Series: Isaiah in the New Testament
Service: Sunday Morning Worship
Type: Sermon
Speaker: Wayne Galloway
Isaiah in the Gospel of Matthew (1 and 2)
Lk. 4:16-29; Isa. 61:1-2
Introduction:
1. This text records a phenomenal statement made by Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth.
2. In it, Jesus quotes from Isa. 61:1-2 and claims that He is the fulfillment of the passage. The language that He uses is somewhat veiled. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
3. But His claim is made more pronounced, and the people were filled with rage. They drove Him out of the city and intended to throw Him off the brow of the hill.
4. Isaiah, Psalms and Deuteronomy are the most frequently quoted books in the N.T.
5. I have been able to identify 52 specific references to Isaiah in the N.T. This does not include allusions that may be less clear in their association with a particular text in Isaiah. There may be other more vague associations as well, verbal and thematic correspondences that are not entirely clear references.
6. The book of Romans has more references than any other N.T. book. I see 14, maybe 15 references.
7. I am proposing a series of lessons entitled, “Isaiah in the New Testament.”
a. In this series I plan for us to survey each N.T. book observing the use the N.T.
author makes of the book of Isaiah.
b. We will focus on explicit quotations, observing the N.T. author’s use and the
theological perspective he takes of Isaiah.
8. The ultimate question that we must ask ourselves is this: “Do I believe the same thing that these N.T. writers believed about the Isaiah text? Does the Isaiah text predict the coming of Jesus Christ? What does it mean if it does? What do I need to do?”
Discussion:
I. The book of Isaiah is traditionally dated between 739 and 681 B.C.
A. That is roughly 700 years before the time of Christ.
B. Matthew is dated in the mid-first century.
C. If Matthew’s interpretation of Isaiah is correct it means that a source unlimited by
time gave the information to Isaiah 700 years before it occurred.
D. The theological implication of this is striking.
1. It would be evidence for the existence of God.
2. It would be evidence that God is unrestrained by time, knowing things that
were in the future.
3. It would mean that He communicated such information to men.
4. It would be evidence that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God.
E. “Do I believe what Matthew believed?”
F. It is evident that the other N.T. writers believed the same thing Matthew believed.
So, this becomes a body of evidence about which we are called to make a
decision. “Do I believe that God exists? Do I believe He communicates and
predicts the future? Do I believe Jesus is who He claimed to be, the Son of God?”
II. Matthew quotes from 8 passages in Isaiah. Evidently, written primarily to Jews who believed in the authority of Isaiah as a spokesman from God. We are not surprised by his extensive use of the text of Isaiah. The first is 1:23 where he quotes Isa. 7:14.
A. Reading of Matt. 1:18-25. Matt. 1:23 – Isa. 7:14.
1. It is the perplexity of Joseph, who is the betrothed of Mary, but has not had
sexual relations with her that prompts the introduction of Isa. 7:14 into the text.
2. Mary is pregnant, but Joseph knows the child is not his.
3. Luke’s account reveals the perplexity of Mary (Lk. 1:34).
4. Both Matthew and Luke attribute the pregnancy to the power of the Holy Spirit
(Lk. 1:35; Matt. 1:23, 25).
B. There has been a lot of scholarly discussion about the terms translated “virgin” in
the English.
1. The Hebrew term in Isa. 7:14 is “almah.” Some say it refers to a maiden that
is perhaps not a virgin.
2. There is another Hebrew term, “bethula,” that is more particular for “virgin.”
3. But the distinction is a moot point in Matthew and Luke. They use the Greek
term “parthenos,” which is the equivalent of “almah” and make it mean clearly
a virgin. “Parthenos” is the term used in the LXX, the Greek text of the O.T.
C. Looking back at the text in Isa. 7.
1. King Ahaz of Judah is threatened by the king of Aram and the king of Israel.
His heart shook like the trees in the forest shake with the wind.
2. But God said, “Be calm and have no fear and do not be fainthearted. They
will not last.”
3. The sign that God gave Ahaz: “A virgin (a young woman, maiden) will be with
child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel. Before he knows
enough to refuse evil and choose good the land of these two kings will be
forsaken.”
4. Who is the young woman? Who is her child?
5. How would the coming of Jesus, born of a virgin, be a meaningful sign to
Ahaz?
6. John N. Oswalt observed: “Ahaz’s sign must be rooted in its own time to
have significance for that time, but it also extended beyond that time and
into a more universal mode if its radical truth is to be any more than a vain
hope” (NICOT). What he is saying is if God is going to be with His people
He must be with them over the long haul and not just in one moment.
7. The child of the maiden of Ahaz’s day named “Immanuel” indicates God’s
presence, but God’s universal provision for His people is evidenced in the
coming of Jesus, as Matthew sees it.
8. Thus, the word “maiden” is most suitable. But Matthew and Luke see the
virgin birth as the ultimate indication of God’s protective provision for His
people.
9. You may not believe in a virgin birth, but clearly Matthew and Luke do.
10. Maher-shalal-hash-baz, the son if Isaiah, may be the sign to Ahaz (8:3), but
for Matthew and Luke, Jesus, born of a virgin, is the ultimate sign of God’s
provision.
III. The second quotation from Isaiah is found in Matt. 3:3. It is a quotation of Isa. 40:3-5.
A. Matthew uses the passage applying it to John the Baptist and his preaching in
the wilderness. He was calling people to repentance in preparation for the
coming kingdom of heaven.
1. Mark begins his gospel with the same reference (1:1-4).
2. Luke uses the same passage in reference to John’s preaching (3:3-6).
3. John uses the same passage, but this time John the Baptist is quoted as
referring the passage to himself (1:19-23).
4. This makes five witnesses associating John the Baptist with the fulfillment of
Isa. 40:3ff: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and John the Baptist.
B. Isa. 40 is set in the context of King Hezekiah of Jerusalem.
1. God has predicted that the Babylonians will overpower Judah and take Judah
captive to Babylon, but it will be after King Hezekiah (Isa. 30:5-8).
2. Chapter 40 speaks of comfort to the people of God and an end to warfare. A
time of peace will come and it will be announced by this voice calling out from
the wilderness. The voice will announce the coming of God.
3. One might interpret this regarding the return of Judah from Babylonian
exile.
C. Matthew, along with the other 4 witnesses, interpret it to apply to the coming of
Jesus and identify John the Baptist as the one announcing the coming of God
(Isa. 40:3, 10-11). For these 5 witnesses the coming of the kingdom of God is
being preceded by the preaching of John. The witnesses no longer see the
return from the exile as primary. Now the coming of the Messiah is the idea
in view.
D. It is interesting to note that Matthew uses these texts from Isaiah enlarging on
the historical context. He does not limit the prophecies to the immediate
historical setting of Isaiah, but sees them as going beyond Isaiah’s historical
context and applying to the coming of God in the Messianic kingdom. This is
typical of his use of other O.T. texts as well.
IV. Matthew uses a third quotation from Isaiah in 4:15-16. He quotes from Isa. 9:1-2.
A. He uses the passage to refer to Jesus’ move into Galilee from Nazareth.
1. John has been taken into custody. Jesus moves away from Nazareth. Jesus
spent much of His ministry in this area.
2. It was known as an area in Israel unlike Jerusalem. The Jewish population
was condensed in Jerusalem. Galilee was open to the surrounding Gentile
populations. It was a mixed group.
3. Matthew sees in Jesus’ move the fulfillment of Isa. 9:1-2, but how was that
text understood in Isaiah’s day?
B. Isa. 9:1-7.
1. This passage takes us again to the days of unfaithful king Ahaz (2 Chron.
28:1-4) and predicts a time when a faithful king will establish a kingdom of
peace. It will be established on justice and righteousness. This king will sit
on the throne of David and His kingdom will last forever. Cf. 2 Sam. 7:12ff.
2. Ahaz had refused the instruction of God and practiced idolatry, but this king
would come as a child and excel. He would bring the “shalom” that all desired.
3. He would be the great light for those walking in darkness.
4. Matthew sees Jesus as this great king.
V. Matt. 8:17 uses a fourth quotation from Isaiah. This one is from Isa. 53:4.
A. Jesus has been performing a variety of healings in the region of Capernaum.
1. He cleansed a leper.
2. He has healed a Centurian’s servant.
3. He had healed Peter’s mother-in-law and was casting out demons. Jesus did
not use incantations and technics like the other “exorcists” of the time. He
just spoke “a word and healed all who were ill.”
4. Matthew interprets this as fulfilling what Isaiah the prophet said in 53:4.
B. 53:4 occurs within one of the so-called “servant songs” of Isaiah (40-55). Note
52:13-53:1ff.
1. The passage may be applied to Israel who suffered and were referred to as
God’s servant (ex. 43:10). Israel was supposed to serve as God’s servant to
communicate Him to the nations.
2. But Matthew sees in Jesus’ healing of the people the fulfillment of the
passage. For Matthew Jesus is the Servant of God par excellence.
3. Peter quotes from Isa. 53:9 in 1 Pet. 2:22 but he does it of Jesus’ providing
healing from sin.
4. For Matthew it seems that healing is healing. Physical healing is evidence of
the power to forgive sins (Matt. 9:2-8).
VI. Matt. 12:18-21 quotes Isa. 42:1-4.
A. Reading of Matt. 12:8-21.
1. This text follows an episode where Jesus’ disciples had picked heads of grain
on the Sabbath day and eaten them. The Pharisees had condemned them
for doing what was unlawful. But Jesus, forthrightly, ended the discussion by
saying, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
2. In the synagogue a man was brought with a withered hand.
a. He was questioned: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” It was a loaded
question. They wanted to accuse Him.
b. He healed the man and the Pharisees responded to conspiring to destroy
Him.
c. He continued to heal them all.
3. For Matthew these miraculous interventions were indication of God’s activity
breaking in to bring life to those affected by sin and death. It sees these
healings as a manifestation of the Spirit of God operating in Jesus.
B. The passage he quotes is Isa. 42:1-4.
1. This passage is also among the so-called “Servant Songs” of Isaiah.
2. As noted before, Israel was the servant of God, she was supposed to bring
the life of God to the Gentiles. They were to act as witnesses (Isa. 43:10) to
bring light to the nations (Gentiles) (Isa. 42:6-7).
3. But Matthew sees Jesus as God’s Servant par excellence.
4. Read Isa. 42:1-7.
5. While Matthew’s emphasis seems to be on the Spirit working through Jesus
to bring healing note also the establishment of justice, the giving of His law,
the giving of light rather than the extinguishing of dimly burning wicks, and
the bringing of prisoners from the dungeon.
6. There are echoes of Isa. 61:1-2 in the texts. This is the passage that Jesus
quoted in Nazareth and said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing” (Lk. 4:18ff).
VII. Matt. 13:14-15 quotes Isa. 6:9-10.
A. Matt. 13:14-15 occurs in the context of Jesus’ presentation of the Parable of the
Sower/Soils/Hearers.
1. The disciples have asked why He is speaking in parables.
2. His answer—for some to hear and understand and for others not to hear or
understand. It is not that He is glossing things over so that some cannot get
it, but that their hearts are hard and so they refuse to understand.
B. Matthew says this fulfills the words of Isaiah 6:9-10.
1. Isaiah’s message was to those of his own generation. They were practicing
idolatry. They refused to listen to God. They refused to listen to Isaiah.
2. Matthew is saying that the people of Jesus’ day were doing just as those of
Isaiah’s day.
3. And we can do the same thing. The things that we are called on to believe
are incredible. We have never experienced anything like this before. Matthew
is calling on us to believe that God is intervening in the history of man through
Jesus. He is presenting evidence of miraculous healing, of the giving of life.
Things that are hard for us to believe. They were hard for him to believe.
4. Jesus came to the disciples walking on the Sea of Galilee during a windstorm
after feeding 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. The disciples were
astonished. Mark says, “They had not gained any insight from the incident of
the loaves, but their heart was hardened” (6:51).
5. Do you understand how hard it is to believe these things???? Why is Matthew
so patient with us to give us so much evidence?????
C. This passage from Isa. 6:9-10 is also quoted in Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jn. 12:40:
Acts 28:26-27. All these different N.T. writers understand the unbelievable
nature of what they are asking us to believe. It was unbelievable to them too!!
It’s unbelievable to me!!! And yet, here is the evidence!!!!
VIII. Matt. 15:8-9 quotes Isa. 29:13.
A. Reading of Matt. 15:1-9.
1. This is prompted by the question of the Pharisees and scribes. “Why do
your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their
hands when they eat bread.”
2. Jesus asks a question in response. “Why do you transgress the
commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” He proceeded to show
how they did this.
3. He then quotes Isa. 29:13. Notice that this is not Matthew developing his
own argument from Isa. 29:13. It is Jesusinterpreting Isa. 29.
B. “But doesn’t Isa. 29 apply to the people of Isaiah’s day?” Well, yes it does! But
it also applies to the people of Jesus’ day who are doing the same thing as
those of Isaiah’s day. Notice the interpretive approach here. An O.T. passage
is fulfilled when it applies to similar circumstance in the first century. The same
thing might be said today. If we honor the Lord with our lips, but our heart is far
away from Him, then Isa. 29:13 is fulfilled in us.
C. This text is also quoted in Mk. 7:6-7. Each of these texts calls on us to give our
heart to the Lord. It is not the keeping of our traditions that is important, but a
heart given to God.
IX. Matt. 21:13 quotes Isa. 56:7.
A. This text has Jesus going into the temple and driving out those who are buying
and selling in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and
the seats of those who were selling doves. This was occurring in the Court of
the Gentiles. The day before He had entered Jerusalem with the crowd
shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt. 21:9).
B. Jesus quotes Isa. 56:7: “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you
are making it a robbers’ den.” The blind and the lame are being healed. The
children are crying out “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt. 21:15). The chief
priests and the scribes we indignant.
C. The parallel in Mk. 11:17 includes a phrase omitted in Matthew’s account. “My
house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
D. Read Isa. 56:3-8. The text indicates that foreigners, eunuchs, and all peoples
are welcomed into the Lord’s house. The Jews of the first century were limiting
it to themselves in Jesus’ judgment. Perhaps they charged high prices for what
they sold. Jesus kicks out the buyers too! But it seems they were also robbing
the Gentiles of any part in the house of God.
E. The point to be made here is that Matthew sees Jesus’ cleansing of the temple
to have been prophesied by Isaiah. Jesus’ use of the simple pronoun “MY” is
remarkable. He doesn’t say, “the Lord’s house.” He doesn’t say, “God’s
house.” He says, “MY house.” Jesus is quoting. He has said, “It is written,
My house . . .” but I wonder how He said it. At this point the “Messianic secret”
is out. The Messiah is asserting His authority at the temple. In Matthew’s
narrative these passages in Isaiah are testimony to WHO Jesus is.
Conclusion:
1. You may not believe He is the Son of God.
2. You may not believe in miracles, in a virgin birth, or prophetic prediction.
3. But Matthew does, and His use of Isaiah is testimony to his belief.
4. What will you do with Jesus? Is He the fulfillment of these prophecies in Isaiah?
