The Larger Plan

Matthew 12: The Lord and His Family (3)

Pray Psalm 22.23-25.
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

Sing Psalm 22.23-25.
Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King
All you who fear the LORD, now praise His holy Name!
You children of His glorious Word, declare His fame!
We stand in awe of our eternal God, and on His mercy call.

For He has not despised the anguish of our King,
nor from Him hid His eyes, Who knew such suffering.
Let praise arise from all who love and serve the Ruler of the skies!

Read Matthew 12.1-21; meditate on verses 15-21.
For what are we “trusting” Jesus?

Prepare.
1. Why did Jesus warn people not to make Him known?

2. What do we learn from Isaiah about Jesus’ ministry?

Meditate.
This passage strikes some readers as strange. Didn’t Jesus come to earth to proclaim the Kingdom? To call the nations and peoples of the earth to repent and believe the Gospel? Why did He warn the people not to make Him known? 

There is a simple practical explanation for this. Jesus knew that the religious leaders had begun plotting against Him (vv. 14, 15). He had offended them by setting aside their traditions; but He clearly showed from the Scriptures why their traditions were invalid. They were miffed, but they would need something much stronger to have their way with Him.

Jesus’ ministry was, in the first place, to the people of Israel. Ultimately though, as Isaiah showed, bringing salvation to the Gentiles was the larger aim. By warning the people to remain quiet about Him, Jesus intended to keep the enthusiasm for His work to a kind of growing murmur. He did not want to be taken into captivity before His proper time. The parables in chapter 13, the outreach to a Gentile woman in chapter 15,  and the decisive parable of the unfaithful workers in chapter 20 would show the worldwide, all-nations scope of the Kingdom of God.

But He needed to be able to do all those things, to lay down a trajectory of teaching and works that would confirm Isaiah’s prophecy (and many others, cf. Ps. 22.27, 28 and Mic. 4.1-8) and make it possible for the disciples, from Acts 10 on, to take the Gospel confidently and joyfully to the Gentile world. Jesus was buying time by this warning, time for the ancient prophecies to come to full realization.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
David wrote Psalm 31 about himself, but in capitalizing the pronouns, 
we see how fitting this was for just such a time as this, in Jesus’ life:
“But as for Me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, ‘You are My God.’
My times are in Your hand;
deliver Me from the hand of My enemies,
and from those who persecute Me.
Make Your face shine upon Your Servant;
save Me for Your mercies’ sake” (Ps. 31.14-16).

Also, Isaiah’s quote is exactly how Jesus had just described Himself to His disciples,
and to us His future-followers:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 
for I AM gentle and lowly in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls. 
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11.28-30).

“He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break, and
smoking flax He will not quench,
till He sends forth justice to victory; and 
in His Name Gentiles will trust” (Matt. 12.19-21; Is. 42.1-4).

Jesus is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, 
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-controlled (Gal. 5.22, 23).
He is everything we have been called to be.

He is calling all to repentance and forgiveness and new life in Himself—
Jew and Gentile alike—but to do so He needed to be “wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove” for He was the Lamb of God sent “amongst wolves” to accomplish this work for mankind (Matt. 10.16).

Jesus spent His life on earth showing us how to live in the Kingdom.
We were to do as He said, and as He did.
Not like the scribes and Pharisees, who He described thusly:
“Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, 
that observe and do, 
but do not do according to their works; 
for they say, and do not do” (Matt. 23.3).

We must strive to do as Paul did:
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11.1).

Jesus, through His wisdom, kindness, gentleness, and love made it possible for Jews and Gentiles alike to hear, believe, and do the Gospel of the Kingdom. He made it “possible for the disciples to take the Gospel confidently and joyfully to the Gentile world.” And because Jesus and the disciples did this work, it is possible for us to continue the work into our Personal Mission Field, then they carry it on—and on.

When we at last Your palace gain, and others take our place,
then let our children with Your reign, a legacy of grace.
(Psalm 45.16, 17, The Ailbe Psalter)

Reflect.
1. How should you imitate Jesus with respect to the Father?

2. How should you imitate Jesus with respect to your Christian friends?

3. How should you imitate Jesus when threats to your faith appear?

 The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as His time was not come, He retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to His temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 12.14-21

Pray Psalm 22.26-28.
Pray for the nations and peoples of the world, that God would send witnesses to them, so that the Good News of Christ and His Kingdom might become theirs.

Sing Psalm 22.26-28.
Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord Is King
Then all the poor shall eat and praise with us the LORD.
Forever we His praise repeat and trust His Word.
Praise God above, all you who keep His vows and who His mercies love!

All nations shall repent and hasten to the LORD.
All those to whom His truth is sent shall praise His Word.
The Lord is King! His sovereign rule on high now we His people sing!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column begins to examine the hope for the church, especially struggling churches. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.