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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 12:15 - 12:21
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_12:15-21
15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16and warned them not to tell who He was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
18"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.
19He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory.
21And in His name the Gentiles will hope."
Mat_12:15 "aware of this" It is difficult to ascertain the source of Jesus' knowledge.
1. over heard
2. knew the human heart
3. informed by the Spirit
This question cannot be answered because of Jesus' unique combination of the human and the divine (i.e., incarnation).
▣ "and He healed them all" There is such power, compassion, and fulfilled OT prophecy expressed in this phrase. Jesus cared for people, all people. It must be remembered that physical healing, even exorcism, did not automatically involve spiritual restoration or salvation.
The verses that speak of Jesus' healing ministry express the extent of it in different ways.
1. sometimes they say "all," (cf. Mat_8:16; Mat_12:15; Luk_4:40; Act_10:38)
2. sometimes they say every "kind," not every "one" (cf. Mat_4:23; Mat_9:23)
3. sometimes they say "many" not "all" (cf. Mar_1:34; Mar_3:10; Luk_7:21)
4. often they imply that He healed all (cf. Mat_14:14; Mat_15:30; Mat_19:2; Mat_21:14)
Mat_12:16 "and warned them not to tell who He was" This is related to the Messianic secret (esp. of Mark's ospel). Jesus implored people not to share His miracles, but to share His message which was still in process. The gospel was not yet finished. This Messianic secret was a common theme of the Synoptics (cf. Mat_8:4; Mat_9:30; Mat_17:9; Mar_1:44; Mar_3:12; Mar_5:43; Mar_7:36; Mar_8:30; Mar_9:9; Luk_4:41; Luk_8:56; Luk_9:21). Jesus did not want to be known as just another itinerant healer!
Mat_12:17 "Isaiah the prophet" Mat_12:18-21 are a quote from Isa_42:1 ff. It does not exactly follow the Masoretic Hebrew text or the Greek Septuagint. It clearly showed Jesus' Messianic consciousness.
Mat_12:18-21 This is a quote from Isa_42:1-4 (but not the LXX), which is the first of the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah.
Notice the characteristics of the Coming One which are being displayed in Jesus.
1. called
a. My (YHWH) Servant
b. whom I have chosen
c. My Beloved
d. in whom My (YHWH) Soul id well-pleased
2. YHWH's Spirit upon Him
3. proclaim justice to the Gentiles
4. personal characteristics
a. will not quarrel
b. will not cry out
c. will not hear His voice in the streets
5. personal actions
a. will not break the battered reed
b. will not put out the smoldering wick
c. will lead justice to victory
d. in His name Gentiles will hope
Mat_12:18 "My Servant"This was a special honorific title (cf. Act_3:13) used of Moses, Joshua, and David in the OT. Because of the special poems in Isa_42:1-9; Isa_49:1-7; Isa_50:4-11; Isa_52:13 to Isa_53:12, called "the Servant Songs," it took on Messianic connotations. This Messianic element climaxes in Isa_52:13 to Isa_53:12, the "Suffering Servant." The Jews of Jesus' day did not expect a suffering Messiah but a supernaturally empowered military Messiah. This explains why the Jewish leaders did not accept Jesus' message (even John the Baptist did not understand, cf. Mat_11:3).
The Jews have always understood these Servant Songs to refer to the nation of Israel and this is surely true (cf. Isa_41:8; Isa_42:1; Isa_42:19; Isa_43:10; Isa_49:3-6). However these songs are individualized into one ideal righteous Israelite (cf. Isa_52:14 (LXX), 15 (LXX); Isa_53:1-12). Israel had failed (cf. Isa_42:19; Isa_53:8) in her world mission task (cf. Gen_12:3; Exo_19:5-6) because of continued violations of the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28). Therefore, instead of blessing, all the world saw was the judgment of God. Therefore, YHWH Himself had to enact a new covenant focusing on His actions and faithfulness (cf. Eze_36:22-38).
▣ "My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased" This phrase was also used at the baptism and the Transfiguration of Jesus (cf. Mat_3:17; Mat_17:5). The Father was pleased with the ministry of the Son. This title combines the royal emphasis of Psalms 2 and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 40-53.
The use of "soul" to describe God is a metaphor to express that He is a living being (cf. Heb_10:38). This description of God in human terms is called anthropomorphism. See Special Topic at Mat_6:4.
▣ "I will put My Spirit upon Him" Do you see the three persons of the Trinity (see Special Topic at Mat_3:17) in the quote from Isa_42:1?
Jesus and the Spirit have a combined theological relationship. See Special Topic following.
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Mat_12:18; Mat_12:21 "He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. . .in His name the Gentiles will hope" The statement that the Kingdom was open to the Gentile believers was shocking to the Jews (cf. Isa_2:1-4; Isa_45:22; Isa_49:6; Isa_60:3; Isa_66:18; Isa_66:23; see Paul's statement at Eph_2:11 to Eph_3:13).
Mat_12:19 "He will not quarrel, nor cry out" This described the manner of Jesus' ministry before the governmental leaders of Palestine (cf. Isa_53:7) like Pilate and Herod.
Mat_12:20 "A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory" This could mean (1) Jesus treated sinners with gentleness or (2) Jesus' kingdom looked so weak and small, yet it would fill the earth with joy (cf. Mat_13:31-32).
Mat_12:21 "in His name" See Special Topic at Mat_18:20.
▣ "hope" This is surprisingly the only occurrence of the word "hope" in Matthew and even here it is in an OT quote from Isa_42:4. It does appear three times in Luke (cf. Luk_6:34; Luk_23:8; Luk_24:21). The word becomes an eschatological pointer in Paul's writings, who uses it nineteen times.
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