The Exposition of Matthew (Matthew 4:12-25)

June 30, 2020

(The beginning of Jesus’ Galilean ministry)

Questions to be answered in this study

1. Why did Herod put John the Baptist in prison?
2. In what city did Jesus begin Hid Gallien ministry?
3. What were the two practical reasons Jesus begin his public ministry where He did?
4. What was the message Jesus preached?
5. Was Jesus gospel message different from that of the Apostle Paul?
6. Is the death, burial, and resurrection the gospel? Explain your answer.
7. Do you have to understand the theology of the Gospel to be saved?
8. Is there more than one way to be saved? Explain your answer.
9. Has the means of salvation always been the same from the beginning after the fall in Genesis?
10. Was Jesus offer to set up His Kingdom during His first coming to earth given in good faith?  Explain your answer.
11. What are two major differences between God and man?
12. Who were the first four disciples of Jesus?

Introduction

The Study of Matthew 4:12-25 centers on 5 things:

1. The location of the public ministry of Jesus (Verses 12-15)
2. The theme of Jesus’ preaching (Verse 16-17)
3. The four fishermen called to follow Jesus (Verses 18-22)
4. Jesus conducts His ministry in Galilee (Verses 23-24)
5. The people come from near and far to hear and follow Jesus (Verse 24- 25)

Last week we completed our study of the temptations of Christ. Jesus passed the tests and proved Himself the Messiah, worthy to become the new Adam. Now Jesus can continue His mission to restore what Adam forfeited.

Matthew ended his account of the temptation of Jesus with Jesus standing on the mountain near Jericho. Chronologically, the final temptation was the fall from atop the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. Matthew re-ordered the sequence of the temptation to place the kingdom temptation at last to emphasize the promised King and his Kingdom, established at the second coming of Jesus in the way God would install it, not in the illegitimate way Satan proposed.

Now we enter the next phase, the beginning of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. In this section and beyond, Jesus will call out His twelve disciples to aid him in His ministry. Matthew 4:12-25 is not in chronological order, as is the case with much of Scripture. Chronology is not the critical issue; the critical issue is the message intended.

The Location of the Public Ministry of Jesus

Matthew 4:12-15, “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

After the temptation, Jesus hears that John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas. John had accused Herod of adultery following his marriage to Philip’s wife, his brother. John’s accusation of adultery angered Herod, so he had John cast into prison. After Jesus heard this, He departed into Galilee, the region along the Sea of Galilee. Galilee could be compared to the fly-over zone of America, which is not considered to be as important as the cities on the east or west coasts, which, by the way, is false. Jerusalem was the cultural, political section of Israel, while Galilee was considered the blue-collar farm region. The saying was, “What good thing comes from Nazareth,” where Jesus spent His childhood.

The location of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus was Capernaum, as we see in verse 12. Capernaum was an area at the northern tip of the sea of Galilee, west of the Jordon River and east of the Mediterranean Sea. There was an upper and lower Galilee. Nazareth was at the bottom of Galilee to the south, just above the Jezreel Valley or the valley of Armageddon. Jesus traveled to the northern part of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. It was there that He preached in the Synagogue. The ruins of that Synagogue are still there today. The original one was destroyed, and the present-day ruins are from the reconstruction, which is on the same foundation as the original. During our trip to Israel, we walked where Jesus walked nearly 2,000 years ago and stood where he once preached.

Why was it necessary that Jesus go to Capernaum to commence His public ministry? Two reasons: First, there was less opposition. Nazareth rejected Jesus as the Messiah while Capernaum embraced Him. Jesus could live here in peace while he engaged in His ministry. Second, it was a strategic location. The Roman trading route from Egypt to Babylon ran by Capernaum, and thousands of traders passed through here. The traders would carry the Gospel Jesus was sharing too many places around the known world in those days. Another consideration was, Nazareth was tiny, with only about 34 people according to tradition. Capernaum was much larger, with a strong economy based on the fishing industry.

The theme of the ministry of Jesus

Matthew 4:16-17 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Jesus’ message was one of light: The people around the Sea of Galilee had been living in darkness, not knowing God or worshiping Him. Now Jesus is come unto them, the light of the world that drives away all darkness from the soul of man, and many received that light.

Jesus’ message was one of repentance: According to the Bible dictionary, “Repent comes from a Greek word, which implies a change of mind and purpose, implying pity and regret and includes the sorrow out of which the change comes,” The primary emphasis is on a change in the direction one is going, a new way of thinking and a new purpose.

Jesus’ message was the Kingdom of Heaven: The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is used by St. Matthew about thirty times, and by him only among the New Testament writers. The name, “Kingdom of Heaven” is a description of the Kingdom of the Messiah, and it had its origin in the vision of Daniel 7:13, where His Kingdom is, “one like the Son of Man” and is contrasted with those of 4 earthly rulers and their world kingdoms, which Daniel predicted were future, starting with the present Kingdom in his time, the Kingdom of Babylon. His, Jesus’, Kingdom Is now at hand—Better, “has come nigh.”

In verse17, Matthew speaks of the essence of the message Jesus was preaching: Jesus was saying, “repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Mark expands it somewhat, adding, “Repent and believe in the Gospel, for the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.” Is this the same as the Gospel that Paul preached? (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) “Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 

According to Paul, those who believed the Gospel was saved, reconciled to God, and inherited eternal life in Heaven. Those who didn’t would pay the price for their sins, which meant eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.

Was Jesus preaching a different gospel, another way of being saved? In Jesus’ day, Jesus hadn’t died yet, so the Gospel message Jesus preached, while He was alive was, as stated in verse 17, that Jesus the King of the Kingdom of Heaven was here, which meant that those who believed in Him would be part of it. In order to be part of it, they must repent of their sins and follow Him. If they believed in Jesus’ Gospel, it meant they were accepting Jesus as the Promised Messiah, therefore, received personal salvation.

The death, burial, and resurrection were yet to be announced at this time. Understand that death, burial, and resurrection is not directly the Gospel; it is the basis upon which the Gospel is offered. The Gospel is, God gives salvation to those who believe in His Son, John 3:16 (KJV): “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life.” In Romans 10:9-10 (KJV), we see how we receive God’s salvation: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Do you have to understand the theology of the Gospel to be saved? Peter didn’t. John the Baptist preached the same Gospel as Jesus: “Repent and be baptized the kingdom is at hand.” Peter was a disciple of John before Jesus came upon the scene. Peter even rebuked Jesus when Jesus spoke about dying on the cross, and Jesus replied. “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Was Peter saved even though he had not heard of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus? Yes! He believed in Jesus that he was the Messiah, the savior. At this point, Jesus’ message contained no reference to Him dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus begins to share His coming death later with His disciples, and it greatly confused them. Like the majority of the Jews, they believed the Promised Messiah was coming to rule all nations. How could He do that if He were to be killed by Rome? And how could Jesus die on a cross before He established His Kingdom?

So, are there two ways to be saved? According to John the Baptist and Jesus and later the Gospel as preached by the Apostle Paul based on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. No! they are the same. One is a faith in the Messiah, and the other is the foundation of the Gospel that provides the opportunity of that faith.

Salvation has always been by the same method, faith in Jesus as the Messiah, savior who died for man’s sins. Some, overtime, have added other requirements such as works and baptism that do not appear in Scripture. When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus and the woman at the well, there was no mention of baptism, works, or even the church, which had not been consummated at that time. He spoke about believing in Him as the Messiah/Savior. Later, when Jesus was on the cross, one of the thieves, being crucified with Him, accepted Him, believing He was the Messiah, and Jesus said, “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” The thief was not baptized, did no works, and did not join the church. He believed and confessed his belief in Jesus. The Bible bears this truth out: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV).

Jesus preached concerning His Kingdom, which was offered to Israel as a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy found in Isiah 9:6 (KJV): “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”

Another important consideration: Was Jesus offer to set up His Kingdom given in good faith? Yes! However, to set up that Kingdom had a condition, it would come to pass for Israel only if they first obeyed Jesus’ Gospel, repent and believe in Him as the Messiah.

There are two things to be considered for a clear understanding of the difference between God and man, the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. God is sovereign, which means He is in complete control of everything in the whole universe. We can only sum up this Biblical mystery by understanding that God is both King and Judge. According to Scripture, Jesus as King orders and controls all things, according to His eternal plan and purpose. Again, according to Scripture, He also is Judge. Therefore, He holds every man accountable for the choices he makes and the course of action he chooses.

The problem was that Israel expected their Messiah to set up His Kingdom immediately at His first coming, while it was in God’s plan for it to set up the Kingdom at His second coming. Those who did accept Jesus did become a part of His future Kingdom. As a nation, they refused to repent and believe in Jesus as their King, which was necessary before they could receive the Gospel or enter the Heavenly Kingdom.

The question is, if the nation of Israel had embraced Jesus as their Messiah in faith, then would Jesus have given them the promised Kingdom? That would have meant that the 1,000-year Kingdom, still in the future, would have arrived during Jesus’ first coming. That Kingdom didn’t come because Israel didn’t receive Him. The Kingdom was offered in good faith so that Israel would have the opportunity to accept it or reject it. God knew in eternity past that they would deny it, so He planned according to His will. Jesus went to the cross instead of setting up a world kingdom, which was necessary one way or the other.

Jesus calls his first four disciples to follow Him

Matthew 4:18-22, “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

Now, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus calls out the first four of His disciples. Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They were not sophisticated, educated men, only lowly, uneducated fishermen. That shows how God can take that which is considered the least and make the most of it.

It was apparent that Satan had now shifted his focus from the temptation of Jesus to stir up opposition to Him and His ministry. So, Jesus leaves the area where He is likely to face the most resistance and goes to Capernaum. Jesus will spend most of the next three years in the area of Galilee, where he will start and continue His three years of ministry. Here, Jesus did not have to be concerned about those who wanted to take His life prematurely. He also wanted to be where he could accomplish the most. According to the gospel writers, Jesus visited Nazareth at least two times after He moved to Capernaum. His first visit was the wedding at Cana, where He performed His first miracle, the turning of water to wine, and the second visit Jesus preached in Synagogue. The people rejected Him as their Messiah and even attempted to throw Him off a cleft.

Jesus conducts His ministry Around the Sea of Galilee

Matthew 4:23-25, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers’ diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.”

After moving to Capernaum, in a few days, Jesus then goes to Jerusalem to attend the Passover, the first of four Passovers He would attend leading up to His death on the cross during the fourth one. At this time, He became the literal Passover lamb, giving Himself as the sacrifice for man’s sins, therefore fulfilling the Passover.

Jesus visits the temple and chases out the money changers at His first visit; He repeats it for the second time on his fourth visit to the temple. At this time, He also begins to perform public miracles and healings. Nicodemus comes to Jesus and asks him questions, as recorded in John chapter 3: Nicodemus asked Jesus concerning the new birth. Jesus then returns to Galilee, and on the way, he meets the Samaritan woman at the well as recorded in John chapter 4. He tells the woman that He is the Messiah foretold in Scripture. She knew that the coming of the Messiah had been predicted and was looking for His arrival. Jesus said to her, “I am He,” and she believed in Jesus and went and told others in the city, and they also came to Jesus and believed in Him.

From here, Jesus goes back to Nazareth. Luke and John tell us that the fame of Jesus quickly spread after He returned to Nazareth; here He performed miracles and declared the Kingdom was at hand. When Jesus preached at the Synagogue, He said that He was the promised Messiah, and according to the Gospel of Luke, Nazareth rejected Jesus’ claim. They believed that He was only the son of a carpenter. As I said earlier, they got angry at Jesus and attempted to throw Him off a cleft.

All of this went according to God’s foreknowledge and plan: Isaiah 9:1-2, “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”

The people come from near and far to follow Jesus

Matthew 4:24-25. “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.”

During His public ministry, Jesus healed thousands of people everywhere He went, those with divers’ diseases and torments, and those people who were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; he healed them. He also performed numerous other miracles.