Matthew 12:15-21
The Servant King
Read
Matt. 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Pray
Intro
√ The Servant King
Vs. 14 ties together our study from last week to our study this morning. Matthew tells us that the Pharisees began to plot how they might kill Jesus – their King!
In response to that threat we find that Jesus withdraws Himself from open conflict with the religious leaders to an area where they wouldn’t find Him.
It’s an important transitional section of Matthew’s Gospel because it reveals a unique and wonderful aspect of our King’s character, that is…
…He is a Servant King!
Here we’ll find that the Servant King…
Serves the People
Serves the Father
…as He fulfills His ministry and mission as King.
Ap. Called to be a servant of all
In this section Jesus provides us with an example of how He would have us to live out our Christian faith.
The inescapable truth is that true Christianity is a life of service.
Putting ourselves at the bottom of the priority list and placing God first and other people second.
It is contrary to every fiber of our fallen human nature, yet, if we want to live the abundant blessed life that Jesus promised the citizens of His Kingdom…
…then we’ll have to become like King Jesus the servant of all!
Serves the People (vs. 15-17)
Matt. 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Matt. 12:16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
Matt. 12:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
√ The King withdraws
Matthew tells us that Jesus knew what the Pharisees were plotting, so He withdrew Himself from open conflict with them.
The reason was that Jesus was on a divine timetable.
He had been sent by the Father to give His life as a ransom for our sins (Matt. 20:28), but now was not the time for Him to die.
While it would ultimately be the religious leaders, including the Pharisees, who would bring about His crucifixion…
…Jesus knew that He had to die in
So, He withdraws to an area in which He would not run into open conflict with the Pharisees.
√ The King fulfills prophecy
Matthew points out that Jesus’ action fulfills prophecy, specifically the prophecy of Isaiah.
While it may seem somewhat insignificant to us, remember that Matthew is writing primarily for Jewish people.
They would be conflicted by Jesus’ behavior because they were expecting a King who would be on the attack, not a retreat!
To help the Jewish people re-think their Messianic theology and expectations.
So, Matthew points out that Jesus’ behavior is in sync with God’s prophetic plan and description of Messiah’s mission.
√ The King serves the People
We also note that while the Pharisees were angry with Jesus because He healed a man on the Sabbath…
…He doesn’t stop healing people!
“And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.” ~ Vs. 15
The point is that even though He was retreating from an open conflict with the Pharisees (over the issue of healing on the Sabbath)…
…He wasn’t going to stop serving the people!
Ex. Jesus came to serve Mankind
As we follow Jesus through His ministry we hear Him over and over again emphasize that the foundational principle for which He was sent was to serve people.
Jesus, the King said…
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
He demonstrates His love for us through the service that He provided…
Healing physical disease
Teaching spiritual truth
Washing the disciples feet
…and ultimately through His death that provided Mankind with a service that no one else could provide!
The perfect substitution for our sins!
So, while Jesus is the King, He demonstrates His love for His people by living and dying as a Servant King.
Ap. Called to serve one another
Christians today often refer to themselves as…
“King’s kids”
…and believe that they are somehow entitled then to an opulent lifestyle of leisure with others serving them.
While it is true that we have become heirs of the Kingdom, the reality is that the King never guaranteed us worldly riches this side of eternity.
Rather, King Jesus called us to follow His example and make ourselves a servant to others.
Jesus said…
Mark 10:42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Mark 10:43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
Mark 10:44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The point is that the life of a true “King’s kid” is one of service, serving other people in the Name of the King.
When we do what He did, it’s then that we demonstrate the reality of our relationship to King Jesus…
…and have the greatest influence on the lost.
That’s because they can “see” the reality of the Gospel we preach through our service in the Name of Jesus.
Ex. Our work in
The message we brought to the pastors and leaders of the
Church in
Roofed a church
Dug a well
Distributed medical supplies and Bibles
Refused to accept payment or offerings for our service
The result was that the people of the community opened their hearts to the message we brought.
Unbelievers came to faith
Believers received our discipleship
The
Ap. “The Jesus Style” ~ required reading!
Serves the Father (vs. 18-21)
Matt. 12:18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
Matt. 12:19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
Matt. 12:20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Matt. 12:21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
√ Serves the Father
The prophecy that Matthew quotes comes from Isaiah 42:1-4, important to Matthew’s audience because the Jewish people recognized this as a Messianic scripture.
The unbelieving Jew would see then that Jesus’ withdrawal from open conflict was in line with Messiah’s mission.
The underlying thrust of Isaiah’s prophecy is that the Messiah would come as the Servant of God the Father.
That is, everything that Jesus did and said was in response to the will of the Father.
Jesus said…
John 12:49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
John 12:50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
In this segment of Jesus’ ministry He fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy by…
Withdrawing from open conflict…
“He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.” ~ vs. 19
Demonstrating compassion to the lost…
“A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench…” ~ vs. 20
English please! Gayle Erwin transliterates vs. 20…
“He won’t kick a man when he’s down, and He looks for the slightest spark of hope in people and tries to fan it into flame”.
The idea here is that the Messiah would come to Mankind with a gentle spirit at His 1st Advent.
Lifting people out of their spiritual depravity…
…and cultivating whatever good He might find in people into a whole-hearted devotion to God!
Look at the people that Jesus spent most of His time with!
Ex. Peter and the disciples
None of them were men with much potential!
They weren’t the kind of guys that the Pharisees would have asked to follow them.
In fact, Peter understood that he wasn’t worthy of Jesus’ company…
“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” ~ Luke 5:8
Yet, Jesus took Peter into His inner group, worked with him, and trained him because He saw the spark in Peter’s heart.
Ap. Everyone has a spark
Everyone is born with an inner sense that God is exists, Solomon wrote…
“Also He has put eternity in their hearts” ~ Ecc. 3:11
…yet, to fan that spark into a heart of fire for the Lord takes time, effort and love.
We find Jesus investing His life into the lives of people that had been rejected by the organized religion of the Jews.
People like you and me!
Jesus has passed His ministry of reconciliation on to us, the Church, to…
Lift people out of their spiritual depravity…
…and cultivate whatever good we might find in people into a whole-hearted devotion to God!
That means that we can’t assume that anyone is beyond the reach of His Spirit and His love!
That means that we have to be willing to open our church, our homes and our hearts to people who look and act decidedly “un-Christian”!
So that we can reach them for Christ and help them reach their God-given potential in life.
Ex. The Hippies
The Church of the 60’s & 70’s didn’t want “those kind of people” in their fellowships.
Thank God that there were some pastors that followed Jesus’ example and poured their life and love into that lost generation!
Because many of those people that the Church didn’t want anything to do with are now leading the most influential ministries in the world!
Ap. Don’t give up on anyone!
Look past all the sin and weirdness in their lives and try to see the spark that God wants to blow His Spirit upon.
Jesus did that for you, surely you would want to do the same for someone else!
√ Bonus
Note that the Trinity is clearly presented in vs. 18 (Isa. 42:1)…
Matt. 12:18 “Behold!
My Servant whom I have chosen,
My
Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
The Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son.
Close
√ The Servant king
Jesus is the Servant King who came to…
Serve the People
Serve the Father
…we have been called to follow the example of our King.
The inescapable truth is that true Christianity is a life of service.
Putting ourselves at the bottom of the priority list and
placing God first and other people second.
While it is contrary to every fiber of our fallen human
nature, we’ll find that His blessings are obtained when…
…we chose to become like King Jesus the servant of all!