17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 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 shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. 21 And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

Keeping with his penchant for presenting the life and ministry of Jesus as fulfillment of OT prophecy, Matthew, guided by the Holy Spirit, quotes a Messianic passage from the book of Isaiah—the longest quote in Matthew. In our English Bible, some have stumbled over the fact that a comparison between Isaiah 42:1-4 and this quote shows dissimilarities in wording. Not uncommon in the NT use of OT passages, this can be attributed to a number of factors. The OT was written in Hebrew and translated into Greek (called the Septuagint, or LXX) well before the time of Jesus. Matthew’s quote reflects the Septuagint which was common in Palestine during those days. Our English Bibles then render the Hebrew OT and the Greek NT (which relies on the Greek Septuagint for quotes from the OT). Add to this some ambiguity in the meaning of some of Isaiah’s words and we can easily understand the translational variations. Matthew provides for us an interpretation and application of the Messianic prophecy, and thus a faithful translation of the meaning of Isaiah—even though the wording is dissimilar.

Matthew zeroes in on certain characteristics of Jesus Messiah, as prophesied by Isaiah: 1) He is a Servant (which Isaiah goes on about in his book at great length). Jesus affirmed this in His own words, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.” 2) Beloved. The reader of this gospel will remember the Father saying to Jesus, “This is My Son, whom I love.” 3) He enjoys the pleasure of His father. 4) He has the Spirit of God on Him—a sign of God’s special anointing power 5) He is all about justice—finally there is someone who fulfills Micah 6:8 and does what is just. 6) He has a concern for all people, not just Jews. 7) He came not to argue, but perform the will of God—He is not just a philosopher looking for a debate. 8 ) He is gentle and tender, to whom anyone can go for comfort (see Matt 11:28-30). 9) In the end, His justice will win out. 10) In Christ the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise will come, namely blessing to all the nations.

What a sweeping depiction of the character and mission of Christ! Isn’t He wonderful?!

Lord, what a wonderful Savior You are. I praise and worship You for all that You are and do.