Matthew 12:18-21 "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 shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."
Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the sabbath day. The Pharisees set this situation up (so they thought) to ensnare Jesus so they could accuse Him of violating the law of the sabbath. Jesus had already declared Himself to be the Lord of the sabbath and therefore the lawgiver. When He used the situation to show their hypocrisy, the Pharisees began to look for a way to destroy Jesus.
Jesus withdrew from them, and as usual, great multitudes followed Him. In His compassion for them, the scripture tells us that He healed them all. We already know from the story of Jairus’s daughter (Matthew 9:18-19, Mark 5:22-23) that there were believers even then among the Gentiles. While the scripture does not say so, I would not be surprised to discover that there were some Gentiles among these multitudes. Even though the disciples were not yet permitted to go among the Gentile nations to preach Jesus, His life was already impacting the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
As Jesus healed these crowds of people, He instructed them that they should not tell who it was that had healed them or where He could be found. This charge was given to further confound the Pharisees concerning Jesus. The verses above were quoted from a prophecy by Isaiah speaking as God. To those who were blessed to understand, the command was given to behold (see, give attention to) God’s chosen servant (Jesus).
Jesus was not only a servant but deeply loved and pleasing to the Father. The spirit of God was put (done with purpose) upon Jesus. It was the will of God that He would show judgment (justice) to the Gentile nations. Unlike the Pharisees who loved to show off their supposed piousness (Matthew 6:5, 23:5-7), Jesus would not minister in a way to “show off” in public places.
The Jews were like a bruised (bent) reed in that they were no longer upright. They were like a lamp whose oil was so low that the wick (flax) could no longer produce light. It smoked and filled the house with a foul scent. Still, Jesus satisfied every requirement of the law before the Gentile nations were brought in. When He had finished the work of the Father (as He declared from the cross), His justification and righteousness were victorious for all His people in every nation, kindred, and tongue.
Dear ones, the gospel of Jesus Christ declares His victorious justice. It is not preached for show but for the comfort and edification of His people. The sweet odor of salvation by the sovereign grace of God is declared in His holy name. In Him alone do we stand justified, righteous, and loved before God our Father!