Chapter 39
JESUS, OUR SERVANT KING
(Matthew 12:15-21)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Holy Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God we thank You for sending Your Son, the King of all kings, to teach us and show us Your ways. We thank You Father for revealing to us beforehand the manner in which You would send Your Son to not only serve You but also save us from our broken lives. Holy Father please help to see, understand and accept the fact that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who You foretold would come to save us from our sins.
Amen
BACKGROUND
To place our study in its proper context we begin by reading the following Scriptures from the theme of the previous chapter, which is chapter 38.
Matthew 12:1-13
"[1] At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. [2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." [3] He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. [5] Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? [6] I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. [7] If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. [8] For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." [9] Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, [10] and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" [11] He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." [13] Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other."
With this background let us now read how the Pharisees responded to Jesus' instruction concerning the laws of the Sabbath and how they had misinterpreted them. Their reaction to Jesus' instruction is recorded in the next verse, which is,
Matthew 12:14
"[14] But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."
The question arises as to "Why?" Why did the Pharisees want to destroy Jesus? In response to these questions one must remember that the Pharisees taught and adhered to the strict outward legalistic compliance to the Law of Moses. With this in mind, let us recall that in the Old Testament (Exodus 31:15) anyone who worked on the Sabbath was to be put to death. When Jesus healed the sick or disabled the Pharisees believed Jesus was working on the Sabbath. Thus, according to the strict legalistic observance of the Law, Jesus must be put to death.
INTRODUCTION
With the above situation as background or context for our study, let us now read what happened after the Pharisees conspired to put Jesus to death. The events that followed are recorded for us in,
Matthew 12:15-21
"[15] Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, [16] warning them not to tell who he was. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: [18] "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. [19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. [20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. [21] In his name the nations will put their hope.""
THE STUDY
To help us to come to a better knowledge and understanding our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will examine in a bit more depth the above prophecy to see how Jesus Christ fulfilled it. To accomplish this we will explore, one at a time, each element of this prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah.
The above prophecy begins by stating that,
GOD WILL SEND HIS SERVANT, WHOM HE HAS CHOSEN - Mat. 12:18a
The opening statement of Isaiah's prophecy tells us that the person whom God will send will be a Servant. As we read the New Testament we come to realize that Jesus Christ fulfilled this portion of Isaiah's prophecy. He did this by: (1) serving the Father and (2) serving His disciples. To see this we begin by noting that while Jesus was here upon this earth,
Jesus Served The Father
In other words, Jesus came to this earth to carry out God the Father's wishes and desires. To see this let us read what Jesus said to God the Father just before He was arrested and later to be crucified. The portion His prayer that is of interest for this study is recorded in,
John 17:1-5
"[1] After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
Let us notice the following verse,
2a … Jesus has authority over all people. Thus, He is our Lord and King.
2b … Jesus was given this authority so that He might grant eternal life to all those God the Father gave and gives to Him. Remember, no one can come to Jesus unless God the Father draws them to Him (John 6:44).
4 … Jesus told God the Father that while He sojourned upon this earth He not only glorified Him but He also completed the work God the Father sent Him to perform. Specifically, Jesus did not come to do His will but to do the will of God the Father. Consider the following verse in which Jesus explains one of the main purposes for why He came,
John 6:38
"[38] For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."
In addition to serving God the Father and performing His will, the New Testament also teaches us that,
Jesus also came to serve His disciples
To illustrate this truth and how God would have us behave towards others let us read about the time when James and John asked Jesus for a place of honor in His Kingdom. To do this let us read from,
Mark 10:35-45
"[35] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." [36] "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. [37] They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." [38] "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" [39] "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, [40] but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." [41] When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. [42] Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [43] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. [45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.""
Let us notice the following verses,
38 … After James and John asked for a prominent place at Jesus side in His Kingdom, Jesus asked if they felt they could endure what He, Jesus, was about to suffer.
39 … James and John responded in the affirmative. In other words, they believed that they would be able to endure the baptism or afflictions Jesus was about to go through. Jesus responded by stating that they would go through suffering and humiliation for His sake.
40 … Jesus told James and John that it was not up to Him to give a place at His side.
42 … Jesus revealed to His disciples then and now us that the rulers and leaders of the Gentiles or non believers lord it over them. In other words, Jesus made the observation that the so called great leaders of this world, such as the Pharaoh's, Caesar's, the great kings, presidents, etc., exercise great suffocating authority over their subjects.
43-44 … Jesus pointed out that those who wish to be great in God's Kingdom should not follow the model or behavior of these great earthly leaders. No, instead those who wish to be great in God's Kingdom are to become servants and serve His people.
45 … For even the Son of Man, The King of all kings, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for you and I.
The second element of this portion of the prophecy, God the Father tells us that,
HE LOVES HIS SERVANT, AND DELIGHTS IN HIM - Mat. 12:18b
Several times in the New Testament we are told the Father was well pleased with Jesus. For this study let us read what God The Father said to James, John and Peter during the time of Jesus' transfiguration. It is recorded in,
Matthew 17:1-5
"[1] After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. [4] Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." [5] While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!""
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 … In other words, during Jesus' transfiguration His divine nature was clearly revealed.
5 … God the Father revealed the fact that Jesus Christ was and is His beloved Son Whom He loves and in Whom He is well pleased.
In the prophecy of Isaiah we also find that God the Father foretold that,
HE WILL PUT HIS SPIRIT ON HIS SERVANT - Mat. 12:18c
This portion of the prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus after He was baptized by John the Baptist. To see this let us read what happened after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River as recorded in,
Mark 1:4-11
"[4] And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. [6] John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8] I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." [9] At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. [11] And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.""
Let us notice the following verses,
4-8 … God sent John the Baptist to preach a baptism of repentance. He did this so the people would prepare their hearts and minds to receive their Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
9 … Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
10 … Upon rising up from the water of baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus.
11 … Here is another instance when God the Father stated that Jesus was His only begotten Son Whom He loves and in Whom He was well pleased.
Through the prophet Isaiah God the Father also foretold that,
HIS SERVANT WOULD PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE NATIONS, WHO ARE THE GENTILES - Mat. 12:18d
In other words, not only would God's servant be sent to the Jewish people to preach and teach repentance and a return to God, but also He would be sent to proclaim this message of justice to the gentiles. As one reads the New Testament we discover that this portion of Isaiah's prophecy was also fulfilled by Jesus Christ. To see this let us read how Jesus began His ministry as it is recorded in,
Matthew 4:12-16
"[12] When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. [13] Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- [14] to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: [15] "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- [16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.""
Let us notice the following verses,
12-14 … The Bible tells us that to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, Jesus went to the city of Capernaum in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.
15 … Notice that the land of Zebulun and Naphtali was described as the Galilee of the gentiles. Thus, by preaching to the people living in these cities Jesus Christ was fulfilling this portion of Isaiah's prophecy. Hence a great light, Jesus, was given to shine upon the people living in darkness. In other words, the gentiles who had no relationship with God and His chosen people, the Israelites, was given the privilege to see and hear Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
RECAP
Before we continue with the study of Isaiah's prophecy, let us pause and refresh our memories of what we covered thus far. To do this let us reread the following verse,
Matthew 12:18
""[18] Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations."
Let us now proceed to the next facet of Isaiah's prophecy. In this verse we read that God the Father foretold that,
HIS SERVANT WILL NOT QUARREL OR CRY OUT NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS - Mat. 12:19
The New Testament records for us that Jesus always openly preached and taught in public. For example, we are all familiar with the fact that He taught and preached to great crowds of people on a mountain side, which was the sermon on the mount, and from a boat to those listening on shore. As a matter of fact when Jesus was arrested and questioned by the high priest He stated that He openly preached and taught in the synagogues and in the Temple. Let us read what He said as it is recorded in,
John 18:19-20
"[19] Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. [20] "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret."
Consequently, this portion of Isaiah's prophecy could not possibly refer to the times when Jesus preached and taught to multitudes who came to hear Him and be healed.
However, when we keep in mind that Jesus came to serve God the Father and do His will we discover that throughout Jesus' ministry upon this earth, He did fulfill this prophecy. Specifically, during Jesus' sojourn upon this earth He never defended Himself or demanded His rights as the Lord and Savior of the world. He did not quarrel or cry out to justify Himself. No, Jesus simply submitted and trusted Himself to the will of God the Father. To see this let us explore the following three of many situations when Jesus did not quarrel or cry out to defend Himself.
The first example is when He would not argue or quarrel,
To escape a premature death
The New Testament records several incidents when Jesus was threatened with premature death. However, for this study we will read about the time when He taught some of the Jews that no prophet is accepted in his own country. This incident is recorded in,
Luke 4:24-30
""[24] I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. [25] I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. [26] Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. [27] And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian." [28] All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. [29] They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. [30] But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way."
Let us notice the following verses,
28 … After Jesus finished His teaching of how God through Elijah spared a widow, named Zarephath, from the pangs of famine and how God healed Naaman, a commander of the Syrian army, of leprosy, His listeners recognized that Jesus was talking about them and their forefathers. Instead of being repentant and sorrowful they were filled with anger.
29 … In fact His listeners were so angry and filled with so much rage that they wanted to kill Jesus by throwing Him down from a cliff.
30 … Notice, Jesus did not argue, complain or defend Himself. Instead, Jesus miraculously passed through the crowd and quietly walked away. As a side thought: Just think of all that Jesus could have done or said. Instead He simply withdrew.
The second example to illustrate how Jesus fulfilled this portion of the prophecy given by Isaiah is to note that Jesus did not allow conflict or insurrection against the governing authorities
To claim His rightful status
A good example to illustrate this attribute occurred after Jesus, with only five loaves of barley bread and two small fish, fed 5,000 men. Upon seeing this miracle the people were so enthused that they wanted to forcefully make Him their earthly king. However, Jesus, the King of all kings, would not allow it. This incident is recorded in,
John 6:14-15
"[14] After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." [15] Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."
The third and last example for this study to illustrate the fact that Jesus always submitted Himself to the Father's will occurred when He did not quarrel, cry out or allow insurrection,
To avoid arrest
To see this let us read what happened when Judas along with a great multitude came to arrest Jesus. This incident is recorded in,
Matthew 26:47-54
"[47] While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. [48] Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." [49] Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. [50] Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. [51] With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. [52] "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [53] Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?""
Let us notice the following verses,
51 … Realizing what was about to happen one of Jesus' apostles, who was Peter (see John 18:10-11), drew his sword to defend Jesus. In Luke 22:51 we find that immediately after Peter cut off the high priest's servant ear, Jesus restored it.
53 … Jesus could have saved Himself from the ordeal and crucifixion He was about to suffer. However, if He did you and I would still be in our sins. Thus, by submitting to earthly authorities, Jesus was not only serving the Father by doing His will but He was also serving us to save us from our sins. Something to ponder.
RECAP
In reflecting upon the above we discover that Jesus humbly and obediently submitted Himself to the will of God the Father. Jesus never was pompous or self righteous. He never loudly or violently strove against those who threatened Him. In other words, His voice was never loudly heard in the streets demanding His rightful place and position of Lord and King of all. Hence, Jesus did indeed fulfill the following portion of Isaiah's prophecy,
Matthew 12:19
"[19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets."
The prophet Isaiah also foretold that another attribute of the coming Servant of God would be that,
A BRUISED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK, A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT SNUFF OUT - Mat. 12:20a
In other words, God the Father, through the prophet Isaiah foretold that the Servant He will send will come to heal, mend and save broken lives. As one reads the New Testament one can not help but come to the realization that Jesus Christ also fulfilled this portion of Isaiah's prophecy. Throughout His ministry here upon this earth Jesus: (1) healed those who were physically ill, (2) healed those who were spiritually ill and (3) forgave sins to restore their relationship to God the Father. To see this let us first review an example of where the New Testament teaches us that,
Jesus healed the physically sick
Actually verse 15 from our theme bears witness to the truth of this statement. To see this let us reread,
Matthew 12:15
"[15] Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,"
The New Testament also reveals to us that,
Jesus also healed the spiritually sick
A good example of this facet of the works Jesus did occurred after He selected His twelve apostles. To read what happened let us go to,
Luke 6:12-19
"[12] One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. [13] When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: [14] Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, [15] Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, [16] Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. [17] He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, [18] who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, [19] and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all."
Let us notice the following verses,
12-16 … After a night of prayer Jesus selected His twelve apostles.
17-18a … The people not only came to hear what Jesus had to say but they also came to be healed of their infirmities.
18b … Even those with unclean spirits were healed.
To mend broken lives and bring about a restoration with God the Father
Jesus Christ forgave sins
A good example of this was when He not only healed a paralytic of his infirmity but also forgave him of his sins. To see this let us read from,
Mark 2:1-12
"[1] A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. [2] So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. [3] Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. [4] Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. [5] When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." [6] Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, [7] "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" [8] Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? [9] Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? [10] But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, [11] "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." [12] He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!""
The prophecy given by Isaiah also teaches us that the Servant God the Father would send to us will continue to heal, save and mend broken lives,
TILL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY - Mat. 12:20b
To see that this portion of the prophecy also foretold the coming of Jesus Christ we will examine the following three partitions of the prophecy. Specifically, we will discover that He fulfilled, is fulfilling and will fulfill it.
This prophecy and how it foretold of Jesus Christ becomes much clearer if we begin at the end. Specifically, let us see how
Jesus Christ will fulfill it
The Bible teaches us that the fulfillment of the last portion of the prophecy will occur when Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. To see this let us first read what will happen at Jesus Christ's second coming to all of those who are true born again believers in Him. This epic event is described in,
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
"[51] Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- [52] in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. [54] When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." [55] "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Let us notice the following verses,
52 … At the sound of the trumpet announcing the arrival of Jesus Christ the dead in Him will be raised incorruptible. In addition, at this time those who are still living and are born again believers in Him will also be changed.
53 … In other words, when Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom we will experience and receive the last installment of eternal life. Specifically, this is when we will receive our new eternal, that is incorruptible, bodies.
54 … At this time death will be swallowed up in victory. Perhaps put another way, at this time Jesus will have led justice to victory!
57 … Thank You Jesus!
The Bible also teaches us that it will be at this time God will create a new heaven and a new earth. In addition, the new Jerusalem will come down from Heaven. It will be from here where God will rule over His new creation and dwell among us. To capture a glimpse of what it will be like let us read the description of the vision Jesus gave the Apostle John. It is recorded in,
Revelation 21:1-7
"[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. [2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." [5] He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."
Earlier in this portion of our study we saw how, while physically here upon this earth, Jesus healed the sick and forgave sins. Thus, during His sojourn upon the earth,
Jesus Christ did fulfill the first portion of this prophecy
To refresh our memories let us read the following summary of all Jesus did when He came to earth to save us from our sins. This summary can be found in,
Matthew 4:23-25
"[23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
Even now, until He returns to establish His Kingdom,
Jesus is fulfilling the middle third portion of the above prophecy
A New Testament example of how Jesus Christ, after He had ascended into Heaven, was still fulfilling this prophecy of restoring people's lives is when, through the Apostle Peter, Jesus healed a paralytic man named Aeneas. This healing is recorded in,
Acts 9:32-35
"[32] As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. [33] There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. [34] "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. [35] All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord."
Let us notice the following verse,
34 … It was Jesus Christ, working through the Apostle Peter, who healed Aeneas.
With respect to the post New Testament days, let us remember that one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gifts of healing (1 Corinthians 12:4-9). Thus, throughout post New Testament church history, including today, one reads about, hears about and in some situations witnesses how in the Name of Jesus Christ lives are being healed, mended and saved.
RECAP
Before we move on to the last portion of this study, let us recap what we have covered till now. To do this let us reread,
Matthew 12:18-20
""[18] Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. [19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. [20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory."
The final portion of the prophecy about the promised Servant is that,
IN HIS NAME THE NATIONS, WHICH ARE THE GENTILES, WILL PUT THEIR HOPE - Mat. 12:21
Even while Jesus was physically here upon the earth this prophecy was being fulfilled. For example, in the Gospel according to Luke we read that a centurion of the Roman army placed his hope in Jesus. To see this let us read from,
Luke 7:1-10
"[1] When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. [2] There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. [3] The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. [4] When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, [5] because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." [6] So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. [7] That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. [8] For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." [9] When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." [10] Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well."
Even after Jesus was crucified, died, rose and ascended into Heaven the fulfillment and the continual fulfilling of this prophecy by Jesus Christ is unquestionable. In the New Testament we read in the book of Acts and the various Epistles of how multitudes of gentiles living in various gentile nations became born again believers in Jesus Christ. Today, one only needs to consider all the Christian churches that have been and are being established throughout the entire world to realize that today this portion of Isaiah's prophecy is still being fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
What is the point? Or, in other words, "What is the purpose of this study?" Actually, there are least two points to be made.
First of all, it is clear that it was and is Jesus Christ who God the Father was speaking about when He foretold through the prophet Isaiah that He will send us His Servant.
Secondly, all this was written so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of lords and the King of kings and that believing you may have life in His Name (John 26:31).
In other words,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SERVANT KING
Shall We Pray?