Jesus did not come to break reeds but to heal reeds. To put this another way, Jesus does not come to us in harshness, asking what is the matter with us! He does not tell us to quit being bruised and get our act together. Jesus is tender and gentle who comes to heal and restore people. There is truth to the saying that Jesus comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. We are seeing this in Matthew 12. Jesus does not come to you in your weakness with exasperation but with compassion. Friends, we need to model Jesus in these characteristics. We need to come to people in humility and gentleness. We are not here to break bruised reeds. We are not here to quench dimly burning wicks. We are not here be combative or self-proclaimers. We give people the message of healing and restoration that is found in Jesus.
Finally, Jesus will bring hope to the world (12:21). Verse 21 says that the Gentiles will have hope in his name. The hope you need for life cannot be found in the world. The hope you need is not found in worldly pursuits or in our idols. The hope you need for life is only found in Jesus. Healing is only in Jesus. Restoration is only in Jesus. True help is only in Jesus. True joy and satisfaction is only in Jesus. Jesus has come as the beloved servant of the Lord and he will accomplish the mission in humility and gentleness so that we can have justice and hope.
Conclusion
So Matthew wants us to have a clear picture of Jesus from this event. Jesus is the ultimate restorer of justice. You will not find justice in this world. You will not find in our legal system or through authorities. But Jesus will bring justice to victory, righting all wrongs on the final day. Jesus does not cast off the outcasts. We can wreck our lives through sin. But Jesus does not cast us away. Instead, he has come to restore the broken. God’s work in you is not to break you but to heal you. But Jesus will not make you listen to him. He is not like world leaders who use their authority to impose their will and force you to submit. Rather, he humbly tells you why he has come for you and leaves you the choice as to what to do. He will move on to another place if you do not want him. But he is the place of hope for your life. Hope is in his name. Will you see that your hope in other things has left you empty and bruised? Will you see that your hope is only in Jesus because only he has the power restore the bruised and the broken?