Matthew 12:15-21 - "All According to Plan"

In our text today, Matthew strategically places a passage from Isaiah 42:1-4 in between opposition and rejection. The opposition Jesus faced and his impending rejection as Messiah by the Jewish leadership runs counter to the expectations most Jews had of the Messiah and his ministry. But Matthew wants to make clear to his primarily Jewish audience that this is all according to plan. Isaiah had prophesied centuries earlier, describing what the Servant of the Lord would be like and what he would do. He would not be quarrelsome or forcefully assert himself, instead he would care for the broken and the weak. And even though Jesus was not heard by his own people, his proclamation of justice is a message of hope to the nations. As we herald that message let us learn from this portrait of our Servant-King, that like him we would serve in all humility and gentleness even in the midst of opposition and rejection.