As Matthew recounted the actions of Jesus, it would have been appropriate at any point in the account for him to describe Jesus’ ministry with this quote from Isaiah 42:
“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles.
He will not wrangle or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break a bruised reed
or quench a smoldering wick
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12:18-21)
The earlier verses of Matthew 12 show intense disapproval of Jesus from the religious leaders in Galilee. The world may oppose or ignore Jesus, but our heavenly Father sees Him as beloved and pleasing to Him.
There are two instances where God declares that Jesus is “my beloved.” At His baptism, the Father declares from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This quote from Isaiah identifies Jesus as God’s beloved.
If Jesus is the beloved of the Father, should He not be loved by us? Please pause in your reading today and whisper your devotion to our Lord and Savior, the Beloved of the Father.
The Spirit’s Role
Docetism is an ancient heresy that believed Jesus was God who only appeared to be human. Like many heresies, docetism attempted to provide a simple answer to a mysterious aspect of God’s being. The church accepted and affirmed a very difficult aspect of Jesus’ being: He is fully God and fully human at the same time.
The quote from Isaiah reveals that Jesus was empowered and led by the Holy Spirit in His ministry. He wasn’t God who simply pretended to be human; He was fully human and powered by the Spirit.
Through the Spirit, the justice Jesus gave to the people distant from God’s grace was the ability to live according to God’s purposes.
Why is this an important emphasis? The same Holy Spirit who led and empowered Jesus resides in every believer.
Paul spoke of the indwelling Spirit: “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9).
Please pause your reading for a moment and thank the Holy Spirit for living in you. Affirm your trust in His leadership and power today.
Love for the Brokenhearted
Possibly the most profound statement of God’s love for the broken is found in Isaiah:
“For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)
Isaiah’s vision of God’s holiness in chapter 6 shook the prophet to the core of his being. Without a doubt, God dwells beyond all the created order in a high and holy place. Still, God’s character moves Him to live with people who are crushed and humbled by experiences in life.
Some people are like a reed that is used to measure distances. When the reed becomes bent, it is no longer useful. That may be true for reeds, but not for people. Jesus spent a lot of time around crushed and humbled people, giving them life.
A piece of fabric was used in oil lamps as a wick to provide light. When the wick was used up and left smoldering, it needed to be discarded and replaced. Jesus came from heaven to earth to dwell among lepers, demonized people, tax collectors, prostitutes, and more. His presence among them was part of God’s plan to revive the contrite and humble of society.
Please take another moment to thank God that His love does not overlook anyone. He brings us to life through His abundant love, grace, and mercy.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 