Matthew 12:14-22 – The Leader You Want

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 20 May 2012

Greyed-out text omitted to keep sermon delivery shorter.

Translation

12:14 Now after they went out, the Pharisees took counsel together against Him

            as to how they might destroy Him.

12:15 Then Jesus, being informed, withdrew from there,

 

and many crowds followed Him, and He healed them all.

12:16 Yet He reprimanded them so that they might not make a scene for Him,

12:17 that what was declared through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said,

            12:18 “Look at this Servant of mine which I chose,

            my Beloved in which my soul delighted.

            I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations.

            12:19 He will not quarrel neither will He shout, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

            12:20 He will not break off a crushed reed, and He will not extinguish a smoldering wick

                        up until whenever He dispenses justice in victory.

            12:21 And in His name nations will hope.”

Intro: What do you expect of a winning presidential candidate?

·         This year being a presidential election year, we’ve been thinking a lot about the candidates.

·         We want someone who has answers we appreciate to the questions about the wars, the economy, and social issues.

·         We want someone who looks good on camera and is confident in personality.

·         We want someone that the media will tell us positive things about, and if the media says negative things about the candidate, then most folks feel the candidate won’t make it.

·         That person needs connections and the ability to raise lots of money to pay for all the media exposure, itinerant speaking, campaign manager salaries, etc.

·         As far as I can tell, that’s what wins presidential elections these days in America.

·         Would Jesus win an election if He were to run? He didn’t seem to have answers that people liked, He apparently wasn’t attractive in His looks, if Isaiah’s prophecy is true, He didn’t have much money to speak of – not even a bed to lay His head on, and the influential people of His day were saying negative things about Him.

·         If you were a Jew in Jesus’ day what would it take to convince you to follow Jesus anyway?

The Pharisee’s Response to Jesus’ Leadership (v.14)

12:14 But after they went out, the Pharisees took counsel together [plottedNIV,NKJ/conspiredNAS,ESV] against Him as to how they might destroy [killNIV] Him.
εξελθοντες οι δε φαρισαιοι συμβουλιον ελαβον κατ αυτου οπως αυτον απολεσωσιν

Jesus’ Response to the Pharisee’s Antagonism (v.15-16)

12:15 Then Jesus, being informed [when He knewKJV/perceivingATR/aware of thisNAS,NIV,ESV], withdrew from there, and many crowds followed Him, and He healed them all.
ο δε ιησους γνους ανεχωρησεν εκειθεν και ηκολουθησαν αυτω [οχλοι-א,B] πολλοι και εθεραπευσεν αυτους παντας

 

12:16 Yet He reprimanded [chargedKJV/ warnedNAS,NIV,NKJ/ orderedESV] them so that they might not make a scene for Him [make Him knownKJV,ESV/ tell who he wasNAS,NIV/ make an exposition of Himlit/put a spotlight on Himfig].
και επετιμησεν αυτοις ινα μη φανερον αυτον ποιησωσιν

Jesus’ Fulfillment of Prophecy (vs. 17-21)

12:17 that what was declared[1] through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said,
ινα/οπως[2] πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια ησαιου του προφητου λεγοντος

We find statements throughout Matthew that substantiate some of the unexpected characteristics of the Messiah:

 

“…this matter also showed a example of His meekness as it is revealed in Isaiah’s portrayal of the Messiah… For as the flesh always desires outward display, the Spirit of God, to stop believers seeking it in the Messiah, declared that He would be quite unlike earthly kings, who want to win admiration, and wherever they go excite great cheers and fill cities and towns with wild enthusiasm.” ~J. Calvin

 

12:18 “Look at this Servant of mine that I chose, my Beloved in which my soul delighted [is well-pleasedKJV,NAS]. I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He will announce[shewKJV/ declareNKJ/ proclaimNAS,NIV,ESV] justice to the nations.
ιδου ο παις μου ον ηρετισα ο αγαπητος μου [εις[3]] ον ευδοκησεν η ψυχη μου θησω το πνευμα μου επ αυτον και κρισιν τοις εθνεσιν απαγγελει

 

12:19 He will not quarrel [striveKJV κεκραξεταιLXX יצעקMT =cry out] neither will He shout [cry out/ ανησειLXX “slacken”/ ישׂאMT “rise up”], nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
ουκ ερισει ουδε κραυγασει ουδε ακουσει τις εν ταις πλατειαις την φωνην αυτου

 

12:20 He will not break off a crushed [bruisedKJV,NIV,ESV/batteredNAS] reed, and He will not extinguish [quenchKJV/putNAS/snuff outNIV] [smoking flaxKJV] a smoldering wick up until whenever He [sends forthKJV/bringsESV/leadsNAS,NIV] dispenses justice in victory.
καλαμον συντετριμμενον ου κατεαξει[4] και λινον τυφομενον[5] ου σβεσει εως αν εκβαλη εις νικος την κρισιν[6]

until whenever He [sends forthKJV/bringsESV/leadsNAS,NIV] dispenses justice in victory

 

12:21 and in His name, nations [gentilesKJV,NAS,ESV] will hope [trustKJV].
και [7]τω ονοματι αυτου εθνη ελπιουσιν

Applications

1.      Let us root out of ourselves the attitude of the Pharisees whose rebellion against Jesus’ authority became murderous. Let us submit to His leadership:

a.       “The doctrine He preached was directly opposite to their pride and hypocrisy and worldly interest, but they pretended to be displeased at His breaking the Sabbath day” ~M. Henry

b.      We should ask ourselves, “Am I like that?”

c.       “All those are acting wickedly who reject Christ because His outward state does not match up to their wishes. For we must not imagine a Christ who corresponds to our ideas, but must simply embrace Him as He is set forth by the Father.” ~J.Calvin

2.      Let us also follow the example of Christ by being people who retire from limelight:

a.       One way of doing this is to stay out of trouble – to have the wisdom not to get people more excited or upset than necessary. “Though we must boldly go on in the way of duty, yet we must contrive the circumstances of it so as not to exasperate more than is neces­sary those who seek occasion against us. ‘Be wise as serpents’ (Mt. 10:16)” ~M. Henry

b.      Another reason to avoid the spotlight is that we are to give glory to God rather than to ourselves. Matthew Henry wrote, “Wise and good men, though they covet to do good, yet are far from coveting to have it talked of when it is done; because it is God’s acceptance, not men’s applause, that they aim at.”

3.      A third thing that this passage brings out is the fact of our own weakness and the importance of humbly thanking God for His grace toward us. “Because each of us is aware of his weakness, we should consider how much we all need to be cherished tenderly by Christ…” ~J. Calvin

4.      And finally, let us join with Christ in His global strategy of calling the nations to faith in Him, especially following His example of being gentle with the weak and strong with the rebellious (like the Pharisees), “Just as faithful ministers of the Word must take care to spare the weak and cherish and increase God’s grace, yet weak in them, so on the other hand they must beware not to indulge the obstinate malice of those who are far from being a smoking wick or a shaking reed. … those who are strong enough and to spare must have their hardness beaten violently with a hammer.” ~J. Calvin



[1] Matthew provides an only-slightly-paraphrastic translation of the Hebrew Masoretic text for verses 18-20, differing from the Greek Septuagint in almost every verb as well as the opening subject (“Israel” in LXX). He skips over most of Isa 42:4 (about the Servant not growing dim or bruised until He establishes justice on the earth) and finishes the verse quoting from the Septuagint (instead of the Masoretic, which reads, “and for His law the coastlands will wait”).

[2] Hina is the reading of the Siniaticus, Vaticanus, Bezae, Claramontanus, f1, 33, & 1010. Hopws is found in L, W, Theta, 0233, f13, and the Majority, so also the Byzantine & Textus Receptus. The practical difference in meaning is negligible.

[3] Not in Sinaiticus or Vaticanus. Bezae and f1 have alternate reading: εν ώ (following the grammar of the other two occurrences of eudokesen in the Gospel of Matthew: 3:17 and 17:5).

[4] LXX reads καλαμον τεθλασμενον ου συντριψει

[5] This is the only place in the Bible that the verb tuphw appears. LXX of Isa_42:3;uses kapnizw, which also means “smoke” also found in Gen. 15:17; Ex. 19:18; Ex. 20:18; Ps. 104:32; Isa. 7:4

[6] This is a departure from the MT and LXX αλλα εις αληθειαν εξοισει κρισιν. “but he will carry out judgment into truth”

[7] εν is inserted here in Textus Receptus, but not found in Byzantine or Majority or even Critical Texts, and makes no difference in meaning since the dative case of the word “name” already indicates “in the name.”