(Text and Audio)
Title: Reasons for Secrecy
But when Jesus knew it
Somehow, Jesus was aware of the plot of the Pharisees to destroy him. We don’t know if this was a supernatural knowledge (he knew their hearts) or if someone had alerted Jesus to the Pharisees schemes. Either way, we see Jesus’ reaction is to leave that place.
At this point, the question may arise, why not just stay and confront them? Why not expose the Pharisees for what they were: power-hungry bullies, willing to kill to keep their power in tact? (take answers)
I think there are a few possible answers:
- Jesus still had other work to do, other regions to visit, and a direct confrontation here would have fast-tracked him to a trial and imprisonment.
- There was still much prophecy that Jesus needed to fulfill before being handed over to the Jews. (Such as being betrayed by a kiss.)
- Most importantly (see verse 16) it wasn’t time yet for him to be “known.”
II. Yet He warned them not to make him known
Why?
Why would Jesus want to limit the enthusiasm about the truth that he was the Messiah? Wouldn’t it have been a better strategy for Jesus to announce he was the Messiah, do a bunch of miracles, debate the Pharisees and Sadducees publicly and win, convincing the people he was their promised savior?
Why all the secrecy?
Well, if we read on in verse 17, the answer is given to us: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet…”
I think it’s a fair question to wonder why Jesus kept his identity such a secret for most of his ministry. He does this to such a great degree that even those closest to him, his beloved 12, talk amongst themselves as to who he might be.
There is the great scene in John’s Gospel where he asks Peter “Who do YOU think I am?” after Peter has spent three years by his side.
So when we see an explanation given in Matthew’s gospel about why all the secrecy, I think we should really dig into this quotation from Isaiah 42:1-4 and see what the reasoning is.
Let’s do that now.
(read v. 18)
Right away, we see something very interesting. Yes Jesus is chosen by the Father, yes the Father is pleased with him (fulfilled BOTH during Jesus’ baptism AND during the transfiguration), yes, the Father puts his sprit upon the Son, but for what purpose: to declare justice to the Gentiles.
Huh? What?
The Father send the messiah to declare justice to the Gentiles? I can’t imagine why the Pharisees would be offended by that, can you?
(read v. 19)
We see that he will NOT quarrel or cry out. This is why he avoids direct confrontation with the Pharisees and the other civil leaders. He’s not there to pick a fight with them. He’s not there to debate against them.
Why not? (sly grin)
Theologically speaking, why not (big grin).
Theologically speaking, in terms of salvation why is he not debating the Pharisees? (HUGE GRIN)
He will not argue them into the belief. They either believe, or they do not. As master Yoda said to Luke: Do or do not, there is no try.
(read v. 20)
Verse 20 is especially interesting to us because there have been, for some centuries, debate as to what these two images (a bruised reed and smoking flax) are referring to. I’ll give you both options and let you chew on it.
First of all a bruised (some of your translations say “broken”) reed is a reed by the river that has been broken off at some point in the stalk, it is not going to grow anymore because it’s broken, the best thing to do is to just break it off completely so something else can grow.
Smoking flax is like a dimly lit wick on a candle that is smoldering and about to go out.
So we have two options here: The first is that this is a reference to the Pharisees themselves. And Isaiah is telling us that Jesus will not break the Pharisees off completely, or extinguish their flame until final victory on the cross is achieved. If this is the case, there is some truth to it. The Pharisees all died out after the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., some 40 years after the crucifixion.
The second option is that this is reference to young and weak believers. Jesus will not forsake them, break them off from the kingdom, or extinguish their flame, until his work on the cross is complete, so that they can be made whole once again.
(verse 21)
Again, a reference to the Gentiles trusting in Jesus.
So what conclusion can we come to here? Matthew tells us Jesus told his followers NOT to make his identity known in order to fulfill Isaiah 42:1-4. And after working through that passage, I think this is a fair conclusion to reach:
- Jesus came to establish justice, even amongst the Gentiles who would make up the vast majority of his new Church.
- But he did not come in a show display of power. He did not come by leading a political or military coup against the Romans, which was what so many Jews thought the Messiah would do.
- The people’s understanding of the role of the Messiah was so misguided (in part because of the very poor teaching of the Pharisees) that Jesus was forced to dampen the misguided enthusiasm that was bound to spring up.
Pray, Q/A