Read MATTHEW 12:14–21

After healing a lame beggar, Peter preached the gospel to the gathered crowd. In his sermon, he affirmed that God had planned everything Jesus had suffered. Furthermore, it had all been foretold and “promised long ago through his holy prophets,” going all the way back to His covenants with Moses and Abraham. God the Father was in sovereign control the entire time, and the entire Trinity is involved in the work of salvation (see Acts 3:11–26).

Again, this beautiful truth is revealed in a messianic prophecy of Isaiah. The Gospel of Matthew quoted from the first “Servant Song” (there are four altogether) in order to highlight again how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (vv. 18–21; see Isa. 42:1–4). In this passage, God the Father is speaking, describing His relationship with His Servant, who, as we now know, is Jesus, God’s Son. The relationship includes chosenness, love, delight, and shared purpose. The Father is the planner and originator. Everything the Servant does is empowered by the Spirit and flows from the Father’s perfect intentions.

What does the Servant do? He reveals God’s heart by proclaiming justice and bringing hope to the nations. Somewhat unexpectedly, He is also described as gentle or quiet, a man of peace as opposed to the conquering ruler whom many Jews expected in Jesus’ day. Rather than seeking to organize a revolution against the Roman Empire, Jesus had compassion on the crowds and did miracles of healing (v. 15). Because He waited on the Father’s timing, He was not trying to amass followers, as the hostile Pharisees apparently assumed and feared. The Son’s ultimate role extends beyond Israel to the world, thus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham (see Gen. 12:3). His name is the source of victory and hope!

APPLY THE WORD

Consider how we should follow the example of the Servant in Isaiah 58:6–8. Just as He proclaimed justice, we also should aim to “loose the chains of injustice.” Our acts of service to feed the hungry, to provide shelter for the homeless, and to advocate for the oppressed are acts of worship. When we show God’s love, our “light will break forth like the dawn”!

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