Matthew 12:19………..Working

Matthew 12:19………..Working

12:19 He (Jesus) will not quarrel (argue, dispute.) or cry out; (Protest, threaten) no-one will hear his voice in the streets (Jesus would not seek publicity or popularity, that ministry would be conducted in a gentle manner. Fulfilled by Jesus’ withdraw from the controversies with the Pharisees and peoples false view of Him as a political Messiah.) {Is. 42:2 LXX}

Continued From Book

“Teaches how just like Jesus we’re to respond to conflicts and disputes with gentleness and sensitivity.” ⇒  The Lord’s servant must not quarrel. Instead we must be kind to everyone, and we must gently instruct those who oppose us.

“Teaches how were to share the Gospel in a spirit of love and  gentleness, and not in a hateful and condemning way.” ⇒ No ones is going to come to Jesus if all you do is point out their sins and tell what a terrible person they are. That their a sinner who’s heading for hell, unless they repent.

“Calls for letting love & gentleness do the work. (No amount of disputes or arguments has ever persuaded anyone)……………..(To be Continued)

“Even today, we’re to present the Gospel in a loving manner, not as a hard sell or take it or leave it proposition. (It’s gentle persuasion, not bullying or force or intimidation.)” ⇒ We shouldn’t have to resort in loud preaching, gimmicks, or tricks to convince people. The Gospel should be presented as a gracious gift, not a hard sell in twisting people’s arms. The sharing of the Gospel should be presented with a gentle spirit, quiet confidence that is enthusiastic and joyful, without being argumentative, cruel, or overly condemning. Remember Salvation is a sovereign work of God, it is not our job to judge, threaten, or condemn. Never get in an angry debate while trying to share Christ with them. Someone once said “Grace is more than a theological word that we can debate. It is the defining character of the believer in ministry to a lost world.” Sometimes as Christians, we think that it’s our duty to “fight the good fight of faith” by fighting people! And there’s no doubt about it; we are called to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). We sometimes think that—when our faith is opposed viciously by the people of this world—we are to, as it were, ‘fight fire with fire’ in our efforts to advance the kingdom of Christ. If we are treated aggressively, then we think that we must be aggressive in return.

“This does not mean Jesus never preached or taught. But rather He avoided conflict whenever possible.” ⇒  The picture is that Jesus was not going to make a commotion. He would not be combative. He would not be a self-proclaimer or self-promoter. He did not go around shouting that He is God and everyone needs to bow before Him everywhere he goes. The humility of Jesus is staggering. He goes into people’s homes and talks to them. He heals people who come up to Him.

Additional Notes & Applications

Jesus unwillingness to “quarrel and cry out; or voice His protest in the streets” is first seen when the Pharisees try to draw Jesus into a fight about healing the man on the Sabbath. Jesus doesn’t say “You people would love to see me leave this man in misery because that’s just the sorry kind of folks you are” Instead He reasoned with them, “Look, I’m only doing what’s right, wouldn’t you pull a sheep out of the well on the Sabbath. Now they do get mad, because their hearts were hard, but it wasn’t because Jesus had provoked them intentionally. He simply spoke the truth about the situation. Then when knowing the Pharisees plot to kill Him, Jesus didn’t make plans to stop them, He could have responded; make-my-day. He could have called on a legion of angels to protect Him. He could have called down fire from heaven. He could have made their secrets known. Yet, He walked away from a fight and simply left the area. When Jesus miraculously healed people, He could of demanded that they start worshipping and serving Him as God. But He told them to be quit because He knew it would have cause a controversy and only have escalated His death, He has sticking to God’s plan. Even those these men would later be responsible for His death. He did not defend Himself, didn’t hire a great lawyer to get Him off. He didn’t appeal to the supreme court. Because He knew this was God’s will that He die for sinners.