PROCLAIMED JUSTICE

1. Isaiah’s Prophecies  

a) Isaiah declares, "Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us about his ways, and that we may walk in his paths. The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3). Isaiah looks forward to the gospel. In Isaiah, you will find nine prophecies, quoted in the New Testament, concerning the preaching of the gospel to the whole world, both Jew and Gentile. Some of these prophecies focus on the ministry of Jesus. These prophecies show how the gospel of Jesus would bring understanding to an ignorant world.

2. Proclaimed Justice

Matthew 12:17-21
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.”

Isaiah 42:1-4
1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 “A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

Isaiah 51:4
4 “Pay attention to Me, O My people,
And give ear to Me, O My nation;
For a law will go forth from Me,
And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.

a) The spiritual darkness that is in the world often takes the form of injustice. The government, the police, the courts, industry and commerce, the armed forces, all become corrupt and oppress the very people whom they ought to serve. Even in a good nation, such corruption is always trying to creep in, and it takes much vigilance to keep it out.

b) This passage pictures Jesus Christ preaching and practicing justice. Justice is the exercise of righteous judgment. Jesus struggled against the corruption and oppression of his time. He mostly did this quietly not by raising his voice in the streets, but by compassionate personal ministry among the weak and vulnerable.

c) Corruption and injustice most often target the poor and weak. They break the battered reeds, not the strong ones. They snuff out the smoldering wicks, not the strongly burning ones. They devour widows’ houses, not those of the rich and influential.

d) In preaching the gospel among the poor and weak, Jesus held out justice and helped the common man to take hold of it peacefully. True justice does not come down from high places in this world, rather it grows in the hearts of the common people when they are enlightened by the gospel of Jesus Christ the righteous Judge of all.