The Savior Has Come
Matthew 12:17-21 This
was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “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. 19 He will not
quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised
reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he
leads justice to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
MATTHEW wrote very specifically to convince the Jews that
Jesus was the Christ of whom the prophets spoke. He emphasized some facts of
Jesus’ life with, “This was to fulfill what was spoken.” Here he finishes the
phrase with “through the prophet Isaiah.” And then he writes Isaiah’s great words
from Isaiah 42:1-4. In essence, Matthew is saying, “Here is what Isaiah said. Know
he was prophesying of Jesus.”
Matthew would know
how faithfully Isaiah had spoken. Matthew saw Jesus heal and forgive. He heard
Jesus’ speak mercy, tender with love and forgiveness toward people who souls
were bruised as fragile reeds of grass.
Matthew watched
Jesus’ servant hands and feet offer “living water” and the “bread of life”. Matthew also heard the Father’s love and
delight for His Son at Jesus’ baptism “And
a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17) He watched the Holy Spirit empower Jesus to great
miracles, even to rise from the tomb. Matthew watched the silent Savior bear
the world’s sin.
Indeed, Matthew
knew the Savior had come to serve his own, to make disciples, so they would
declare hope to the nations.
LIFE Link: Isaiah was right.
In Matthew, Jesus also serves Gentiles, even from the beginning of his ministry. Thus the emphasis on the nations (the Gentiles) in Mt. 12:17,21 builds on that theme, that Jesus has come to start a new international kingdom of disciples. For example, after Jesus is anointed with the Spirit at his baptism, and is tested in the wilderness, he goes to "Galilee of the Gentiles" (another fulfillment of Isaiah) to start his ministry of announcing his new kingdom (Mt. 4:15-17). After calling some disciples, his healing fame spreads so that even people from (Gentile) Syria bring their sick to him, and he heals them (Mt. 4:24). Thus great crowds followed him not only from Galilee but also from the (Gentile) Decapolis and from beyond the Jordan (4:25). It is this mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles that surround him when he focuses on his disciples and begins to teach them about his new kingdom (5:1f.). So Jesus did not come merely to serve his own, and was not just focusing on Israel; he was teaching and healing Jews and Gentiles as part of the beginning of his new kingdom; he would be king of not only some Jewish disciples, but also Gentiles.
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