Jesus knew that the Pharisees were planning to kill Him, so He withdrew from that place. When it was time for Him to die he went willingly to the cross. When His time had not yet come, He avoided capture. As it says in Ecclesiastes there is a time to live and a time to die.
It is not clear whether He was seeking solitude at this point or not, but He didn't get it. Large crowds followed Him and He healed all who needed it. Again He warned them not to tell others. So we see that Jesus was not using healings as a publicity stunt, at the same time He healed all who were ill.
Matthew then quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4, one of the servant songs. Jesus was God's chosen servant and God delighted in Him. Jesus was filled with the Spirit and He proclaimed justice. He did not seek conflict for its own sake. He was not cruel or heartless. He was determined to bring justice through to victory, and people will put their hope in Him. The servant of Isaiah is what Israel was meant to be, but failed. Jesus came as the perfect servant, the fulfilment of all that Isaiah spoke of. He is continuing to fulfil that prophecy. For Jesus is the risen Lord, He is reigning now, actively working to fulfil the mission. We, the church, are the body of Christ and Christ works through the church to fulfil His mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment