Concerning Jesus, Matthew quoted Isaiah in saying, “a bruised reed He will not break”.  What does this mean?  Let’s take a look at the full quote. 

The verses leading up the quote describe how the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus because He healed people on the Sabbath.

Mat 12:14  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Jesus was aware of what the Pharisees were plotting.

Mat 12:15  But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Mat 12:16  Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
Mat 12:17  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

This is where we come to the verse in question.

Mat 12:18  “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 WILL DECLARE JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
Mat 12:19  HE WILL NOT QUARREL NOR CRY OUT, NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
Mat 12:20  A BRUISED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK, AND SMOKING FLAX HE WILL NOT QUENCH, TILL HE SENDS FORTH JUSTICE TO VICTORY;
Mat 12:21  AND IN HIS NAME GENTILES WILL TRUST.”

Verses 18-20 are a direct quote from Isa 42:1-3.

Isa 42:1  “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2  He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3  A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

Verse 21 is a summary of Isa 42:6

Isa 42:6  “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,

Jesus fulfilled the verses quoted from Isaiah.  Let’s look one by one at them to see how.

Mat 12:18

Mat 12:18  “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 WILL DECLARE JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

Jesus Christ was God’s servant (as well as being the Son of God) and was filled with the Holy Spirit.  God was well pleased with Him.  God clearly said so on a number of occasions, one of those being after Jesus’s baptism.

Mat 3:17  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Several translations render the phrase “justice to the gentiles” as “judgment to the nations”.  This seems a better translation as Jesus preached that there is a time of judgment ahead for all people.

Mat 12:19

Mat 12:19  HE WILL NOT QUARREL NOR CRY OUT, NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

This refers to Jesus’s first coming, as a suffering servant, who did not fight. 

Joh 18:36  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

To “cry out” and to “hear his voice in the streets”, refers to how military leaders rally troops to their cause.  Jesus did none of this at His first coming. 

Mat 12:20

Mat 12:20  A BRUISED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK, AND SMOKING FLAX HE WILL NOT QUENCH, TILL HE SENDS FORTH JUSTICE TO VICTORY;

A bruised reed is easily broken, and smoking flax is easily extinguished.  This describes the gentleness and tenderness of Jesus.

1 Peter 2:23, “when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten”. 

This gentleness is “till He sends forth justice to victory”.  He came the first time in great gentleness.  He will come the second time in power and glory, and bring justice to the earth.

Rev 19:15  And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God.

Mat 12:21

Mat 12:21  AND IN HIS NAME GENTILES WILL TRUST.”

During Jesus’s ministry on earth some gentiles trusted in Him.  The book of Acts shows how the gospel message was spread and many people, Jews and Gentiles alike, came to trust in Him, that is believe in Him.

Conclusion

Mat 12:18-21 is a quote from Isaiah describing Jesus’s first coming as a gentle, suffering servant, in whom many people believed and accepted as their saviour.  The phrase “a bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench” describe the gentleness and tenderness of Jesus, as a bruised reed is easily broken, and smoking flax is easily extinguished.