SC Sermon - Matthew 4:12-25 (2.8.26)

What has Matthew told us about who Jesus is so far?

Well, we know he’s the Christ, which we know is a royal title, but not just any royal title, he’s the Son of David, he is the long awaited Davidic King who will reign supreme on an everlasting throne. We also know that he’s the Son of Abraham, not just a son of Abraham, but the Son of Abraham. And why do we care about Abraham and his Offspring? Because in the story of the Bible, way back in Genesis 12 we are told that Abraham’s Offspring will do Babel-reversing, nation-gathering work.

So Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal King who is gathering up the nations for blessing.

We saw in his genealogy that exile ends with the coming of Jesus (remember the movement from Abraham to David, David to the Exile, and the Exile to the Christ). He’s an exile-ending King.

Does anyone remember what Jesus’ name means, Yeshua? Yahweh’s Salvation. But there was another name mentioned in Matthew 1 – Emmanuel (God with us).

So Jesus is the Christ, the long-expected eternal King who is ending exile, reversing Babel, and gathering up the nations. He IS Yahweh’s salvation, indeed he is Yahweh in our midst.

Jesus is the saving King, come to save his people from their sins, and the wages of their sins. We will see him break the bonds of death and cast down the dominion of darkness. But, it won’t look like how many expected it to look. This is indeed a new exodus, fashioned after the original exodus, but this time Yahweh won’t come in a pillar of fire, wielding wonders of de-creation. He comes as a man out of the northern hills, with a royal proclamation on his lips, leaving a wake of healing and renewal behind him.

We saw that there is a new Jacob and a new Joseph, but also that there is a new Pharaoh, but this time he and his reign of terror are situated in the Promised Land. The nations begin to stream in from the east, but our new Moses has to flee from the tyrant King Herod who is slaying Hebrew boys. But he flees out of the Land to Egypt. When he does eventually come up out of Egypt we see that Jesus is the true Son of Abraham, he is the true Israel – “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.” He relives their story. He escapes the terror of the Pharaoh-like king, comes up out of Egypt, passes through the waters of Baptism, and is triumphant in his testing in the wilderness. Jesus is the true and faithful Israel.

Matthew is painting a portrait of Jesus the saving King, but on his pallet are various Old Testament colors that Matthew is happy to mix to his liking to find just the right hue.

A year ago I went to the National Art Gallery in Washington DC, now I’ve been to this gallery numerous times, but this time was special. I was with two friends who are extraordinary artists, Justin Hughes and Stephen Crotts. I had always admired many of the paintings in the gallery in the past, but this time I had professionals helping me see color mixtures, brush strokes, hidden corrections, and brilliant textures. My own wonder and appreciation for many of the pieces in the gallery grew substantially. Deep seeing, led to deep savoring.

This is my hope for our study of Matthew’s portrait of Jesus. Surely you have seen this painting before, but I know for me, there are new textures and colors, and brush strokes that I notice a little more every time I stop and stare at this literary painting of Jesus. And deeper seeing always leads to deeper savoring.

So let me pray, and let’s look at our passage today.

Father in heaven, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Yahweh, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

_______________________________________________ Open your Bibles to Matthew 4 verse 12. First, we’ll explore verses 12-17.

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.”

So Jesus hears that John has been arrested. We didn’t really dig into the first portion of Matthew 3 where John the Baptist was introduced, so I’d like to give just a quick summary so we can better understand why Jesus moves from Nazareth to Galilee here.

Remember, Matthew is painting his portrait of Jesus with OT colors. John the Baptist is in all four gospel accounts and he is a forerunner to Jesus. Matthew doesn’t even need to mix colors when he’s painting John because John has already mixed the colors for him. John has fashioned himself into a new Elijah figure. He wears what Elijah wears - 2 Kings 1:8 we see that Elijah wears a garment of hair and a belt around his waist. John speaks as Elijah speaks – as Elijah calls out King Ahab, so John calls out King Herod. John the Baptist speaks from the wilderness. The Prophet Isaiah said that Elijah will come and be a voice in the wilderness, preparing a new exodus, the end of Exile. The people must come out to John, into the wilderness, and reenter the land through the Jordan in preparation for the coming King. John knows what he’s doing. He’s intentionally casting himself as Elijah, the Elijah that Isaiah and Malachi said would come as a sign the exile was ending. Elijah is a prophetic witness against an unfaithful Israel, and so is John the Baptist. But Elijah also is a forerunner for Elisha. Does anyone know what Elisha means in Hebrew? God’s Salvation. John is the new Elijah, and he is the forerunner for the new Elisha, Yeshua - Yahweh’s salvation. The ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus are intimately connected. They preach the same message – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In 2 Kings 2 Elijah hands the baton to Elisha at the Jordan river. So John the forerunner meets Jesus at the Jordan and the baton is handed off once again.

So, verse 12 of Matthew 4. We notice that Jesus apparently went back to Nazareth (Branchville) after his wilderness testing - back “home.” But Jesus has heard that John, his forerunner, has been handed over to the authorities (we’ll see in Matthew 14 that it’s Herod who has had him arrested), so he withdrawals north to Capernaum. This word for withdrawal has already been used twice in Matthew’s account. Both the Magi and Joseph are warned to “withdrawal.” In all three of these cases, the Magi, Joseph, and now Jesus, a Herod is the present danger. Jesus has the same message John has, and thus the same enemies. But his time before Herod will come later.

But Matthew is always guiding our eyes to a broader vista. Jesus isn’t just positioning himself further away from Herod, he’s fulfilling yet another prophetic movement. Once again Matthew dips his brush into the book of Isaiah to add another detail to his portrait of Jesus. 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.”

There is a ton that could be said here, but we need to press onward, so let me make just a few observations.

Of course you may know that Zebulun and Naphtali were sons of Jacob (two of the twelve), and you likely know that the Promised Land is divided up in to twelve portions once the tribes enter and settle into the land after the exodus and wilderness wanderings (these twelve portions are named for the twelve tribes, which themselves are named after Jacobs sons). so the “land of Zebulun and Naphtali are in the north by the sea of Galilee.” What you might not remember is that Solomon gifted/sold 20 cities around Galilee to the Gentile King of Tyre, Hiram. Hiram is unimpressed by the cities and the region is called Kabul, which means worthless. You may remember that Israel is divided in two after Solomon, the northern tribes are apostate and under the rule of wicked (non-Davidic) kings. These northern tribes are typically referred to as Israel, and the southern tribes are called Judah after the largest tribe in the south. In 2 Kings 15 we learn of yet another wicked king of Israel named Pekah. It is during his reign that Assyria comes and captures a large portion of the north, including Galilee and all the land of Naphtali. This “worthless” region becomes a mix of Israelites and Gentiles. The people here have long been languishing in a land shrouded in death and darkness.

It is this context that the prophet Isaiah speaks of a great light dawning in the land of darkness. Jesus is that Great Light! But this prophecy is a condemnation and judgment on Judah and her corrupt kings. Why would exile-ending hope break forth first in the worthless Gentile wilds of Naphtali and Galilee? Why not on Zion? Why not in Jerusalem? Not Even Judah? John the Baptist is preaching an end of exile, but he’s also preaching judgement. The people must come out of the land and reenter through repentance. The religious and political leaders of the people are a brood of vipers under the immanent judgment of God. Jesus is also bringing judgment in his exile-ending ministry. And the first thing that Matthew tells us about this public ministry is it’s location. The worthless, gentile-infested north. That Jesus isn’t beginning his public ministry in Jerusalem is itself a judgment against Jerusalem and her leaders.

One biblical scholar says it this way: “The fact that light dawns in Zebulun and Naphtali sends a message of condemnation to Judea and her king, Herod the king of darkness, and behind him, the devil. Isaiah pointed Jewish hopes toward Galilee, but that is a condemnation of Judah, David’s own tribe.”

We’ve already seen Herod and the Jewish leaders plotting against Jesus in Matthew 2. In Matthew 3 we see John the Forerunner condemning the religious leaders, and now Jesus has travelled north to shine the light of hope in a dark land.

One last note will be that this Galilee of the Gentiles foreshadows Jesus’ nation-gathering work that will be carried out by his disciples after Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Look at verse 17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’

As I noted before Jesus is preaching what John preached (3:2). The message of the gospel is a royal proclamation about the arrival of a King and his kingdom. This message threatens kings and reorients our allegiance. In the Old Testament Yahweh is the great High King of heaven. After the people leave Egypt and pass through the Red Sea they sing a song (Exodus 15) which climaxes with the line, “Yahweh shall reign as King forever and ever.” The Psalmist says that Yahweh is “the King of Glory”, and that “Yahweh sits enthroned as King forever.” The gospel is the good news of King Yahweh’s exile-ending, new Exodus arrival. He is the saving King. Isaiah 52:7 says,

How beautiful upon the mountains     are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,     who publishes salvation,     who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

At its core it is a royal proclamation. We too often lose sight of this reality, remember the surround sound speaker analogy I used a few weeks ago. In our modern Protestantism we have turned the royal speaker down and we have the other gospel speakers turned up too high. Let Matthew reset the volume levels and listen to the sweet regal notes fill the room. King Jesus is here in verse 17 launching his public ministry by announcing the arrival of Yahweh’s kingdom. He’s the herald with beautiful feet proclaiming peace, hope, and salvation, but He is also the saving King. And his light is dawning in the lowly north.

Let’s continue to verses 18-22:

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.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

King Jesus is preaching the arrival of Yahweh’s Kingdom, but there is an imperative attached – Repent! There is a command to turn from your prior allegiances and embrace God’s saving reign. Sometimes us reformed types can get a little twisted up when we hear commands connected to the Gospel. We’re so busy saying that you don’t have to do anything to earn God’s salvation (which is true), that we forget that Jesus is a King who makes sweeping demands of his people. We could never ever manipulate God’s affections for us. We can’t make him love us. We can’t behave in such a way that he then decides to place his saving favor on us. We can do absolutely nothing to earn salvation. Amen?

But, he is a King and we are his subjects. Our loyalty to him is manifested in and through our lives - not just our words. Lived obedience is the mark of a true disciple of King Jesus. In John 14 King Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Obedience isn’t optional. And Jesus isn’t calling for half-hearted, half-baked obedience. He wants whole-person (all of you) obedience and allegiance. This is the demand of the Christ.

Now by now you might be concerned that you seem to regularly fall short of this demand. Well, I have good news, Jesus knows us better than we do. He’s well aware that we who love him are fighting a war with our own fleshly desires and appetites. Not only that but the devil and his demon hoard are constantly on our backs cackling and creating chaos. Jesus is demanding perfection (don’t twist his words to say otherwise), but he knows we, on our own, can’t deliver on that demand. Jesus never had a disciple that was perfect on this earth. So, we’re in good company. King Jesus alone is perfect, and when we bind ourselves to him, his saving love will wash our sins white, and in the end we will be made whole and perfect, just as he is.

Why and I saying all of this? Because Jesus demands repentance, the royal Gospel of his saving Kingship comes with a command. Repent. Immediately following this command in verse 17 Jesus is walking by the sea of Galilee and he calls two sets of bothers to follow him. Now this account of Jesus calling his disciples is filled out in the other gospels, but here Matthew wants to make a point. These four men respond to King Jesus with immediate and total compliance. No fluff, they drop everything and follow him. This shows us what true repentance looks like. Peter and Andrew leave their nets, their vocations, and follow the King. James and John leave their nets, their boat, and their father to follow the King. These four men upend their whole lives to follow the saving King. Jesus is asking nothing less of us. Yes, these are his first disciples, and yes these will be his Apostles, and yes, three of these four will be his closest companions (Peter, James, and John). But Matthew is not saying that these are not elite forces with special requirements. No, Jesus makes this same demand of every single one of his followers.

Now let me say a word about this fisher’s of men detail. He says to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What does he mean by this? Well, it might seem somewhat straightforward. They are going to be the means by which Jesus gathers up people into his kingdom. Yes, absolutely, that is true. But could Matthew be doing a little more than we first expect (I think we’ve seen that this often a safe assumption). This idea of fishing out men is not something new. It’s in the OT (surprise surprise!). In Jeremiah 16 the Prophet says, “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares Yahweh, “and they will fish for them.” But this fishing and these fishers of men are in fact the nations coming to gather up a rebellious Israel and carry them off into exile. In Amos 4 the Prophet says, “The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.” Again, this imagery of fishing for men is connected to the exile of God’s people out of the land. So why is Jesus using this particular language? Why does he approach these kinds of men? He’s turning the imagery on it’s head. As Israel was fished out of the land, so now the restored, faithful Israel will fish God’s people out of the nations. If you are hear now, in Christ, a citizen of the heavenly Kingdom, then you are God’s catch, fished out of the waters of chaos and called into the kingdom. I’ll close this little section out about the calling of these four disciples with a great line from Peter Leithart: “He [Jesus] immediately begins to gather assistants, calling the four cornerstones of a new Israel, the four pillars of a new temple, the first disciples who will spread to the four corners of the earth.”

Let’s take a look at these final verses. (23-25):

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Jesus is the saving King. He has the Gospel on his lips. What is the gospel? The gospel of the kingdom. And just for clarity Jesus and Paul don’t have two different gospels. It’s the same gospel. Listen to the final verses of the book of Acts, and hear to how Luke sums up Paul’s message and ministry:

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

The Gospel is a royal proclamation through and through. It’s about a King and his kingdom. Now, what is the character of this kingdom and this King? In this dark land of Galilee a great light is dawning. In this broken and barren land healing is bursting forth in the footsteps of the King. Earlier I mentioned that this new Exodus would look a little different from the first Exodus. Jesus is wielding wonders in the land, but rather than de-creating like he did in Egypt, these wonders are works of re-creation and renewal. He has the Gospel on his lips, and healing in his heart. While Jerusalem sleeps the sun is rising in Galilee, and the kingdom of heaven in invading earth. Sorrow, sickness, and suffering are fleeing at the command of the saving King. You name the affliction and Jesus has the answer. Even the agents of chaos and death, the demons obey his commands.

You can imagine that someone like this would grow in popularity. Syria in the Roman division of the land ultimately included Israel, but I think what is at play here is an extension of his fame into the realm of the Gentiles, as we’ve seen already with that region. This is of course still a foreshadowing of the global impact of Jesus kingdom work that will be continued by his Church later. This is also the sense of the final verse, “And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” In these final verse of chapter 4 Matthew is giving us a glimpse of the character and scope of Jesus gospel mission. We will see this unfold in greater detail throughout the rest of this account.

This last line says that great crowds followed him, which is the same word used in the section about about the first disciples following him. We will also see later that “great crowds” can be far more fickle than true disciples.

Matthew has spent 4 chapters painting a portrait of Jesus – a portrait he will continue to refine as we go. But we can see and savor what is already before us. Jesus is the Christ. He is the everlasting exile-ending King who is gathering up the scattered and confused nations. Jesus is Yahweh’s salvation, but he is also God with us. He’s launching a new Exodus as a true Israel. He’s a new Moses leading his people out of Bondage. He is the beloved Son of God. He is the Great Light dawning in the land of darkness. He continues the mission of the forerunner. He is the gospel-bearer, the royal herald proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of Heaven on earth. He is the saving King. Wherever he walks he leaves a wake of healing an hope, recreation and renewal. He will fish his people out of the nations. The demons flee and the gentiles flock.

He has called us and commanded us to repent and believe in his good gospel mission. Let us confess our faith, publically repent of our sins, and make our way to his table to commune with him at his royal supper. Amen.