Matthew 12:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

NIV: In his name the nations will put their hope.'

NASB: AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.'

CSB: The nations will put their hope in his name.

NLT: And his name will be the hope of all the world.'

KJV: And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

NKJV: And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

This concludes Matthew quotation of Isaiah 42:1–4. In that passage, Isaiah quotes God's description of the servant He loves and is pleased with. That servant will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim justice to the nations, which in this context means the Gentiles. Matthew is revealing Isaiah's passage to be about the Messiah, who is Jesus (Matthew 12:18–20).

This is not the Messiah Israel is expecting, however. Instead of confronting and overwhelming Israel's enemies, this Messiah will refuse to quarrel or cry out. Instead of breaking the Roman army, this Messiah will come with such gentleness and humility that He will not break even a bruised reed on the ground. In this surprising way, He will bring justice to victory.

Isaiah's description fits Jesus perfectly. Instead of fighting off the Romans, Jesus will submit to their execution of Him. He will die to pay for the sins of others, allowing all who trust in Him to be forgiven for their sins and declared righteous by God. They will experience victorious justice through submitting to the Savior who submitted to death and was resurrected in victory.

Finally, in this verse, Matthew points to Isaiah to show that the Gentiles will hope in the name of the Messiah. Instead of defeating the Gentiles and sending them away, Jesus will become the way in which the people of the non-Jewish nations come in hope to God the Father.

Matthew 12:15–21 shows Jesus withdrawing away from the Pharisees, who want to destroy Him. The crowds persist in following Him, though, and He continues to tell those He heals not to make Him known. Matthew declares that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1–4. Isaiah quotes God referring to His promised servant using the same terminology God used of Jesus at His baptism. This servant is gentle, refusing to call attention to Himself, but is also the One who will bring justice to victory and in whom the Gentiles will hope.

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

Matthew 11 depicted Jesus preaching and teaching after sending out His chosen disciples in pairs in chapter 10. Chapter 12 immediately picks up with more confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus responds to those criticisms and rebukes their evil hearts as the source of their evil words. In the following chapter, Matthew will shift His focus onto Jesus' parables.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.