Today is Easter Sunday, the day on the church calendar wherein we put a special focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, I say we put a “special focus” on Christ’s resurrection today because the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is indeed a focus every time we gather. The mere fact that we gather on Sundays is to remember and celebrate that it was a Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the grave. We even refer to Sunday as “the Lord’s day” for that very same reason.
So, the resurrection of Christ is central to the Christian faith. But what does it mean? What does it do? Why was the resurrection of Christ so important? There are many answers to this question, including: his resurrection showed his righteousness so that we might be justified, conquered death so that we will be raised with Christ someday, and marked the beginning of a new creation wherein God will one day make a new heavens and a new earth where there is no more Satan, sin, or death. And we could note more.
But there’s one specific note concerning the resurrection that I want to note this morning that the New Testament authors note throughout their writings. It is this: the resurrection of Jesus Christ marked his installment as God’s human king, reigning over the universe.
As one popular story Bible words it, soon after sin came into the world and mankind was now subject to Satan, sin, and death, God promised that he would one day send his “forever king.” He would come from the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. And he would reign over a kingdom that would never end, where everything would ultimately be made right and perfect.
At Christmastime, we celebrate the coming of this king, as we remember that God the Son became human, taking on flesh, being born of the virgin, and coming into the world as the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth. That’s why Christmas is an exciting and celebrated time. But it’s not as if Easter Sunday is somehow divorced from this storyline of God’s forever king coming and setting up his kingdom. We all know that if you’re in a line of royalty, you are born as the appointed king, but then there comes a day when you are enthroned or installed as king. And Jesus was indeed born as God’s appointed king, that’s why his first words are about the kingdom of God. But Easter Sunday morning, as Jesus was raised from the dead, marks his enthronement or installment as king. It’s no accident that it is after his resurrection, in the text we heard read earlier, that Jesus says in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He was declaring that he was enthroned as king, and he was declaring that because he is king over every single nation, we must go to all the nations and make disciples of Christ the king among every tribe, tongue, and people. And finally, he ascended into heaven where he reigns as the God-man at the right hand of his Father, waiting for the day when he will return, defeat every enemy, and establish his perfect, never-ending kingdom.
So, what does that big storyline, noting Christ’s enthronement as king on that Easter Sunday morning, have to do with our text this morning, Matthew 12:15-21? Well, Matthew 12:15-21 tells us two things. First, it is a text that once more affirms that Jesus is God’s promised king and savior. And, second, it tells us what our king is like. So, on this Easter Sunday morning, as we remember Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and enthronement as God’s promised king, who is coming again to reign forever, I want to walk through these points. First, as I’ve noted, Matthew affirms once more that:
Now, I want to walk through our text from the beginning in a second, but I want to start on this note that Matthew shows us that Jesus fulfills what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, and then he quotes Isaiah 42:1-3. Specifically, in verse 18, Matthew says that Jesus is the one about whom God said, “Behold, 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.”
The book of Isaiah focuses on God’s promised and coming savior throughout. And it does so really focusing on two themes. First, it focuses on the theme of God’s coming king. So, think of Isaiah 7, where the king is promised to be born of the virgin, or Isaiah 9 where the king is promised to be called “Mighty God” who will reign “on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Is. 9:7), or Isaiah 11 where David’s dynasty will appear all but destroyed, like a tree cut to a stump, where from the stump will come a shoot and David’s great and promised son will arrive and reign as king, coming and making everything right.
That’s how the first part of Isaiah presents this promised savior to come, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. He will come as king, and just as God would put his Spirit on his anointed king, so Isaiah reminds us in the words quoted by Matthew that God “will put [his] Spirit upon him” (Matt. 12:18).
But then there’s a second theme, a second way, this promised one is presented in Isaiah. He will be God’s servant. Throughout the second part of Isaiah, God pictures this promised king as his servant, who will come from among his people, Israel, and will be Israel’s savior. God specifically notes in Isaiah 42 that he has chosen, planned, and foreordained this promised one to bring salvation to all the nations. That’s what Matthew is quoting here in verse 18. The servant God promised will be the one he has chosen who will “proclaim justice to the nations” (note: where the ESV translates “Gentiles,” the word is literally, “nations”).
And as you read on in Isaiah, you eventually see in Isaiah 53 that this promised servant would suffer. He would voluntarily lay down his life and make many sinners to be counted righteous through his sacrificial death. Therefore, it is not by mistake that God’s promised king and servant dies on a cross, turned over by the Jews, and crucified under the oversight of Roman authorities. This was God’s plan. And it’s why so many had trouble recognizing Jesus as God’s promised Messiah. They focused, it seemed on the element of him being king and forgot that Isaiah also said that the king would be God’s servant, and specifically he would be the suffering servant.
What Matthew is showing us here is that the Jesus whom we’ve read about in the first twelve chapters of Matthew’s gospel is the promised king-servant that Isaiah prophesied would come. And salvation is only found in him. Matthew also reminds us that the Father says of the servant, his Son, that this is “my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased” (v. 18). That is, the Father loves his Son with perfect love. God’s Son, who comes and takes on flesh to be the human king-servant, is one in whom the Father delights.
And this is a reminder to us that though God will save people from every nation, as was his plan, it will not be apart from the Son whom he loves. That is, anyone who is saved will only be saved by repenting of sins and bowing the knee in faith to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived, died, and was raised on the third day. There is no salvation outside of him, for the Father loves the Son, and he is well pleased with him.
So, this is the note I want to begin on in our passage. Jesus of Nazareth, the God-man, is God’s promised king and servant, who as the suffering servant would lay down his life for us on that good Friday as he died on the cross, and who as the promised king, would rise from the dead that Easter Sunday morning and be enthroned as God’s promised king, even as he reigns over the universe from the right hand of God today.
But this section of Matthew’s gospel also shows gives us some interesting insight into what Jesus, God’s promised king and servant is like. And this is what I want us to see in our remaining time this morning. We see, for example, that:
By this “age” I mean during this entire time until he returns. Yes, at his return, he’ll judge every enemy. But Jesus’ mission as king isn’t to destroy all enemies in this age but rather to save his enemies, reconciling them to the Father. Matthew reveals this in an interesting way. Let’s set the scene.
Jesus has just had a confrontation with the Pharisees. First, they accused his disciples of sinning, charging them with violating the Sabbath. Then, they seek to accuse Jesus of sinning. And, finally, as he continues to get the upper hand on them, we are told in verse 14 that the Pharisees went out, gathered, and conspired how they might kill him.
And we’re told at the beginning of our text this morning, in 12:15, that Jesus was aware of this. Jesus knew what they were doing. Jesus knew they hated him and wanted to kill him. And Jesus is about to be enthroned by his resurrection as the king of all the earth who will say, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” So, what do you think he does? How do you think he responds?
I mean, if you were watching a movie, this is where it would get intense, right? You’d know that these guys were about to pay. They’ve challenged the wrong guy. But, surprisingly, Matthew says, “Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there” (v. 15). And this begins Matthew’s surprising portrait of the nature of our risen and conquering king.
Why does he withdraw instead of going at them? I mean, Jesus could have called down a legion of angels from heaven to take care of these men who had made themselves his enemies and were even seeking to kill him. But instead, Matthew says that he withdrew from there. Why?
The reason why is because Jesus didn’t come into the world, according to John 3:17 in order to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved. Now, yes, at the return of Christ, his enemies will be judged. And his judgment will be terrible. But Jesus came and sends us out in this age in order that the world might be saved.
This has big implications for us as his followers. I know that many have made themselves enemies of Christ and declare themselves to be enemies of the church, but our mission in this age is not to bring judgment and justice at our own hands. Our mission is to bring the good news of salvation to them. We entrust judgment to the government that bears the sword and the Lord upon his return. But our role is to seek men’s salvation, plead with them to flee judgment, and to place their faith in Christ. This is a good reminder for us on this Easter Sunday morning, and it’s good for us to remember that we take our cues concerning the Lord’s enemies from the action of the Lord himself. Second, Matthew shows us that:
Now, again, Jesus is the Messiah. He is God’s promised king. And if you think in terms of building your kingdom, you want the best, right? I mean, consider the presidential primaries right now. No candidate really cares whether I endorse them. They want high profile people to come out and endorse them. So, does Jesus focus on attracting only the brightest and best? No.
Matthew writes that after he withdrew, “Many followed him, and he healed them.” That is to say, there was a big group following him, and a good number of them were sick. And Jesus doesn’t turn around and say, “Come on. Leave me alone.” Rather, he heals them. Why? Because Jesus does not ignore the weak and destitute.
This too has implications for us as his church. In seeking to make disciples of the nations, we are not to prioritize high profile people. Sure, we delight when a high profile person comes to faith in Christ. But we also delight when someone staying at the motel down the street comes to faith in Christ. Nor do we ignore the weak or destitute person when sharing the gospel. We preach indiscriminately.
Taking our cues from the nature of Jesus himself, we also understand that the church isn’t like a fraternity, where you’re concerned about what the entrance of any one member in the group conveys about your social standing. The church is a community for the rich, the popular, the intelligent, and the prestigious. And it’s a community for the poor, the unpopular, the socially awkward, the weak, the destitute, and the ignored. The Lord does not neglect the weak and destitute, and we as his people must not do so either. Third:
Jesus clearly didn’t think that all attention was good attention. Understanding that some might misunderstand who he was, he first ordered those whom he healed not to make him known (v. 16). But then Matthew quotes Isaiah, mentioning specifically, of Jesus that, “He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets” (v. 19).
That is, Jesus does not walk around angry and boisterous. I think we have seen lately in our political landscape that being constantly angry, quarrelsome, and boisterous will indeed get you somewhere. There are a lot of people who are ready to jump on board with a leader who will show himself angry, quarrelsome, and boisterous. And, sadly, many believers seem to reflect that picture in our nation.
But our Lord Jesus Christ is not like that. He’s not taking to the streets to argue and shout down his opponents. He’s not seeking to be angrier and louder than his opponents. And, once again, we must take our cues from him.
Brothers and sisters, the gospel is an offensive message. To call a man to stop relying on his own works and, rather, to repent of his sins and trust by faith alone in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ for salvation is an offensive message to us in our human pride. To suggest we’ve sinned against God and deserve judgment is offensive to man in his prideful state. The gospel is an offensive message. We don’t need to add to its offensiveness by being quarrelsome, boisterous, and angry.
We must realize, as the apostle Paul points out, that we are not at war against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against Satan, sin, and death. Our neighbor doesn’t represent our foe in war, but one whom we pity, pray for, proclaim the gospel to, and plead with him to find hope in Christ. We must be as our Lord, who was not quarrelsome, angry, and boisterous. Also:
Now, here’s where we might make a mistake. We might think that Jesus did not come to crush his enemies in this age, seeks out the poor and destitute, calls people to himself, doesn’t quarrel or speak loudly, but then, once you’re his follower, he deals with you harshly.
Russell Moore once told a story of a man who was standing in the lobby of a nice hotel that had a gorgeous rounded staircase. The man standing in the lobby at the base the staircase was standing there because he was waiting for his wife to get ready and come join him. Finally, he looks up at the top of the stairs, and sees a woman’s foot touch the stair. Assuming it was his wife, he yelled at her, “It’s about time you’re ready,” followed by some verbal insults about her appearance. But then, as the woman got farther down the stairs, he could see her face, and he noticed that this wasn’t his wife at all. Embarrassed, he took off his hat and said, “I’m sorry, madam. I mistook you for my wife.” But the embarrassment was not that he had spoken to a stranger that way, was it? The embarrassment is that he was willing to speak to his wife that way.
Sometimes we feel that it’s okay for those with whom we’re familiar to be the objects of our harshness, impatience, and frustration. Maybe we saw that in our homes growing up or even see that in relationships now. Consequently, that’s how you view our Lord. You have no problem telling the weak, poor, destitute unbeliever down the street that the Lord loves them, would accept them, and would never cast them out. But for some reason, you feel like he’s just waiting and eager to share his frustrations about you and is fed up with you as his child. That may well have been an accurate picture of your earthly father, but it is not an accurate picture of Jesus Christ.
We see in verse 20 that “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” Reeds can be useful for a number of things. You can take them, tie them to something, and provide sturdiness, for example. A reed that is bruised has become almost worthless. Its weakness means you should probably just break it off and discard it. Or a wick on a candle that is simply smoldering but isn’t produces light or heat is basically worthless, isn’t it? Just put it out so that at least it stops smoldering.
Isaiah tells us that Jesus does not break a bruised read or quench a smoldering wick. That is, Jesus doesn’t come to us as his people ready and eager to cast us off and push us away because we are weak. He doesn’t watch us like hawks, ready and eager to pounce on us and note our failures. He is gentle and patient with us. When you sit before the Lord, feeling like you’ve failed a thousand different ways, and there’s a voice inside your head saying, “He doesn’t want anything to do with you,” be sure that that voice is not the voice of the Lord. He looks at you in your weakness (as a bruised reed or smoldering wick) and delights in you, calls you to himself, and lavishes grace and mercy on you. Never let your sin or weakness cause you to run from Christ but only to him. He, after all, deals gently with us in our weakness.
So, here is a portrait of Jesus, God’s promised king, and perhaps it is surprising to you. He isn’t seeking to destroy his enemies in this age but to bring them to salvation. He seeks out and cares for the weak and destitute, is not quarrelsome, angry, and boisterous, and he deals gently and graciously with his people. Why wouldn’t you want to bow the knee to this king? But there is one other element Matthew reminds us of:
Matthew mentions that he will not quench a smoldering wick “until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope” (vv. 20-21).
Jesus did not come to destroy his enemies, but to bring salvation. He calls, even the weak and destitute to himself, dealing with us gently, not being argumentative or boisterous. But don’t take his gentleness as some kind of note that he won’t succeed. He will. Jesus will bring to himself a people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. There will be followers of Jesus Christ all over the globe. In his name the nations will hope. And he will bring justice to victory.
One day Christ will return, and at that time, his enemies will be judged. At that time, he will make all things right. There’ll be no more Satan, sin, or death. There will be no more murder, or abuse, or assault. There’ll be no more neglect, pain, and hurt. He’ll come and make everything right, bringing those who have hoped in him in this life to salvation forevermore. He will be victorious.
So, what I want to say to all of you who are with us this morning but who have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ is: bow the knee to him today. Repent of your sins and trust in Jesus who lived, died, and was raised for sinners like you and me. Come to him and know that through him you can be accepted before God. Come to him and know his love and gentleness. And come to him, understanding that if you refuse to bow the knee to him, he will one day be victorious over every enemy, and his final judgment will be terrible. Please, I plead with you today to place your faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ.
And for those who know him this morning, I want to encourage you to continue to run to him, trust in him, repent of your sins and cling to him, love him and obey him. Look at who our king is. How could you not love him more and more? And let us model him as we obey the Great Commission. May we seek good for our enemies, not ignore the weak and destitute, and instead of being angry, quarrelsome, and boisterous, be loving, gentle, and gracious, as we share the gospel with our neighbors and the nations, seeking their salvation. May this day we commit to the character of Christ as we obey him, and let our commitment be renewed again in a public way as we come to the table. Amen.