The Calling of the Christian: Darkness to Light, Part 1
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 37:36
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· 5 viewsOur great missionary has been sent, empowered, and commissioned to dawn the light of the good news into the darkest places. This good news calls us to apprentice under the King of kings.
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Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Who is the greatest missionary to ever live?
Naturally names like William Carey, Hudson Taylor, and many others flood to memory.
But what if I told you that we should include someone greater in that list?
We often don’t even consider it, but Jesus Christ was actually the first great missionary.
He was a missionary in every sense of the term.
He was commissioned by His Father in heaven.
He had a message which He sought to propagate.
He was empowered by the Holy Spirit in His ministry.
Christ is the Great Missionary in His Identity
Christ is the Great Missionary in His Identity
At the heart of Jesus is this identity.
It’s this missionary identity.
He was sent on a mission.
But to be a missionary, requires to be sent from someone.
Who sent this great missionary?
Sent from the Father.
Sent from the Father.
Luke 4:43 (ESV)
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Jesus identifies at the heart of the message He was bringing is the reality that He was sent.
He was sent for a purpose and it was to declare the good news of the kingdom of God.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
How was this great missionary empowered?
Empowered by the Spirit.
Empowered by the Spirit.
And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
King of His Kingdom
King of His Kingdom
Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is not only a missionary, He is the King Himself.
Now that Jesus has come out of the wilderness of temptation, He prepared to do His public ministry.
He is now going to do ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit, fully tested and proven to be true to the Father’s plan, He is ready to go into ministry.
Notice what sparks the ministry of Jesus.
Matthew 4:12 (ESV)
Now when he heard that John had been arrested,
Now we are told that John was arrested because of what he told Herod.
For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Because John called out Herod, the leader of the region, he was now placed into prison.
Jesus became aware of the persecution of John the Baptist and this alerts Him.
It alerts Him to flee the area because as the gospel of John says over and over again, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).
His hour being the hour of His crucifixion.
Jesus knew that His hour had not yet come and since John had been imprisoned it appeared that people were beginning to escalate that time line.
This keys Jesus into the need to flee that area.
Our great missionary has been sent, empowered, and commissioned to dawn the light of the good news into the darkest places. This good news calls us to apprentice under the King of kings.
Not only is Jesus a missionary by His identity, but He is also a missionary by His ACTION...
Christ is the Great Missionary by His Action
Christ is the Great Missionary by His Action
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Matthew records the event of Jesus withdrawing into Galilee and Matthew understands that as fulfilling Scripture.
Jesus goes to live in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali.
If you’re reading your Bible this should be like Matthew starts winking at you....
This land belonged to the people of Israel who were handed over to the Assyrians because of their unrepentance.
The Assyrian’s scattered the people of Israel and allowed NON-JEWS to live in this land.
Matthew quotes from Isaiah 9:1-2 and says…
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
Notice what Isaiah calls this region.
“those dwelling in the region and shadow of death”(Matthew 4:16)
Where does the greatest missionary begin His mission?
Goes into the darkness.
Goes into the darkness.
This land brings to mind the judgment that fell upon the people in Isaiah’s day.
This land brings to mind the time of great exile.
A time of disgrace, sadness, and great darkness.
Now Isaiah would have wrote this initially for the people of Israel when they moved back into the land from exile.
But notice that Matthew picks it up as if it only mattered when Jesus fulfilled it.
This is what is referred to as “double fulfillment”
It was fulfilled when the people moved back from exile but Jesus is fulfilling this completely and fully.
What does the darkness represent?
The darkness represents the oppression that this region has found themselves in.
But this seems too narrow.
There seems to be something much greater at play here.
The “shadow of darkness” represents a person and more specifically the nations of Israel following after the world.
The “shadow of darkness” is what it looks like when a person has given ultimate allegiance to anything else.
The “shadow of darkness” could be a good summary of what it means to live under the reign and power of sin.
What is He bringing to this “shadow of death”?
Brings the light of the good news.
Brings the light of the good news.
Remember the people of Israel would have been drastically downtrodden because of their exportation to exile.
The great light that Matthew sees here is Christ Himself coming to the people of Galilee.
The light will NOT be some political liberation, or nationalistic triumph.
The light that Matthew shows here is the dawning of the light of Christ upon the people.
What is this “light” that Christ is bringing?
Remember how we defined the kingdom of God earlier when John the Baptist was preaching.
The kingdom of God represented God’s rule and authority.
The kingdom of God was NOT about a people.
It was NOT about some future reality.
The kingdom of God was the present but NOT-YET reality that God’s authority was breaking into the world.
The people who once sat in great darkness and the shambles of persecution and destruction will be the first to see the beauty and light of the gospel shine upon them.
Christ is the Great Missionary because of His Message
Christ is the Great Missionary because of His Message
To be considered a missionary, it’s necessary that Jesus bear a message.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus picks up JTB same statement of the need for repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
What is His message?
His message is repentance.
His message is repentance.
Repentance was a sorrowful changing of mind that leads to a change of direction.
It’s not merely being sorry for our sin.
It’s not merely changing our mind about sin.
It’s IS a sorrowful changing of mind about our sin which leads to a change in direction.
His message is for Israel to turn from their sin of trusting in their own path going forward and follow the king.
The way that people will be moved from the region of darkness into the realm of light is through repentance and faith.
The light of the gospel has become clear and it’s seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
This was the light that has shown on the people in Galilee...
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This is the ONE who has shown Himself onto a people who once walked in great darkness.
Discipleship Pie Chart
God
We think that we need to just make more time for God.
We place Him in with all of the other things in our lives.
Money
Our money is for us and what we want to spend it on
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Our great missionary has been sent, empowered, and commissioned to dawn the light of the good news into the darkest places. This good news calls us to apprentice under the King of kings.
Where does the repentance lead?
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
In Jesus’ day, a rabbi was the religious teacher who would teach TORAH.
He would teach the law of Moses
A person needed to be the one to begin following a Rabbi.
Following the Rabbi’s of the day would be like apply to Universities in our own day.
But notice how different it is for Jesus to come to these specific disciples.
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
He CALLS them out!
He says, “YOU, FOLLOW ME!”
His message is to follow after Him.
His message is to follow after Him.
What does Jesus mean by follow me?
To follow after Jesus means we must first understand what it means to follow anything at all.
To follow is to give our ultimate allegiance to.
To follow is to give ourselves over to something else.
In thought, in desire, in action giving ourselves over.
To follow after the world is actually the “shadow of darkness” that we saw earlier.
So when we hear Jesus offering to these specific fisherman, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).
Hear Him inviting them into a new way to live.
dis·ci·ple: someone who worships Jesus, is changed by Jesus, and obeys Jesus' commands.
dis·ci·ple: someone who worships Jesus, is changed by Jesus, and obeys Jesus' commands.
Hear Him inviting them to step into a new rule and reign.
Hear Him inviting them to live under the reign of KING Jesus.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Discipleship is simply the process of becoming like Jesus..
Discipleship is what DISCIPLES do.
Disciple is AKA Apprentice
Disciple seems like an OLD FASHION word.
The best example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus would be similar to the work of an apprentice.
An apprentice is someone who follows after a teacher to learn a trade from them.
We see this in professions like bricklayers, or electricians.
An apprentice initially knows nothing but grows in knowledge and skill as they walk with the teacher.
This is not just another job, like working at McDonald’s (although there is nothing wrong with working at McDonald’s) it is a lifelong commitment.
Jesus is calling these disciples to a new way of life.
This following required all of their lives, not just a portion of it.
“Followers of Jesus are not simply casual or even convinced listeners; we are committed learners and followers.”
This is more than a message of how to enter the kingdom of heaven for the first time.
This is more than simply a message on how to “get saved.”
The KINGDOM of GOD is HERE and God’s reign is breaking into our lives.
How would Jesus exercise His reign over this sphere of life?
How would He use me to do it?
What makes a pilot a “Christian” pilot?
He lands the plane.
He lands the plane with excellence for the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
He does His JOB with excellence.
The kingdom of God coming near means that all of life is NOW under Jesus’ LORDSHIP.
Our great missionary has been sent, empowered, and commissioned to dawn the light of the good news into the darkest places. This good news calls us to apprentice under the King of kings.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That marvelous light is actually to walk in the path of the LIGHT of the WORLD.
That marvelous light is to STAND in the FULL RIGHTEOUSNESS that Jesus purchased for us in dying on the cross and rising again.
Do you know why I think we don’t often think of Jesus as the great missionary?
For this ONE reason.
His message is Himself.
His message is Himself.
Jesus is the FIRST and ONLY missionary who could be the missionary and the message.
Jesus was the missionary sent to tell us about salvation.
Jesus was also the message of that missionary.
In Pilgrim’s progress there is a room that Interpreter shows to Christiania.
“When they finished their meals, Interpreter took them to the finest room in the house. It looked like a king's bedroom-full of beautiful artwork and furniture.
The children were surprised to see a big ugly spider making a web in the corner.
Jude asked, "Why is there a spider in this great room?"
"Nothing has been made in vain, Interpreter said.
"Even spiders can teach men the way to heaven.
They're full of venom, and the most despised of creatures, but they're bold enough to enter a king's palace."
“We are like spiders," Christiana said.
"Just as a spider is full of venom, we are full of sin. Why would the King ever let us into his kingdom?"
Interpreter answered, "The King has promised to welcome all who trust in him and turn from their evil ways.
No matter how evil or full of sin we are, by faith we can enter the King's house-even into the best rooms!
Oh, let not our venom of sin deject us, while there is grace to cleanse us!"
Our great missionary has been sent, empowered, and commissioned to dawn the light of the good news into the darkest places. This good news calls us to apprentice under the King of kings.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”