Matthew 4.12-17

Today’s passage serves as an important transition-point in Matthew’s gospel, so before we look at the text, let’s first review where we have already been. In the first two chapters of Matthew, we read about the birth and infancy of Jesus, and we see how, from the very start, he would not just be an ordinary person. Joseph is told that he would “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). He is called Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). The Magi recognize him the “king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2). And throughout it all, Matthew constantly reminds us how Jesus’ birth is a fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies.

In Matthew 3 and 4:1-11, we read about the preparation for Jesus’ ministry. We are told about how John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus by telling people to repent and baptizing them as a symbol of that repentance. Then Jesus himself comes and is baptized by John, and a voice comes from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt. 4:17). Then Jesus goes out to the wilderness for forty days and is tempted by Satan, but he refuses to give in to the easy way out.

So up to this point, Matthew’s gospel has been giving us little glimpses what’s coming in Jesus. It’s foreshadowing of the type of Messiah that Jesus would be. In Matthew 4:12-17, we finally see the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as we normally think about it. Let’s check out what it says:

¹²When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—¹⁴to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵”Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—¹⁶the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

This passage begins with the somewhat startling revelation that John the Baptist has been imprisoned. Matthew will go into more detail about the circumstances surrounding this in chapter 14, so for now, we’ll just say that some of the power-holders (specifically Herod) didn’t appreciate John’s message, so they locked him up. 

There are two important aspects of Jesus’ preaching that are mentioned in this passage: the location of his preaching, and the content of his preaching. We’ll look at each.

First, the location. Matthew tells us that Jesus returns to Galilee in northern Palestine. This is unlike John the Baptist, who had been baptizing people in the Jordan River in Judea (southern Palestine). Instead of staying in that same area for very long, Jesus heads back north, and this is pretty interesting. 

One would expect a new teacher who wanted to gain a following to stay in Judea. Jerusalem, the capital city for the Jews, was in Judea, so it would make sense for Jesus to go there. In fact, a little later on, Jesus’ own brothers say to him in John 7:3-4, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 

If I were an aspiring actor, I wouldn’t spend my days in Nowheresville, USA, because I would know that I would never get discovered there. Instead, I would pack up my bags and relocate to Los Angeles or New York. In the same way, the natural assumption would be for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, where he can interact with the politicians and priests. But instead, he goes to Galilee and sets up camp in the village of Capernaum. To the Jews in Jerusalem, it would seem like Jesus moved out to the boonies. And Jesus would spend the bulk of his ministry in and around Capernaum, ministering to a mishmash of Jews, Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, diseased, demon-possessed, and others. It’s a funny way for a Messiah to act.

And yet, that’s the kind of Messiah Jesus is. He loves to go to the people that the world doesn’t expect him to go to. He’s criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners instead of with the “religious elite.” He shows Gentiles the same compassion and love that he shows the Jews. He didn’t see people according to the barriers and divisions that society had created. He saw them instead as children of God who were in need of a Savior. And, just as in the prophecy that Matthew quotes from Isaiah 9:1-2, Jesus comes as a light to all those living in spiritual darkness. The location of Jesus’ preaching is noteworthy because it shows how he truly is the good shepherd that goes out looking for his lost sheep.

Secondly, the content of Jesus’ preaching needs to be looked at. Verse 17 tells us that Jesus preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Interestingly, this is the same message that John the Baptist preached in Matthew 3:2. First of all, Jesus preaches that people need to repent—they need to do a 180 in their lives, turning away from sin and instead following and obeying God. 

But why is Jesus calling people to repentance? “For the kingdom of heaven is near.” Now, the kingdom of heaven (also called the kingdom of God elsewhere) is a HUGE topic that deserves far more attention than can be given to it in the remainder of this blog post. For now, we’ll simply say that the kingdom of heaven refers to the kingly rule of God. The kingdom of heaven is more than just where Christians go after death. The kingdom is God’s reign, and that kingdom breaks through into the world through Jesus. John the Baptist preached the nearness of the kingdom because he was pointing people to Jesus. Jesus preached the nearness of the kingdom because that kingdom comes through his own life, ministry, death, and resurrection. This means that the kingdom is NOW, and we are a part of that kingdom if we recognize God’s rule in our lives. That’s the content of Jesus’ preaching.

So then, the location of Jesus’ preaching is in Galilee, and its content concerns the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. But what does this mean for us? Here are a couple questions that you may need to consider: First, who is there in your life that you need to share the gospel with, even if doing so might be a little “unexpected”? It could be a co-worker that you’ve always thought wants nothing to do with God. It could be a neighbor that just annoys you to no end. It could be someone on your softball team that seems different from you in every way. But remember, Jesus went to those that no one expected him to go to, and he may very well be calling you to do the same.

Here’s the second question: Are you aware of the reality of God’s kingdom? Have you been living as though Jesus is both your Savior and your Lord? Or do you act as though he’s just there to give you your “Get Out of Jail Free” card when your life is over? God’s kingdom is now, and God is on his throne, and he calls us to follow him where he leads. That requires repentance, just as Jesus says. But when we do grasp this incredible truth of the kingdom, we’re able to convey the message of that kingdom to others as we minister and witness to them.

David Heffren