Matthew 12:18–21 (NKJV) — “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 will declare justice to the Gentiles. 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.”
He came not to gather the strong for a revolution, but to show mercy to the weak. – John MacArthur
Ancient Israel was never a regional “superpower”. They never had the military might of nations such as Assyria, Babylon, or Persia. During the time of Christ, they were essentially an occupied nation under the thumb of Rome.
Nevertheless, Israel certainly had a golden age under Kings David and Solomon. King David was a great warrior who secured peace for Israel, and Solomon was a man of great wisdom who secured prosperity for the nation. But with that golden age long passed, Israel yearned for the day when their Messiah would come. They were expecting a warlike Messiah who would be stronger than David and wiser than Solomon. They believed this Son of David would break the yoke of Roman oppression and usher in an age of prosperity even greater than that of David and Solomon. The prophets even declared the Messiah would be so renowned that He would “declare justice to the Gentiles” and “in His name the Gentiles would trust.” (Of course, that little detail was a scandal to the Jewish mind.)
Surely these prophecies were just delusional and wishful thinking. Why would Gentiles place their trust in the Messiah of a "weak and despised" Jewish people? Gentiles nations have built stronger armies, amassed greater wealth, and have more vaunted wisdom than the Jews. Alexander the Great, Aristotle, Rome, and even America is the boast of the Gentiles, not the Jews. And yet, down through the ages, a vast multitude of Gentiles have placed their trust in a Jewish Messiah. Why is that?
As Dr. Michael Brown commented:
“In fact, he [Jesus] already rules and reigns as a royal king over the lives of countless tens of millions of people from every nation under the sun. They give him their total allegiance and loyalty. His reign is already far greater and more influential than the reign of David himself. And that’s only the beginning; he will reign over all when he returns.” [1]
Look around the world and you will see evidence of Christ’s rule and reign. You will see schools, universities, and hospitals that have been established in His name. These institutions have had a positive ripple effect in the lives of countless individuals as well as cultures around the globe. You will also see a vast amount of charitable work done in His name. Dr. Jeremiah Johnston writes:
“Over 60 percent of the 46,000 agencies working with food banks nationwide are faith-based organizations. Simply put, America would starve if the church vanished.”[2]
Furthermore, because of Christ, embassies of grace have been established to proclaim His gospel throughout the world.
Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV) — And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We call these embassies church, and each church is full of ambassadors. We call those ambassadors Christians.
2 Corinthians 5:18–20 (NLT) — And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
The reality of Christ is experienced daily in the lives of believers around the world. How is it that the Messiah from a small Jewish nation would become the living hope of innumerable Gentiles from every tribe, tongue, and nation? Remarkably, this was predicted in Scripture long before it became a reality, and there is still an even greater fulfillment yet to come.
Revelation 7:9–10 (NKJV) — After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Yes, one day Jesus will split the heavens and return physically to rule and reign on earth. After all, didn't He teach us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. But even now He rules as King of kings and Lord of lords. And yet, this Sovereign Lord, who is far stronger than David and infinitely wiser than Solomon, is also tender and compassionate. He will not quench a smoking flax, nor will he break a bruised reed.
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[1] Strobel, Lee. In Defense of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ (Case for ... Series) . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
[2] Johnston, Jeremiah J.. Unimaginable: What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity (p. 152). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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