Moving Through Matthew (Matthew 4:12-17)

Review of Matthew

•Matthew started his book with a genealogy (descendants, generations).

•Gives the account of Jesus’ birth, going to Egypt, and then returning to Nazareth.

•Introduction of John the Baptist and his purpose.

•Jesus comes down from Galilee to be baptized.

•Jesus is the wilderness where he is tempted.

•Now, it is time for Jesus to begin his public ministry.

Read Matt 4:12-17

(Overview of where all of this happened)

Africa Slide

Events of the Bible mostly occured in the Middle East

Israel (familiar city names)

Jordan River (runs south into the Dead Sea and north into the Sea of Galilee

Capernaum

Right after Jesus leaves the wilderness...

He hears that John the Baptist has been arrested. Now Matthew doesn’t tell us why, here. Although he does tells us why in Matthew 14. So why, does Matthew tell us this one verse about John, but not tell us why he was put into prison. Think about what is going on. Jesus is preparing to start his public ministry. As John the Baptist is being arrested, his ministry is ending. So I believe this is important, for Jesus to be seen as who he says he is, John’s ministry must end. John the Baptist said this,

John 3:30 ESV

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

So as John’s ministry in decreasing, Jesus’ ministry is now beginning, increasing. John the Baptist’s mission was now complete, now it was time for Jesus’ public ministry to begin. And I believe that is why Matthew records this one sentence about John the Baptist.

But also, this news of John the Baptist...

causes Jesus to go to Galilee, Why? Because this is where he would be teaching and performing miracles until the time he went to Jerusalem 3 years later to go to the cross.

”The first thing that Matthew records is another prophecy.

Why does Matthew, again and again point back to the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah?

Do you remember who his was writing the book of Matthew for? Audience? (Jewish)

He was writing to the Jews (Israelites) showing them that all of these Old Testament prophesies were full-filled through Jesus Christ.

So as Jesus is moving from the wilderness up to Galilee, then from Nazareth to Caperneum, he shares that this was foretold by the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 9:1–2 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

700 years before Jesus moved from Nazareth to Caperneum, it was prophesied. Again this is important, because Matthew is showing the Jews then, and us today that this man Jesus, wasn’t just a man, a good man, or even a good teacher…he was God.

Then Jesus began to preach...

For the last 3 weeks I have been saying that the time was coming when Jesus would begin his public ministry… the preaching, teaching, the miracles, and confronting the Pharisees and their spiritual blindness…Now the time had come.

Matthew 4:17 ESV

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

From that time.... shows that this would begin his public ministry

Jesus began to preach.... now you see that word preach and may think it is like I am doing today, proclaiming the Word fo God. But for this instance the word preach is more like a proclamation, an announcement.

What is the announcement? Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (NIV: the Kingdom of God has come near)

This one sentence explains the very reason that Jesus, the son of God, the 2nd person in the Trinity came to this earth.

Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Go back one chapter to the words of John the Baptist:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The announcement that John the Baptist was making pointing to the coming Messiah, Jesus states as well. John was pointing to the coming of the Kingdom of heaven, as so was Jesus.

For a moment I want us to understand theses 9 word...”Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And I want to break this one sentence into three parts

Repent

for the Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand

Repent

This word in the original Greek language means to change ones mind, to change ones direction. Another way to put it is if you were walking this way, because of what you believe, you would turn around and walk the other way.

When Jesus told those who were listening to his words to repent, he was telling them that the things they were thinking, the Jewish laws they were observing, how they thought that cirrcimsision was important…they need to turn from those things and look towards what was coming.

The Kingdom of God

This is what we know is what was available to unbelievers who would hear the gospel, repent, or turn from their ways, and go the direction of Jesus.

at Hand

But notice Jesus did not say it was here, he said it was at hand. (NIV: is near). Three years after this when Jesus went to the cross, died, came alive 3 days later, and when the Holy Spirit came on the day of pentecost, then, the Kingdom of God had come.

What about today?

The Kingdom of God has come. We are living in the age of the Kingdom of God. And those who chose to follow Jesus will be gathered in the Kingdom of God while you are here on earth, and when you live this earth.

But first there must be repentance. If you are a Christian, remember back to the time that you accepted Christ. Do you remember it? You may not know the day, you may not know the year, but you should be able to remember the moment you accepted Christ. At that moment you would have repented. So you should remember a change in your heart and life direction. Remember to repent is to change your direction. And when you repented before the Lord, you change your heart direction towards him.

Some of you may say I am a Christian, but you could never specifically remember a time that you repented, turned away from your sins and asked God to save you.

If you have never changed your direction towards Jesus, the one died and was raised for your sins, then maybe what you need to hear today is REPENT, FOR THE KINGDO OF GOD IS HERE.