Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:12-22

Messiah's Work Begins

Intro.

1. The mission of Christ: Serve, sacrifice, seek and save (Matt. 20:28; Luke 19:10).

2. His struggle with Satan teaches us how to overcome temptation (be sustained by the word of God; Humble reverence for God; worship and serve God), Matt. 4:1-11.

3. Jesus begins His work of teaching, Matt. 4:12-25.

I. CHRIST’S WORK OF TEACHING BEGINS (Matt. 4:12-25).

A. The Place: Galilee (fulfilled prophecy), Matt. 4:12-16, 23.

1. Gentiles (and Israel) would benefit from His light, Isa. 9:1-2.

a. Land of darkness of despair (cf. Assyria invasion), sin, ignorance, despair, 4:16.

b. Great light, 4:16; John 1:4-5, 9 (8:12): His teaching brought the illumination of truth and life from the death of sin.

B. The Message: The Gospel of the Kingdom, Matt. 4:17, 23.

1. Repent, the kingdom is at hand; the gospel.

a. Some brethren try to convince you Jesus was preaching the Law of Moses to Jews (Bassett, p. 13-14, 111; Dawson). False.

b. Repent and believe the gospel, Mark 1:15.

c. Preach the kingdom of God in the synagogues, Luke 4:43-44.

2. Jesus preached the gospel of peace beginning from Galilee after John, Acts 10:36-37.

3. Jesus preached peace by fulfilling and removing the Law of Moses, not by preaching it and/or adding to it, Eph. 2:13-18.

4. Jesus preached peace in kingdom of God, Isa. 2:2-4; 11:6-10.

C. The Disciples: Called to Follow Jesus, Matt. 4:18-22.

1. Help call sinners to salvation, 4:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:39.

2. Immediacy of their response, 4:20, 22 (Heb. 3:7-8).

3. Sacrifice of responding, 4:22; Matt. 19:27; Luke 5:11 (business, family, livelihood, Luke 9:23).

D. The Power: Divine Healing for the Suffering, Matt. 4:23.

1. Miracles healed the physically sick, Luke 4:40-41; 5:17.

2. Showed his power to heal souls that are devastated by sin, Luke 4:18-19 (Mark 2:5-12).

3. Christ’s power heals you and me, too (sin), Matt. 11:28-30.

4. The miracles of Jesus:

a. Confirmed his message (John 14:11).

b. Showed He is the prophesied Messiah (Isa. 35:5; Matt. 11:2-6; John 5:36).

c. They proved the kingdom of God had come (Matt. 4:23; 10:7-8; 12:28).

E. The Response: News Spread Quickly and Many Were Healed, Matt. 4:24-25.

1. His fame was reported throughout all of Syria, 4:24 (Luke 4:14).

2. Today: Christians are motivated to quickly spread the good news of salvation because He healed us from sin, Matt. 4:24 (2 Tim. 2:2).

3. None were turned away; none were beyond Christ’s power to heal.

Conclusion

1. Jesus had to endure Satan’s temptations in order to do His work; So do we.

2. Let Jesus be the light of your life. How? By walking in the gospel He preached and being healed from sin by His power.

By: Joe R. Price

Posted August 9, 2022