In Isaiah chapter forty-two we are introduced to the Suffering Servant, which is predictive of Jesus Christ. “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 to the Gentiles. 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 smoking flax shall he not quench” (Isaiah 42:1–3).
The Suffering Servant would be gentle. This is unlike Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, who conquered and crushed everything considered weak (Isa. 41:2). Jesus, though all powerful, would not use His power to conquer and crush. Rather, He would not break a bruised reed, not quench a smoking flax.
A bruised reed refers to a handmade musical instrument. It was like a pipe or flute made from the thick stalk of a cane plant which grew on the water’s edge. If the hollow center of the already frail reed was bruised it would weaken and be unusable.
The smoking flax refers to a lamp wick made of flax that could no longer sustain a flame.This was considered useless for giving light. If the flax wick went out and smoldered it produced fumes that irritated the eyes. A smoldering wick would typically be extinguished so the burnt edge could be trimmed in order to make the lamp useful again.
The bruised reed and smoking flax are symbolic of how broken and weak people can be. Instead of discarding the broken and useless, the Suffering Servant would heal and mend.
Jesus Christ became the Suffering Servant that He might relate to humanity’s weakness. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
Jesus didn’t come to crush us, but to cure us.