Sermon Tone Analysis
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Do you like the dark?
Most people naturally shy away from it.
Some people, especially kids, are scared of it.
I think everyone, in certain situations, are apprehensive about what the dark might be hiding.
For instance, walking carelessly down a dark alley or into a dark cave is probably not a wise thing to do!
It’s not common or normal for people to gravitate to the dark.
When was the last time you shut yourself in a room and sat in the darkness?
If we do this, it’s probably for a specific reason.
If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know that lying down in a dark room can help with that.
Of course, when we go to sleep, we turn off the lights.
When developing rolls of film, a darkroom is needed.
Criminals use the darkness to hide their deeds, and soldiers may conduct secret operations at night.
But aside from specific reasons like these, people don’t naturally seek out the darkness.
But in our text today, we will read about multitudes of people who were sitting in the dark.
And this was no ordinary dark; this wasn’t physical darkness.
This was the spiritual darkness of sin and the void of truth!
This morning we’re going to consider these people who were sitting in darkness.
Matthew 4:12-17
I. Galilee
“Jesus…departed into Galilee.”
What kind of place was Galilee?
Why was it in darkness?
The Scriptural record gives us some clues.
A. History
Joshua, during the conquest of Canaan, defeated Jabin king of Hazor.
Hazor was located about 10 miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the northernmost part of the region, and at that time was the political and military hub of Palestine.
Joshua destroyed the city, and the region of Galilee was divided up among the Israelite tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali.
Yet Israel’s possession of the region of Galilee did not mean that God was worshiped throughout it.
This failure to drive out all the inhabitants wasn’t restricted to Galilee, but we see Israel’s dwelling in it didn’t begin the way God desired.
Fast forward in time, and the land became darker.
In 1 Kings 9:11 we read of King Solomon ceding twenty cities of Galilee to Hiram, king of Tyre, as a thank you gift for building materials that Tyre had sent.
The inhabitants were not becoming more holy and separated unto God, but less!
In the days of the divided kingdom, the land became darker still.
Long before Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jerusalem and the Jews began their captivity, the region of Galilee was defeated, largely emptied of Jews and was inhabited by Gentiles.
But their affliction wasn’t over!
Hoshea was found to be making a secret alliance with the king of Egypt, and in retaliation, the king of Assyria came down and conquered Samaria, overthrew the Israelite government, and took Jewish captives.
Hoshea was the last Israelite king in the northern kingdom.
I’m reminded of James 4:4, which says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Even while Judea was still in existence, Galilee had become a land of great spiritual darkness.
But Isaiah, the prophet of God, spoke words of hope for this region!
B. Time of Christ
As we read in Matt.
4:15, Galilee is known not for pure Judaism, but for her worldly elements.
In addition, Galilee was a backward place.
We might call them “hillbillies.”
Galilee was a mountainous, fertile area.
Jewish legend claimed that it was easier to raise a legion of olive trees in Galilee, than raise one infant in Judaea.
The Sea of Galilee was also a profitable fishing spot.
The Galilean cities on the coast were the abode of fishermen, and the other cities in the region were home to farmers and herdmen.
It was a place of “country” people and “blue collar” people.
But it was a spiritually dark place.
The people were sitting in darkness.
God tells us they were.
II.
Why Sit in Darkness?
This description makes me wonder, “What a miserable condition!
Why were they sitting in darkness?”
The Scriptures show us some reasons, and these reasons are present in human hearts today!
I have no doubt that there are people here this morning who are yet sitting in darkness.
Perhaps you have something in common with these ancient Galileans.
A. It’s all they know
They don’t know any better, or they’ve never known anything different!
Matt.
4:17
What’s the remedy?
The FIRST THING Christ did in Galilee was preach the gospel!
Christ preached this message because people didn’t know it!
So many today have never heard of the name of Christ.
They have never heard the Gospel.
They don’t know anything different than the darkness they are in!
Only the Gospel can deliver them!
Those sitting in darkness didn’t know anything different…until the light shone on them.
They heard the Gospel—the way out of the darkness was now apparent to them!
B. The darkness has them in bondage
Know this, dear listener.
If you are sitting in darkness, that darkness has you in bondage.
You are dominated by that darkness; you cannot defeat it.
The people which sat in darkness in Galilee were in severe bondage.
Consider these examples!
Matt 4:23-25
Matt.
9:1-8
Matt.
9:18-10:1
Sickness, death, devils, fainting and scattered abroad like sheep…these people were in bondage to the darkness!
They didn’t enjoy their miserable condition, but darkness was all they knew.
They had never walked in the light, “as he is in the light...” (1 John 1:7)
The poor souls who were bound by the darkness, and oppressed by it, were filled with the hope that the light brought.
Not only did they hear the Gospel as the way out of the darkness, they saw the power that would rescue them from the darkness!
C.
They prefer the darkness
There’s another reason why people sit in darkness: they prefer it.
How could anyone prefer spiritual darkness over the Son of God? It’s not natural; it’s not logical; it’s not rational.
But it’s all too common.
The Lord Jesus Christ met these people.
Matt.
11:20-24
All three cities—Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida were cities on the north end of the Sea of Galilee.
Capernaum and Bethsaida were about 2 miles apart, on the coast, and Chorazin was about 2 miles north of Capernaum.
The residents of these three privileged cities had seen many miracles of Christ, and had heard Him teach many times.
They had sat in darkness, and now they had had a front row seat to watch the Light of the World…and they rejected Him.
What can the darkness possibly give us that is better than what God can give us?
Is it better than life?
Sin is always a religion of death, not life.
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