Connect Matthew 12:20 with Isaiah 42:3. What prophecy is being fulfilled? setting the scene • Matthew records a moment in Jesus’ Galilean ministry when angry Pharisees plot to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14). • Jesus quietly withdraws, heals all who follow, and “warns them not to make Him known” (v. 16). • Matthew then says: “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah” (v. 17). • What follows (vv. 18-21) is a direct quotation of Isaiah 42:1-4. Verse 20 in Matthew is line-for-line Isaiah 42:3. the specific prophecy Isaiah 42:3 foretells Messiah’s character: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.” Matthew 12:20 repeats it verbatim and identifies Jesus as its fulfillment: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.” Therefore, the prophecy fulfilled is Isaiah 42:1-4—the first “Servant Song,” describing the gentle, Spirit-anointed Servant who brings justice without crushing the weak. how Jesus fulfills it in Matthew 12 • Gentle withdrawal: Instead of confronting His enemies with force, Jesus steps back (v. 15), matching “He will not quarrel or cry out” (v. 19, quoting Isaiah 42:2). • Compassionate healing: He “healed them all” (v. 15)—tending bruised reeds and faintly burning wicks. • Silent strength: By instructing the healed to stay quiet (v. 16), He mirrors the Servant’s low-profile approach. • Ongoing mission: Matthew adds “till He leads justice to victory,” spotlighting the certainty of ultimate triumph even while Jesus ministers meekly in the present. bruised reeds and smoldering wicks explained • Bruised reed—common river grass bent or damaged, usually discarded. • Smoldering wick—lamp fiber barely glowing, about to go out. Both pictures portray people who are weak, wounded, or spiritually faint. Messiah restores rather than discards them. other passages that echo the prophecy • Isaiah 61:1-2—Messiah “binds up the broken-hearted.” • Luke 4:18-19—Jesus applies Isaiah 61 to Himself in Nazareth. • Matthew 11:28-30—“Come to Me, all you who are weary… I am gentle and humble in heart.” • Psalm 34:18—“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted.” • Hebrews 4:15-16—Our High Priest sympathizes with our weaknesses. key takeaways for today • Jesus’ gentleness is not weakness; it is deliberate, prophetic fulfillment. • No wound is too deep, no faith too faint for Him to restore. • While the Servant is tender with individuals, He is resolute in securing global justice—“till He leads justice to victory.” |
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