Matthew 4: Testing & start of ministry

• v.1-11 Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
• v.12-17 Jesus Begins to Preach
• v.18-22 Jesus Calls His First Disciples
• v.23-25 Jesus Heals the Sick

[Preliminary Note: Thus we now come to the third of the three early ‘narrative chapters’ in Matthew. Now Matthew turns the focus away from John, entirely to Jesus, as he is prepared for and starts his public ministry.]

v.1-11 Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

v.1,2 The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into this time of testing through fasting

v.1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

v.2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

v.3 The test comes in the form of Satan playing on his hunger, seeking to get him to use his power for personal use

v.3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

v.4 Jesus quotes scripture – there is a spiritual food that will keep me – Deut. 8:3

v.4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

v.5,6 The devil tries another approach – see if God will really take care of you, quoting Psa 91:11,12

v.5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

v.6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

v.7 Jesus again responds with Scripture – don’t test God, just trust Him – Deut. 6:16

v.7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

v.8,9 Satan tries a third tack – you can have my power if you submit to me

v.8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

v.9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

v.10 Jesus replies, I’m here to worship God only; go away! (implied) Deut 6:13

v.10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

v.11 Angels look after Jesus as Satan departs

v.11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

(Notes: Times of testing come, even prompted by God and in times of weakness, rely upon God’s word, what He has said already. Draw near to God, resist the devil and he will flee – Jas 4:7)  

v.12-17 Jesus Begins to Preach

v.12-16 Hearing about John, Jesus moves north and sets up in Capernaum, as Isaiah said – Isa 9:1,2

v.12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.

v.13,14 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

v.15,16 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

v.17 His activity and message – preaching repentance

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

(Notes: the scene is being set by the prophetic scriptures – Jesus will be a great light in a dark land)

v.18-22 Jesus Calls His First Disciples

v.18,19 Walking by the lake he calls two fishermen to a new form of fishing

v.18 (As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

v.19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

v.20-22 They follow him and he calls two more

v.20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

v.21,22 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

v.23-25 Jesus Heals the Sick

v.23 He starts his itinerant ministry, preaching and teaching and healing

v.23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

v.24,25 As the word gets out, crowds flock to him from far and wide, and he healed all the sick people

v.24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

v.25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

(Notes: Observe two things:

i) the preparation for Jesus’ ministry, the conflict in the desert, and then the later gathering to himself a band of disciples who he will teach and train to do his work with him – see later Jn 14:12.

ii) the comprehensive nature of his ministry – preaching (challenging), teaching (informing) and healing (putting lives right). These are the activities of the Christ as he brings in ‘the kingdom of God’.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: