THE FAITHFUL JESUS

Dr. W. A. Criswell

Isaiah 42:1-7

01-25-76

 

            I often preach through state evangelistic conferences, and one of the young men noticed that one of the first things I do when I stand up to preach is to take off my watch.  But he said, "You never look at it.  Why do you take off your watch?"

            I said, "Because if I leave it on my arm, in days past when I have done so, I have flung the thing off of my arm.  So I take it off in precautionary wisdom." 

            It is a joy for us to welcome you who are sharing this service of the First Baptist Church in Dallas on radio and on television: Some of you are listening in Canada; some of you watching the program on the Pacific coast; some of you in the heartland of America and thousands in the great Southwest.  It would bless us beyond compare if you would write a letter to us saying that you have watched the service and listened to the solemn hour today.  The address would be The Criswell Hour, Box 10, Dallas, Texas 75221.   Write!  It is vital to us that you do so.  It would bless your own heart to take pen and pencil and write us a note and it would encourage us beyond any way that you could ever know.   God bless you as you do it.  Write to the Criswell Hour, Box 10, Dallas, Texas 75221.

            This is the pastor bringing the message entitled: The Faithful Jesus.  In our preaching through the book of Isaiah we have come to chapter 42 and the message is an exposition of the first few verses of that incomparable prophecy.  Isaiah, chapter 42:

Behold My servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him:  he shall bring forth judgment, justice, to the nations. 

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.  A bruised reed shall he not break and the dimly burning wick, the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment, justice, unto truth. 

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, until he hath sent justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law… 

I the Lord hath called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles.

 

            Now, the message is built upon how the evangelist Matthew—how the writer of the first Gospel—applied that glorious prophecy of Isaiah to the Lord Jesus.  Reading in the twelfth chapter of the book of Matthew beginning at the fourteenth verse: 

Then the Pharisees went out, and held a counsel against him, how they might destroy him.  And when Jesus knew it, he followed from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all: and charged them that they should not make him known. 

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 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 show justice to the Gentiles. 

He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax, a dimly burning wick, shall he not quench, until he sent forth judgment unto victory. 

And in his name shall the nations trust.

 

            What is remarkable to me about reading the prophecy in Isaiah and how Matthew finds its fulfillment in our Lord is the occasion upon which Matthew quotes it in fulfillment of the great and noble prophecy. 

            For the twelfth chapter as in the chapters preceding, the Gospel writer Matthew has described the miraculous wonder of defined power resident in Jesus of Nazareth.  Then he notices and is struck by, moved by the humility and the weakness and the tenderness and the sweetness and the gentleness of that same mighty and wonderful healer and teacher of men. 

            And the prophecy as Matthew applies it looks like this: A union of the divine power of heaven in this humble and lowly Jesus—a man of such godly ableness and yet a man free from ostentatious ambition, quietly, humbly, unmoved doing His work of healing and teaching the people. 

            So Matthew presents it:

Then the Pharisees went out, and held a counsel against him, how they might destroy him.  And when Jesus knew it, he departed and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.

 

            What a contrast between those who officially rejected Him and sought to destroy Him and the continuing humble ministries of the Lord Jesus as He taught and healed the people. 

            Why, Lord, it is almost unthinkable how you are and how you do.  The official mind has rejected Him.  And the leaders of the nation are now plotting to destroy His life.  Surely, the Lord will fall into a great gloom.  He will be discouraged.  He will forget the needs of the multitude.  His mouth will shut in stubborn silence and the hand raised in blessing upon the people will fall at his side in paralysis.  He will quit in the face of such frustrating and confusing opposition.  Does it say that?  No! 

When the Pharisees called a counsel how they might destroy Him, the great multitudes continued to follow Him and He healed them all.  He kept on with His ministry of blessing and encouragement, of life and health and healing. 

            The sectarian mind might hate Him, but the multitudinous mind loved Him.  As the Scriptures say: “And the common people heard Him gladly.” 

            But Lord, maybe You don’t understand.  In yonder city there is a council whispering.  And the meaning of that whisper is death.  You don’t realize they are plotting Your assassination, Your execution.  They are encompassing Your death.  Don’t You realize it? 

            And the master, just the same continued on in His healing and His teaching ministries.  He did not look at the trial or at the trouble or at all of the bitter and hateful opposition, but He looked at the needs of the people and He kept on His teaching and His healing.  Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be like that?  Not look at the discouragements and at the trials and at the difficulties, but to look at the need of a great work done for God. 

            But Pastor, you don’t realize, think of the debt involved, think of the money involved, think of the time and tears and blood, think of it Pastor. 

            I know, I know.  There is no mighty work for God ever done without tears and time and sacrifice and trouble and discouragements, but if God is in it, and it is a work for which we are called from heaven, then the time and the tithes and the trouble and the trial and the tears and the sacrifice, are something by which God blesses us and strengthens us and works with us. 

            This discouragement that our Lord met in His humble and tender ministries among the people, never discouraged Him.  He kept on in His sweet and quiet way, ministering to the people, doing the work of God in the earth. 

            Again, do you read in the story: And the Pharisees held councils against Him how they might destroy Him, and when Jesus knew it He called some of His disciples together and said: We shall fight fire with fire and death with death and it shall be an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and a claw for a claw.  We shall retaliate in kind and we shall bring unmitigated terror to their hearts.  Does the evangelist write that in the life of Jesus?  No!

When the Pharisees held the council how they might destroy Him, Jesus kept on in His ministries, teaching and healing them all. He shall not strive, retaliate, neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.  Humble, gentle, precious, He just kept on His ministries of teaching and healing—just being Himself. 

            What a wonder!  No wonder Matthew fell in amazement before this mighty man from heaven, who unperturbed, undisturbed by opposition, just kept on doing what God had sent Him to do—just being Himself.  He shall not strive, He shall not cry nor shall anyone hear His voice raised in loud clamor and opposition in the streets—just being Himself.  How wonderful! 

            This last week I was in the northeastern quadrant of the United States, which was swept by a vicious and mighty storm.  And flying in the plane from place to place, from appointment to appointment, there above those clouds beneath with the sleet and the rain and the wind and blizzard, the sky was perfectly clear and beautifully crystalline blue.  Without effort, without struggle, just blue, blue, blue—quietly, wondrously heavenly blue—above the turmoil and the storm beneath. 

            I sat in a motel room in Columbus, Ohio and watched the heavy snow come down.  Hour after hour did it fall—quietly, gently, white, white, white—with no struggle at all—just being white, white, white.  And it softly covered the whole earth—just being itself—white and soft. 

            Like a flower that is fragrant:  It is beautiful and it is fragrant with no effort at all—just being itself.  Or like a song bird, a mockingbird just singing to the top of its voice with no effort at all—just being itself, hurling up to heaven its sweet notes of beauty and glory.

That is the Lord Jesus!  In the face of opposition and cruel hatred, quietly, continuing His sweet ministries before the Lord and healing all of the people.  Whatever they might say about Him, no, however it is, just continuing His work. 

            When they arrested Him and bound Him, there were those who covered Him with their spittle, they spat upon Him.  And there were those who plucked out His beard and then there were those who walked up to Him and said, “Thou Christ, what’s my name who strikes Thee?  And they struck Him.  Tell me my name, prophesy, who am I?”  As they struck Him. 

            He answered not a word.  Calm and quiet—just being Himself.  And when they arraigned Him before Caiaphas and before Pontius Pilate, however many witnesses spake against Him, He answered never a word—nothing in His own defense.  He was quiet and calm. 

            And when they nailed Him to the tree, He was in their hands yielded and without resistance, like a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.  And when they walked up and down before His cross, wagging their heads and saying: “Thou come down from the cross and we will believe in Thee.”   When I read the story, somehow I say in my heart:  “Lord do it, come down from the cross and strike unmitigated terror in their hearts!!!” 

            No!  When He does come down from the cross, it will be a limp, helpless, dead corpse of a man that they wrap in a winding sheet and place in a tomb.  And with all their insults and blasphemies, all He said was: “Father, forgive them, they know not, they don’t realize what they do.” 

            But the third day He was raised from the dead, and He said:  “All authority—all power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth.”

 I know now what He will do.  He will wreak vengeance on the heads of those who wagged their heads at Him.  No!  He called his disciples and said, “In my name preach the evangel of the remission of sins for all who will turn and trust in Me.” 

            He shall not strive nor cry.  Neither shall anyone hear His voice in the streets.  The gentle and loving and faithful Lord Jesus—just continuing His work even today. 

            Then there follows two analogies that are incomparably beautiful and precious:

A bruised reed shall He not break and smoking flax, a dimly lighted wick, just about to go out shall He not quench until He send victory in the earth and in His name shall the nations trust.

 

            What is this?  “A bruised reed shall He not break…”  The gentle Jesus?  Could that be a bulrush that some heavy animal crushed and broke as He made his way down to the river?  Is that what that is?  “A bruised reed shall He not break…”

Or could it be a little succulent and tender plant ground under the iron heel of some indifferent man and the Lord Jesus picked it up and was pitiful to it and rejoined it.  Maybe encouraged nature to be good to it, for nature has a wizardry of healing, covering all the rough gashes of the world—and encouraging the little thing to grow and to stand up straight.  Is that what that is?  “A bruised reed shall He not break…”

Or is that bruised reed a little pipe made out of a bulrush or out of a cane stalk or out of a papyrus, a little jointed reed and it’s been made into a flute?  One of the most beautiful pastoral scenes I ever saw in my life was in Israel, a shepherd boy walking in front of his little flock of sheep and goats and he was playing one of those little reeds.  Playing a little pipe like that.  Is this bruised reed one of those little flutes—one of those little reeds?  And somehow, somebody stepped on it and it was crushed and it lost its song and it wouldn’t play anymore.  But the Lord Jesus when it was cast away, picked it up and He mended it and He placed its song back.  And the little thing was beautiful and tuneful again.  Is that what it is? 

            The analogy is something like that:  When the life seemed so spoiled and so ruined and it has lost its song and its melody, the Lord picks it up, tunes it beautifully and it sings and praises God all over again. 

            I haven’t time to read one of the most beautiful, meaningful poems I think a truth ever.  It’s TheTouch of the Master’s Hand.  It starts off with an auctioneer who has an old violin.  And he holds it up and he says, "What am I bid for it?  A dollar, two dollars, who’ll make it three?"

            And just before the old violin was sold for three dollars, there came to the auctioneer from the back, an old gray-headed man, and he took the violin and the bow and he wiped off the dust and he strengthened the bow, tightened it and he tuned the strings and he began to play angel music.  Angel music!

            And when the auctioneer held it up again.  He said, "What am I bid for it?  A thousand dollars, two thousand dollars, who’ll make it three?"

            Let me read:

 

The people cheered,

But some of them cried,

We don’t quite understand

What changed its worth?

Swift came the reply,

The touch of the Master’s hand.

And many a man with life out of tune

And tattered and torn with sin,

Is auctioned off to a thoughtless crowd

Much like the old violin.

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,

A game and he travels on,

He is going once,

He’s going twice,

And he’s going and almost gone.

But the master comes

And the foolish crowd can never quite understand

The worth of a soul

And the change that is wrought

By the touch of the Master’s hand.

[Myra Brooks Welch]

 

            “A bruised reed shall He not break.”  He takes it and mends it.  And gives it back its song and it glorifies God.  “A bruised reed shall He not break and smoking flax shall He not quench.” 

            That wick, laid in the mouth of a cheap clay lamp.  And the wick is almost gone.  It barely is aflame and it is smoking to extinction—just the one little hope left in a man’s heart; just one little light that shines; just barely a spark that is left.  And it is ready to be extinguished and to be quenched and to be thrown out, worthless.  But the Master trims the wick and He pours in oil of heaven and of the Holy Spirit and He nurtures it back and it lights and flames and shines again—this little light of mine. 

            What could that mean?  What is that analogy that the Lord is saying to us?  There’s many a man and there’s many a woman in whose heart the light of hope has nearly died.  It barely flickers.  One, our old and forgot:  How many times do I see a man come to the age of retirement and with nothing to do, he soon dies?  There’s not anything that destroys the fiber of a man’s life like feeling useless—unwanted.  Nothing to do; no part to play; no purpose in life to live:  He’s come to the end of the way.  And the light that is in him begins to die.  Useless—nobody wants me. nobody needs me—and he almost perishes and soon he is to be cast away. 

            Ah, to be needed.  To be wanted.  To have purpose in life, is something that means life itself to us.  And that’s why I pray God will bless us in a new ministry that we have in our dear church; under Dr. Freeman, under Richard Peacock, under Gary Yates Moore bringing our people who have gone beyond the days of their youth and their prime.   And now they’re invalid; or they’re kept in a home.  Bringing to them a ministry of intercession and of prayer and of Bible study.  Something going on down here in the church and it’s a greater assignment than we can do in ourselves.  They can pray for us, and undergird us, and strengthen us, and call us by name before the throne of grace. 

I have never heard a sweeter word than one time Spurgeon, the pastor in London, said to a humble disciple who knew God.  He said to him, “My friend, someday, when you have the ear of the great king would you call my name?"

            More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of and the ministry of intercession, of praying, of sustaining support before God’s throne.  Oh, how needed, how desperately needed.  And this is a ministry these can have in our midst. 

            If you know an old man or an old woman who is still here, there is a reason why they still live.  Why they’re still present in our midst.  God has a purpose in it.  And for us to cast them out and to walk by them on the other side and to forget them, is of all things unlike and dissimilar to the sweet and loving Jesus. 

            “A bruised reed He would not break and a dimly lighted, smoking wick, He would not quench.”  But He brings it to life and to hope in Him.  Not only is it addressed to the old who are just about to lose hope, it is addressed to the lost.  They also lose hope.  God alone could know the number of young men and young women and sometimes teenagers who find themselves enmeshed in the weaknesses of life, in sin and in compromise, and they nearly give up, feel I’m hooked; I’m caught; I’m helpless; I’m weak, and I can’t lift myself out of it and above it.  My life is destroyed.  My work, my hopes, my dream, my every vision, they are ruined and I am a wreck left behind.  Nothing of the future and nothing of purpose for me—but that I die. 

Ah, the Lord takes a broken life and He mends it.  And He blesses it.  And He forgives and sweetly tunes and lifts up and saves and sanctifies and strengthens and encourages, that’s His great assignment in the earth.   Not to destroy men’s lives, but to save men’s lives that we might have strength and ableness and upwardness in Him.  There is not a soul that walks this earth, no matter what the tragic background but that the Lord can lift up.  Set their feet upon a rock, put a song in the heart, praises of God upon the lips; put the light of the glory of God in the face and in the eyes and in the countenance and walk, sun-crowned, able, forgiven, strengthened in the name of the Lord.   That’s why He came into this world that we might be saved…

 

 

 

.