Mateus 4
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 4
Guzik points out that "It was a remarkable contrast between the glory following Jesus’ baptism and the challenge to be tempted by the devil." JESUS' BAPTISM JESUS' TEMPTATION cool waters of the Jordan barren wilderness huge crowds solitude and silence. Spirit rests like a dove Spirit drives Him into the wilderness. voice of the Father calling Him “Beloved Son hiss of Satan the tempter. anointed attacked water of baptism the fire of temptation heavens opened hell closed in Matthew Stones to Bread - Mt 4:1, 2, 3, 4 Test God's Protection - Mt 4:5, 6, 7 Kingdoms of the World - Mt 4:8, 9, 10, 11 Luke - see commentary Stone to Bread - Lk 4:1, 2, 3, 4 Kingdoms of the World - Lk 4:5, 6, 7, 8 Test God's Protection - Lk 4:9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Related Resources: What was the meaning and purpose of Jesus' temptations Why did Jesus fast? How to fast—what does the Bible say? What are the different types of fasting? What does it mean that Satan is prince of the power of the air What does it mean to have a wilderness experience Why did Satan think he could defeat God? Is there activity of demonic spirits in the world today What does the Bible say about demonic oppression? Is temptation a sin? Is it a sin to be tempted? What are some of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible What is the power of the Holy Spirit? In what ways was Moses like Jesus? What are the keys to resisting temptation? Introduction to John Owen's Overcoming Sin and Temptation Mortification of Sin - John Owen Of Temptation - John Owen Indwelling Sin - John Owen Triumphing Over Temptation - John MacArthur Holman Bible Dictionary - Temptation of Jesus International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Christ, Temptation of , Temptation of Christ Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Temptation of our lord McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia - Temptation of Christ. Charles Buck Dictionary - Temptation of Christ The Impeccability of Christ - John Walvoord (Impeccability deals with question Could Jesus have sinned?) Could Jesus Have Sinned? - Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology The Impeccability of Christ - A W Pink Could Jesus have sinned (peccability or impeccability)? - Gotquestions Related Resources - Devil, Satan, Demons Holman Bible Dictionary - Satan American Tract Society Satan Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Satan Baker Evangelical Dictionary Satan Easton's Bible Dictionary Satan Fausset Bible Dictionary Satan Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Satan Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Satan (2) Satan Watson's Theological Dictionary Satan Was Satan an angel? How, why, and when did Satan fall from heaven? Does Satan exist? Who is Satan? Who is the devil? How much power does Satan possess? What does it mean that Satan is the accuser? Why did Satan think he could defeat God? Is Lucifer Satan? Does the fall of Lucifer describe Satan? Is Satan the master of hell? Do Satan and his demons punish people in hell? God vs. Satan - if God is all-powerful, why does He not just kill Satan? Does Satan have to get God's permission before he can attack us? What does Satan look like? What do demons look like? Did God create Satan? What did Jesus mean when He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”? Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star? Does Satan still have access to Heaven? Why does God allow Satan to enter Heaven, as recorded in the Bible? Is Satan in hell? Where is Satan? Are Jesus and Satan brothers? Does a believer have authority over Satan? Why does God allow Satan to attack us? Is the devil / Satan a person or a force / personification of evil? What does it mean that Satan is prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)? How is Satan god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Does Satan have the power to control the weather? Can Satan read our minds or know our thoughts? If God knew that Satan would rebel, why did He create him? What does it mean that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44)? Why did God allow Satan and the demons to sin? Was Satan in charge of music in Heaven? Why is God going to release Satan after the 1000 years? Why were Michael and Satan disputing over the body of Moses (Jude 9)? Is the king of Tyre prophecy in Ezekiel 28 referring to Satan? Questions about Angels & Demons Was Satan the serpent in Genesis chapter 3? Why did Jesus say to Peter, “Get behind me Satan”? What does it mean that Satan masquerades as an angel of light? Did Jesus fight Satan for the keys to the kingdom? Is it possible to make a deal with the devil? What is the unholy trinity in the end times? What is Satanism? What are the various theories on the atonement? Did one third of the angels fall with Lucifer? What is Luciferianism? Is the war in heaven in Revelation 12 describing Satan's original fall or an end times angelic battle? Are demons fallen angels? Brian Bell says "God permits such situations to prove and improve our faith. The evil is not in the situations God permits, but in responding sinfully to them. God even provides a back door to every temptation so we might overcome it! 1 Cor 10:13+ "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
Mateus 4
Guzik - John 3:22 and 4:1–2 indicate that the first ministry Jesus did with His disciples was a baptizing ministry at the Jordan. Sometime after that and after the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus went to Galilee to begin His itinerant ministry in that region.. John’s Gospel (John 1:19–2:12) records an early ministry in Galilee and in Judea before Jesus went to Galilee as mentioned here. This early Judean ministry included the earliest call of the disciples and the wedding at Cana (in Galilee), and the first cleansing of the temple followed by His interview with Nicodemus (in Judea). Then John tells us what happened when Jesus traveled north to Galilee through Samaria, and met a Samaritan woman at a well. PARALLEL PASSAGES: JESUS' RETURNS TO GALILEE MINISTRY LASTS ABOUT 18 MONTHS Matthew 4:12-17 Mark 1:14-15 Luke 4:14-15 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 15 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES–16 “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody - Although there were times which Scripture says Jesus used supernatural "intuition" (see Jn 2:24-25+), in the case of John, Jesus heard about his imprisonment just like any other man. This event gives us the reason Christ withdrew to Galilee and also marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry where John the Baptist left off. The end of herald's work for the King, now gave way to the work of the King Himself. Jesus did not compete with John, but in God's sovereignty, waited for John's ministry to come to its termination. Matthew 14:3-4 tells us the reason for John's incarceration "For when Herod (Herod Antipas - non-Jewish Idumean tetrarch of Galilee and Perea) had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her. (he dared to say that Herod Antipas's marriage to his brother's wife was immoral)” (cf Lk 3:19-20+) And apparently John was in Herod's prison for almost a year before he was martyred. 🙏 THOUGHT - It is always dangerous to confront evil, and John’s fearless condemnation of moral wickedness in high places led to his being beheaded. With similar bravery John Knox of Scotland stood ground against a corrupt monarchy. Standing before the repressive and corrupt Queen Mary, who had just rebuked him for resisting her authority, he said, “If princes exceed their bounds, madam, they may be resisted and even deposed.” (MacArthur) John
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Guzik on Galilee - The region of Galilee was a fertile, progressive, highly populated region. According to figures from the Jewish historian Josephus, there were some 3 million people populating Galilee, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut.. In an area of about 60 by 30 miles, Josephus says that there were some 204 villages with none having less than 15,000 people. That gives a population of more than 3 million for the region.. Galilee was predominately Gentile in its population, but with a large number of Jewish cities and citizens. Also, Galilee was known as an incredibly fertile region. Many successful farms took advantage of the good soil. ISBE excerpt on Galilee - The name seems originally to have referred to the territory of Naphtali. Joshua's victorious campaign in the north (Josh 11), and, subsequently, the triumph of the northern tribes under Deborah and Barak (Jdg 4 f) gave Israel supremacy; yet the tribe of Naphtali was not able to drive out all the former inhabitants of the land (Judges 1:33 ). In the time of Solomon the name applied to a much wider region, including the territory of Asher. In this land lay the cities given by Solomon to Hiram (1 Kings 9:11 ). Cabul here named must be identical with that of Joshua 19:27 . The Asherites also failed to possess certain cities in their allotted portion, so that the heathen continued to dwell among them. To this state of things, probably, is due the name given in Isaiah 9:1 to this region, "Galilee of the nations (Gentiles)," i.e. a district occupied by a mixed population of Jews and heathen. ....While Jewish in their religion, and in their patriotism too, as subsequent history showed, the population of Galilee was composed of strangely mingled elements - Aramaean, Iturean, Phoenician and Greek In the circumstances they could not be expected to prove such sticklers for high orthodoxy as the Judeans. Their mixed origin explains the differences in speech which distinguished them from their brethren in the South, who regarded Galilee and the Galileans with a certain proud contempt (John 1:46 ; John 7:52 ). But a fine type of manhood was developed among the peasant farmers of the two Galilees which, according to Josephus (BJ , III, iii, 2), were "always able to make a strong resistance on all occasions of war; for the Galileans are inured to war from their infancy ... nor hath the country ever been destitute of men of courage." Josephus, himself a Galilean, knew his countrymen well, and on them he mainly relied in the war with Rome. In Galilee also the Messianic hope was cherished with the deepest intensity. When the Messiah appeared, with His own Galilean upbringing, it was from the north-countrymen that He received the warmest welcome, and among them His appeal elicited the most gratifying response. The Sea of Galilee is a large somewhat kidney shaped inland lake on the eastern side of the region of Galilee (note) which is also known by three other names in Scripture - (1) the Sea of Chinnereth (Hebrew name - Nu 34:11, Dt 3:17, 1 Ki 15:20), (2) the Lake of Gennesaret (Lk 5:1+), and (3) the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 6:1+). The sea of Galilee is no more than a lake ringed by mountains. On the western shore the mountains were fertile and covered with orchards, farms, and villages in Jesus' day. Across the lake rose the forbidding ramparts of the desert, which are part of a range that keeps pace with the Jordan all the way south to the Dead Sea and on to the gulf of Aqaba. To the north were the mountains of Lebanon, dominated by majestic Hermon, the summit of which is never free from snow. This freshwater lake is about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, and lies some 690 feet below sea level making it the lowest body of freshwater on earth (Dead Sea is lower but is salty). The primary source of inflow for the Sea of Galilee is the Jordan River, which arises from several sources near Mt Hermon (9,200 ft above sea level) and flows into the lake from the north. The enlarged Jordan River exits the southern end of the lake, and flows south into the Dead Sea. It is well known for its clear pure water, abundant fish, and frequent storms. John
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Guzik notes that "poverty of spirit" is not a man's confession that he is by nature insignificant, or personally without value, for that would be untrue. Instead, it is a confession that he is sinful and rebellious and utterly without moral virtues adequate to commend him to God. The poor in spirit recognize that they have no spiritual "assets." They know they are spiritually bankrupt. With the word poor, Jesus uses the more severe term for poverty. It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get. Poverty of spirit cannot be artificially induced by self-hatred; it is brought about by the Holy Spirit and our response to His working in our hearts. (see John 16:8-11, Acts 2:37+, Acts 16:29,30+) For theirs is the kingdom of heaven: Those who are poor in spirit, so poor they must beg, are rewarded. They receive the kingdom of heaven, and poverty of spirit is an absolute prerequisite for receiving the kingdom of heaven, because as long as we harbor illusions about our own spiritual resources we will never receive from God what we absolutely need to be saved. The call to be poor in spirit is placed first for a reason, because it puts the following commands into perspective. They cannot be fulfilled by one's own strength, but only by a beggar's reliance on God's power (Guzik's Notes on Matthew 5) Just and holy is Thy name, I am all unrighteousness; Vile and full of sin I am, Thou art full of truth and grace. (Play Jesus, Lover of My Soul) Related Resources: What is the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven? Matthew 4:18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. walking: Mt 1:16-18 Lu 5:2 sea: Mt 15:29 Nu 34:11 De 3:17 = Chinnereth, Lu 5:1 = lake of Gennesaret, John 6:1 Jn 21:1 = Sea of Tiberias two: Mt 10:2 Lu 6:14 Joh 1:40-42 6:8 for they were fishermen Ex 3:1,10 Judges 6:11,12 1Ki 19:19-21 Ps 78:70-72 Am 7:14,15 1Co 1:27-29 Matthew 4:18-22 By the Sea of Galilee - the Final Call of the First Disciples, and the Miraculous Draught of Fishes - Alfred Edersheim Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Click to enlarge - from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, Used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map on any other webpage. Parallel passages Mt 4:18-22 - Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11 Mark 1:16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother - One might get the impression this was the first time they had met Jesus, but in fact they had met Him some time earlier near where John the Baptist was baptizing (Bethany on east side of Jordan - not the Bethany near Jerusalem), John recording Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (John 1:35-42+). COMMENT - Not only did they follow Jesus in John's account but they went to a wedding in Cana with Him and after witnessing His creative miracle of water to wine which demonstrated His glory,they believed in His Name (Jn 2:11+) Casting a net into the sea - Casting is ballo (cf second verb amphiballo) in the present tense indicating this was their continual activity. You can picture Simon and Andrew diligently at work. NET Note on fishing - The kind of fishing envisioned was net - not line - fishing (cf. v. 18; cf. also BDAG 55 s.v. amphiblestron) which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus' point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new "catch" (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life. Net (only NT use)(293)(amphiblestron from amphiballo from amphi = around + ballo = throw) which describes a net that was cast from over the fisherman's shoulder standing either on the shore or in a boat. As he spotted a school of fish he would cast the net, the throw causing the net to spread out in a circle on the water, sinking rapidly because of weights on the edges and trapping whatever was below. The net would be drawn up by a cord on the center of the net and draw in the catch in the form of a sack that could then be examined. For they were fishermen - For (gar) is a term of explanation, in this case simply explaining why they were by the sea and casting nets. These are things fishermen do! And it was a good place for Jesus to find "fishers of men." Fishermen (231)(halieus from hals = the sea) is literally one who earned their living from the sea, catching fish. Jesus introduced the great figurative meaning of men who would now be catching men instead of fish. They would be evangelizing and winning disciples to Christ (Mk 1:17, Mt 4:19+). Fishermen on Galilee did not enjoy a high social standing, but their work required skill and was profitable. Halieus - fishermen(3), fishers(2). - Matt. 4:18; Matt. 4:19; Mk. 1:16; Mk. 1:17; Lk. 5:2. Septuagint = Job 41:7; Isa. 19:8; Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 47:10 Holman Apologetics Commentary on Gospels and Acts - At first glance we might assume that this is Jesus’ first encounter with these two brothers, and that he is calling them to respond to his message to repent and enter the kingdom (Mt 4:17). Seen this way, the call and response has been perceived to give an indication of Jesus’ evangelistic influence; he is calling these four to salvation, and as they respond, they become believers. But the Fourth Gospel indicates that the two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John, had extensive prior acquaintance with Jesus, and even believed in him as Messiah (cf. John 1:41; 2:11). It is difficult to determine when it is that these individuals were “saved” according to our current post-resurrection categories. Perhaps we should emphasize most that the true nature of Jesus’ identity was so mind-boggling that it is difficult to determine how much these four understood about Jesus at this time. But we should likewise emphasize that they were responding as much as they could, to as much as they understood. Luke 5:1-11 gives a fuller account of the calling of the first disciples. Luke 5:1–11 gives a fuller account of the calling of the first disciples. Does Matthew’s briefer version leave room for the details in Luke’s account? In Luke’s account, when Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish produced by Jesus, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). It is difficult to reconcile the chronology of these incidents, but it is likely that they are similar but had different intended effects on the brothers. Throughout Jesus’ ministry there is an increasing understanding of who he was, and that increasing understanding required a corresponding adjustment of their commitment to him. Comparing incidents in the later ministry, we see Peter making a confession about Jesus’ identity that had only at a later point been revealed to him (Mt 16:16), and the Fourth Gospel tells of an incident some time later when Peter makes a statement of commitment to Jesus for eternal life (John 6:66–68). As we watch various persons encounter Jesus, we must always recognize that this was a unique time, where the full significance of the entrance of the God-man into history was only slowly comprehended. Indeed, it would take the resurrection to finally break through and bring full comprehension. Although the explicit intention of the call is to join Jesus in fishing for men, these brothers are first and foremost being called to commit themselves to Jesus. (See further comments at Luke 5:1–11.) (See The Gospels and Acts) Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." NET He said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people." GNT καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. NLT Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" KJV And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ESV And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Follow: Mt 8:22 9:9 16:24 19:21 Mk 2:14 Lu 5:27 9:59 Joh 1:43 12:26 Joh 21:22 I will: Ezek 47:9,10 Mk 1:17,18 Lu 5:10,11 1Co 9:20-22 2Co 12:16 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE EFFECTUAL CALL COME WALK IN MY DUST! What's with the picture of "dusty feet"? In early Jewish writings the description of a follower of a rabbi was that he was to “cover himself in the dust of [the rabbi’s] feet.” In other words he was to follow so closely behind the rabbi that he would walk in the dust stirred up by the rabbi's sandals! The picture was of the disciple walking so closely that he might be able to watch and imitate his every word and action. If you have ever been to the Wailing wall in Jerusalem you may have seen this played out as you watched an old white haired rabbi limping along, bent over, being followed by young men who are also limping bent over despite being young and vigorous! They are imitating their rabbi even to the point of limping like he did! And this is a literal picture of what Jesus was calling Simon, Andrew, James, and John to do in an ethical sense for the next three years so that they might become more and more like Him! 🙏 THOUGHT - This should be the picture of every disciple for we too are called to walk closely and spend quality time with Jesus. How? Of course by spending uninterrupted time in His living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12+) and speaking with Him in prayer. So let me ask you dearly beloved --- are your sandals covered with the dust of Jesus' sandals or are your Bibles simply covered with dust? And you can mark it down that dusty Bibles usually belong to people with dirty lives! And He said to them, "Follow Me" - Note that this was not the first time Jesus had given the command "Follow Me," for months earlier John records He spoke the same words to Philip (John 1:43+), although there He did not say "I will make you fishers of men." And I will make you fishers of men - Fishers of fish would be transformed into fishers of men, simply by being with Jesus, by spending time with the Master Fisher of men! In Luke 5:10 "Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 🙏 THOUGHT - Our gift may not be evangelism, but we are still called to be "fishers of men." So if we are not fishing for men, what might bring about a "course correction?" From this passage in Mt 4:19 we see that Jesus is the One Who would make fishers to be fishers of men in the first century and He is still the One (and really the only One) Who is able to make us "fishers of men." How? Well, just like the first disciples. We need to "hang out" with Jesus. We need to walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus. We need to spend time in His Word, especially the Gospels and we need to talk with Him frequently in prayer, even leaving the phone off the hook (so to speak) to continue the conversation throughout the day! We need to keep the "On-Off Switch" of the Walkie-Talkie flipped to "On" throughout the day! That's when His Spirit will transform us into His image from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18+), and will supercharge" us with an inner desire (Php 2:13NLT+) and the necessary power (especially boldness) to go forth and fish! Fishers (231) see above on halieus 🙏 THOUGHT - Why did Jesus choose these busy fishermen who had no theological training? Someone has said that when God looks for someone to use in a special mission, He looks for the person who is already busy, the energetic individual. Ray Pritchard - Somewhere in my past I heard the story about a man who was a phenomenal fisherman. He was so good that his fame spread far and wide. When everyone else was catching two or three fish a day he would come back with two or three hundred. Eventually the local game warden decided to investigate because it just sounded too good to be true. On a certain day, the game warden showed up at the man’s door, identified himself, and asked to go fishing with him. The man was agreeable to that and off they went to the lake. When they got into the boat, immediately the warden noticed that something didn’t seem right. The man didn’t have any fishing poles or bait. He didn’t even have a tackle box. All he had was a small duffel bag. So off they went, chatting about this and that until the man maneuvered the boat to the middle of the lake. Without a word, he turned off the motor, reached into the duffel bag and pulled out what looked like a stick of dynamite. Before the warden could say anything, he lit it and threw it into the water. It exploded with a mighty roar and stunned fish by the dozens floated to the surface. The man calmly started his boat and began gathering the fish in his net. The warden said, “Now see here. This is highly illegal.” But the man just laughed and steered the boat to another part of the lake. He did the same thing with a second stick of dynamite and sure enough more fish floated to the surface. By this time the warden had seen enough. He said, “Mister, you’ve broken so many laws I can’t even begin to count them.” The man just laughed and pulled out another stick of dynamite. The warden kept on talking. “This is illegal possession of dynamite and illegal detonation of dangerous material and disturbing the peace and about a half-dozen other misdemeanors and felonies.” While the warden was talking, the man calmly lit the stick of dynamite and handed it to the game warden. As he did he asked him the question fishermen always ask, “Are you going to talk or are you going to fish?” That really is our problem when it comes to evangelism—too much talking and not enough fishing. We’re good at talking; we’re not so good at fishing. Most of the time we act as if Jesus said, “Follow me and we’ll talk about fishing for men.” So we read books and go to seminars and watch videotapes and take training sessions and listen to sermons (just like this one!). We end up experts at talking about fishing for men. We know how to bait the hook and what kind of lure to use. We learn all about how to fish for the loud-mouth speckle-bellied atheist and which bait works with the salt-water Pharisee. And most of us have a tackle box full of memorized Scripture, clever questions and some very old tracts. Yes, we’re good at talking about fishing.... Researcher George Barna has discovered that nine out of ten people who attempt to explain what they believe to other people come away from those experiences feeling as if they have failed. Get that—9 out of 10 feel like failures when it comes to sharing what they believe. No wonder we don’t do much evangelism. It’s not fun to do something that makes you feel like a failure 90% of the time. Barna concludes that “despite the divine command to spread the Word, many Christians redirect their energies into areas of spiritual activity that are more satisfying and in which they are more likely to achieve success.” (Let's Go Fishing) Pritchard tells the story of the famous evangelist Dwight L Moody - What is not so widely known is that Moody did not set out to be an evangelist. In point of fact, he was a very successful shoe salesman in the city of Chicago. During the early days of the Civil War, Moody experienced something which changed his life forever. Mr. Moody was a layman and a worker for God. He started a mission Sunday School that in time grew to over 100 attenders. It was a fantastic outward success, yet by his own admission, “none were converted; there was no harvest.” There was a class of girls in that Sunday School who were worldly and very unruly. One Sunday Moody substituted for the regular teacher and could barely maintain order. The next week the teacher came by and told Moody that because of grave sickness, he had to resign the class and move to another state. Then the teacher said with great sadness, “I have never led any of my class to Christ. I really believe I have done them more harm than good.” Moody said later, “I had never heard anyone talk like that, and it set me to thinking.” So he told the teacher, “Let’s go together and visit the girls in your class. You tell them how you feel and I’ll go with you.” So off they went to the first home. There was no laughter now. The girl listened, began to cry, and the teacher asked Moody to pray. “True, I had never done such a thing in my life as to pray God to convert a young lady then and there. But we prayed, and God answered our prayer.” Off they went to the other homes. Eventually they visited every girl in the class and each one put her faith in Christ. It took ten days to finish the visits. The time had come for the teacher to leave Chicago. Here is the story—in Moody’s own words—of what happened next. He had to leave the next night, so I called his class together for a prayer-meeting, and there God kindled a fire in my soul that has never gone out. The height of my ambition had been to be a successful merchant, and if I had known that meeting was going to take that ambition out of me, I might not have gone. But how many times since then I have thanked God for that meeting. The dying teacher sat in the midst of his class, and talked with them, and read the fourteenth chapter of John. We tried to sing “Blest be the Tie that Binds,” after which we knelt to pray. I was just rising from my knees when one of the class began to pray for her dying teacher. Another prayed, and another, and before we rose the whole class had prayed. As I went out I said to myself, “Oh, God, let me die rather than lose the blessing I have received tonight.” The next evening I went to the depot to say good-bye to that teacher. Just before the train started, one of the class came, and before long, without any prearrangement, they were all there. What a meeting that was! We tried to sing, but we broke down. The last we saw of the teacher, he was standing on the platform of the rear car, his finger pointing upward, telling that class to meet him in Heaven. (The Life of D. L. Moody, by William R. Moody, pp. 62-66) (Let's Go Fishing) Matthew 4:20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Mt 10:37 19:27 1Ki 19:21 Ps 119:60 Mk 10:28-31 Lu 18:28-30 Ga 1:16 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passage Mark 1:18+ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Immediately they left their nets - There was no hesitation as these men immediately obeyed Jesus. Their unhesitating obedience reminds me of Jesus' call in the following passage And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me (TO FOLLOW ME, TO BE MY DISCIPLE), he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow (akoloutheo - same verb as in this verse) Me. 35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it (NOTE HOW THESE MEN LEFT THEIR EARTHLY OCCUPATION), but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? (Mk 8:34-36) Immediately (2112)(eutheos from euthus = straight, immediate, the word used repeatedly in Mark's Gospel) is an adverb which generally means at once, right away, forthwith, straightaway, without an interval of time or a point of time subsequent to a previous point of time. Note that the actual interval of time depends on the nature of the events and the manner in which the sequence is interpreted by the writer. Eutheos is a "time sensitive" word (see expression of time) and should prompt questions like "To what time does it refer?" or "What happens in this time?" Eutheos - Matt 4:20, 22; 8:3; 13:5; 14:22, 31; 20:34; 21:2; 24:29; 25:15; 26:49, 74; 27:48; And followed Him - Swindoll writes "We might say of a boy adopting his father’s occupation, “He’s following in the footsteps of his father.” The Old Testament doesn’t make use of a similar Hebrew term for following after God, but the New Testament favors this term, perhaps because of the accessibility of the human example of Christ and His earthly relationship to His disciples." (Living Insights) Followed (190) (akoloutheo from a = expresses union with, likeness + keleuthos = a road, way) means to walk the same road (Ponder that simple definition dear believer - Am I willing to walk the same road as Jesus?), to go the same way. Literally to follow (like the crowds followed Jesus) and in a figurative sense to follow Jesus as a disciple. To follow (closely) as soldiers, servants and pupils. Early in the history of the Greek language akoloutheo came to mean to imitate or follow someone's example, imitating their thoughts, beliefs, actions, or lifestyle. Grassmick adds that in "the Gospels the verb "follow" (akoloutheō), when referring to individuals, expresses the call and response of discipleship." (BKC) In other words, akoloutheo is a technical term in Hebrew and Greek for the reactions and relationships of a disciple to his teacher. It implies fellowship, joint-participation, a side-by-side walking with another. Thus it has come to mean, “to join one as a disciple, to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and, if need be, in dying.” The essence of Christianity in fact lies in the words "to follow Jesus." Genuine believers are followers of Jesus, disciples of Jesus. Disciples are not a separate group of "super Christians." Discipleship defines normal Christianity. When we walk with Him, He promised we would never walk in darkness! (Jn 8:12). He (His Word) is our Lamp wherever we walk (cf Ps 119:105), always walking with us, His Spirit within us enabling us to obey the command to continually "Walk (present imperative) by the Spirit." (Gal 5:16+) Walking after Jesus is synonymous with imitating Him (1 Cor 11:1+) When He say's go, I go. When He says stop, I stop (cf the Angel of God [surely the preincarnate Jesus] leading of the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night - Ex 13:21, 22, 14:19, 24). He should order our starts and our stops! His sheep know His voice and follow Him (Jn 10:27) Sadly, many refused to follow Him (cf Mt 19:21-23). Akoloutheo is used multiple times in Matthew - Matt. 4:20; Matt. 4:22; Matt. 4:25; Matt. 8:1; Matt. 8:10; Matt. 8:19; Matt. 8:22; Matt. 8:23; Matt. 9:9; Matt. 9:19; Matt. 9:27; Matt. 10:38; Matt. 12:15; Matt. 14:13; Matt. 16:24; Matt. 19:2; Matt. 19:21; Matt. 19:27; Matt. 19:28; Matt. 20:29; Matt. 20:34; Matt. 21:9; Matt. 26:58; Matt. 27:55; Matthew 4:21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. other: Mt 10:2 17:1 20:20,21 26:37 Mk 1:19,20 3:17 5:37 Lu 5:10,11 Joh 21:2 Ac 12:2 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries "The Jesus Boat" JESUS CALLS SECOND SET OF BROTHERS Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, In the boat with Zebedee their father - Boat (4143)(ploion from pleo = to sail) can refer to a rather large seagoing craft (Acts 20:13, 38; Acts 21:2f, 6; 27 Jas 3:4; Rev 8:9; Rev 18:19) or a small fishing craft boat as used on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4:21f; Mt 9:1; Mk 1:19f; Mk 6:51, 54; Jn 6:19, 21f; Jn 21:3). See Wikipedia description of the "Jesus Boat" discovered in 1986. Mending their nets - Nets is plural so they were working on different kinds of fishing nets getting them ready for their next expedition. Mending is in the present tense picturing them as continually busy at their task. These men who were called by Jesus were not day-dreaming, but actively working, engaged diligently in their occupation as fishermen. Jesus would simply change the focus of their fishing activities from temporal fish to eternal souls. Fish spoil. Saved souls endure eternally! There is no comparison. Mending (same verb Mk 1:19+)(2675)(katartizo from katá = with + artízō = to adjust, fit, finish, in turn from ártios = fit, complete) means to put in order (like the creation of the world in Heb 11:3+ = prepared), to make ready, to fit or join together, to mend or repair. It refers to parts working precisely together – fulfilling their intended purpose (potential) because properly adapted (adjusted). Katartízō conveys the fundamental idea of putting something into its appropriate condition so it will function well. It conveys the idea of making whole by fitting together, to order and arrange properly. When applied to that which is weak and defective, it denotes setting right what has gone wrong, to restore to a former condition, whether mending broken nets or setting broken bones. Peter promises that after we suffer for a little while "the God of all grace, who called (us) to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect" (THINK "MEND" PERFECTLY! THAT WILL BE GLORY!)(1 Peter 5:10+). This verb is used in a great prayer (excellent one to pray for one another) Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip (katartizo) you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21+) Hiebert adds that katartízō can also mean "to bring to completion a process of making whole already begun" as in Jesus statement that "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained (katartízō), will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40+) When the pupil's training is complete, he will be just like his master. Our standard of excellence is the perfection of Christ Himself. (Hiebert, D. E. 1 Peter. page 319. Moody) Ray Stedman on mending their nets - But James and John were doing something else -- they were mending their nets. The Greek word for "mending" is the same word which appears in Ephesians 4, where Paul says of pastor/teachers that they are to "equip" (or mend) the saints to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12+ - ED: USES RELATED NOUN - katartismos = Make someone completely adequate and in context describes complete "furnishing" of a believer so that he or she might be made ready to fulfill their purpose - cf Eph 2:10+). Just as James and John were equipping their nets, getting them ready, when Jesus called them, so this would be the work they would be doing as fishers of men. They would do it as teachers, equipping the saints. Again, this is what you see in the lives of these men throughout Scriptures. This is beautiful thought, because it indicates that when our Lord calls us he not only equips us, taking full responsibility to teach us everything we need to learn in order to fulfill that calling, but he does it in such a way as to retain those nuances of personality that mark us as us. While I was at Wheaton College this past week a young student came up to me at the close of a chapel service and, with a very earnest look on his face, said, "Look, all week long you've been talking to us about Christ's working through us, saying that he will do the work. I have a question: How can Jesus work through us without destroying our personality?" I cast about for an answer, and all of a sudden an illustration came flashing into my mind: "When you prepare breakfast, if you plug an electric toaster and an electric mixer into the same outlet, would they both do the same thing?" He said, "I see what you mean." Of course they would not. They both use the same power, but they do not do the same thing. So it is with Jesus. He is the power in the Christian life, the One who is able to live in us and manifest himself through us -- whatever the demand of life may be -- but the result always retains something of our individuality. The glory of the call of Christianity is that we are all empowered by the same mighty One, but that we lose nothing of the distinct flavor of our particular personality. (Sermon) and He called them - Called is kaleo meaning “to call aloud, to utter in a loud voice” and together with the fact that James and John were in the large boat which had to be moored some distance from shore unless there was a wharf there, indicates that our Lord called across a stretch of water in order to reach them. In either event His call was an effectual call. The immediate call brought immediate obedience even as did Andrew and Simon in Mk 1:18. Related Resource: What is the effectual calling/call? Matthew 4:22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. Mt 10:37 Dt 33:9,10 Mk 1:20 Lu 9:59,60 Lk 14:26,33 2Co 5:16 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 10:37+ “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Mark 1:20+ Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. Luke 9:59; 60+ (DISCIPLE "WANNA BE'S" - THERE ARE MANY LIKE THIS EVEN TODAY!) And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Luke 14:26+ “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:33+ “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 2 Corinthians 5:16+ Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. THE COST TO FOLLOW JESUS Immediately (eutheos) they left the boat and their father, and followed (akoloutheo) Him - These early followers left possessions and parents. While they clearly had to make a decision of their will (akoloutheo is in the active voice = decision of one's will, volitional choice) to pay this price, the Spirit of God was undoubtedly giving them the desire and the power to follow through in following Jesus. This is the mystery of God's sovereignty and man's free will, found from cover to cover in the Scripture. Do not try to explain it, understand it or discount it, for it is God's truth. 🙏 THOUGHT - Dear reader have you counted the cost to be a follower of Jesus? Have you laid it all down for the glory of the Lord? If you have, rest assured that you will have no regrets in time, but especially throughout eternity! Left (863) aphiemi from apo = prefix speaks of separation, putting some distance between + hiemi = put in motion, send) conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation. Literally aphiemi means to send from one's self, to forsake, to hurl away, to put away, let alone, disregard, put off. It conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation and refers to total detachment, total separation, from a previous location or condition. It means to send forth or away from one's self. It refers to the act of putting something away or of laying it aside. In secular Greek aphiemi initially conveyed the sense of to throw and in one secular writing we read "let the pot drop" (aphiemi). From this early literal use the word came to mean leave or let go. Aphiemi - 133v - abandoned(1), allow(5), allowed(2), divorce(2), forgave(2), forgive(23), forgiven(23), forgives(1), gave...permission(1), leave(7), leaves(2), leaving(8), left(38), let(9), let...alone(6), let him have(1), neglected(1), neglecting(2), permit(6), permitted(1), permitting(1), send...away(1), tolerate(1), uttered(1), yielded(1). Matt. 3:15; Matt. 4:11; Matt. 4:20; Matt. 4:22; Matt. 5:24; Matt. 5:40; Matt. 6:12; Matt. 6:14; Matt. 6:15; Matt. 7:4; Matt. 8:15; Matt. 8:22; Matt. 9:2; Matt. 9:5; Matt. 9:6; Matt. 12:31; Matt. 12:32; Matt. 13:30; Matt. 13:36; Matt. 15:14; Matt. 18:12; Matt. 18:21; Matt. 18:27; Matt. 18:32; Matt. 18:35; Matt. 19:14; Matt. 19:27; Matt. 19:29; Matt. 22:22; Matt. 22:25; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 23:23; Matt. 23:38; Matt. 24:2; Matt. 24:40; Matt. 24:41; Matt. 26:44; Matt. 26:56; Matt. 27:49; Matt. 27:50; Mk. 1:18; Mk. 1:20; Mk. 1:31; Mk. 1:34; Mk. 2:5; Mk. 2:7; Mk. 2:9; Mk. 2:10; Mk. 3:28; Mk. 4:12; Mk. 4:36; Mk. 5:19; Mk. 5:37; Mk. 7:8; Mk. 7:12; Mk. 7:27; Mk. 8:13; Mk. 10:14; Mk. 10:28; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 11:6; Mk. 11:16; Mk. 11:25; Mk. 11:26; Mk. 12:12; Mk. 12:19; Mk. 12:20; Mk. 12:22; Mk. 13:2; Mk. 13:34; Mk. 14:6; Mk. 14:50; Mk. 15:36; Mk. 15:37; Lk. 4:39; Lk. 5:11; Lk. 5:20; Lk. 5:21; Lk. 5:23; Lk. 5:24; Lk. 6:42; Lk. 7:47; Lk. 7:48; Lk. 7:49; Lk. 8:51; Lk. 9:60; Lk. 10:30; Lk. 11:4; Lk. 12:10; Lk. 12:39; Lk. 13:8; Lk. 13:35; Lk. 17:3; Lk. 17:4; Lk. 17:34; Lk. 17:35; Lk. 17:36; Lk. 18:16; Lk. 18:28; Lk. 18:29; Lk. 19:44; Lk. 21:6; Lk. 23:34; Jn. 4:3; Jn. 4:28; Jn. 4:52; Jn. 8:29; Jn. 10:12; Jn. 11:44; Jn. 11:48; Jn. 12:7; Jn. 14:18; Jn. 14:27; Jn. 16:28; Jn. 16:32; Jn. 18:8; Jn. 20:23; Acts 5:38; Acts 8:22; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:27; Rom. 4:7; 1 Co. 7:11; 1 Co. 7:12; 1 Co. 7:13; Heb. 2:8; Heb. 6:1; Jas. 5:15; 1 Jn. 1:9; 1 Jn. 2:12; Rev. 2:4; Rev. 2:20; Rev. 11:9 Followed (190)(akoloutheo from a = expresses union with, likeness + keleuthos = a road, way) means to walk the same road (Ponder that simple definition dear believer - Am I willing to walk the same road as Jesus?) Literally to follow (like the crowds followed Jesus) and in a figurative sense to follow Jesus as a disciple. To follow (closely) and was used of soldiers, servants and pupils. To go after someone or something (not as a true disciple however as we see with the crowds who physically followed Jesus, following however without a willingness to commit wholly to Him! cf John 6:60-65, 66) Early in the history of the Greek language akoloutheo came to mean to imitate or follow someone's example. This dual meaning colored the New Testament use of our word akoloutheo. Akoloutheo - 86v - follow(35), followed(36), following(17), follows(1).Matt. 4:20; Matt. 4:22; Matt. 4:25; Matt. 8:1; Matt. 8:10; Matt. 8:19; Matt. 8:22; Matt. 8:23; Matt. 9:9; Matt. 9:19; Matt. 9:27; Matt. 10:38; Matt. 12:15; Matt. 14:13; Matt. 16:24; Matt. 19:2; Matt. 19:21; Matt. 19:27; Matt. 19:28; Matt. 20:29; Matt. 20:34; Matt. 21:9; Matt. 26:58; Matt. 27:55; Mk. 1:18; Mk. 2:14; Mk. 2:15; Mk. 3:7; Mk. 5:24; Mk. 6:1; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 9:38; Mk. 10:21; Mk. 10:28; Mk. 10:32; Mk. 10:52; Mk. 11:9; Mk. 14:13; Mk. 14:54; Mk. 15:41; Lk. 5:11; Lk. 5:27; Lk. 5:28; Lk. 7:9; Lk. 9:11; Lk. 9:23; Lk. 9:49; Lk. 9:57; Lk. 9:59; Lk. 9:61; Lk. 18:22; Lk. 18:28; Lk. 18:43; Lk. 22:10; Lk. 22:39; Lk. 22:54; Lk. 23:27; Jn. 1:37; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:40; Jn. 1:43; Jn. 6:2; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 10:5; Jn. 10:27; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 12:26; Jn. 13:36; Jn. 13:37; Jn. 18:15; Jn. 20:6; Jn. 21:19; Jn. 21:20; Jn. 21:22; Acts 12:8; Acts 12:9; Acts 13:43; Acts 21:36; 1 Co. 10:4; Rev. 6:8; Rev. 14:4; Rev. 14:8; Rev. 14:9; Rev. 14:13; Rev. 19:14 QUESTION - What does it mean to truly follow Christ? ANSWER - In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus’ command to "follow me" appears repeatedly (e.g., Matthew 8:22; 9:9, Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27; John 1:43). In many cases, Jesus was calling the twelve men who would become His disciples (Matthew 10:3–4). But other times, He was speaking to anyone who wanted what He had to offer (John 3:16; Mark 8:34). In Matthew 10:34–39, Jesus stated clearly what it means to follow Him. He said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Jesus’ bringing a “sword” and turning family members against each other can seem a little harsh after words like "whosoever believes on Him shall not perish" (John 3:16). But Jesus never softened the truth, and the truth is that following Him leads to difficult choices. Sometimes turning back may seem very appealing. When Jesus’ teaching went from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–11) to the coming cross, many who had followed him turned away (John 6:66). Even the disciples decided that following Jesus was too difficult the night He was arrested. Every one of them deserted Him (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). On that night, following Christ meant possible arrest and execution. Rather than risk his own life, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69–75). To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time (Matthew 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Mark 12:30). To truly follow Christ means we do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "halfway disciple." As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower. The Pharisees were good examples of those who were trying to obey God in their own strength. Their self-effort led only to arrogance and distortion of the whole purpose of God’s Law (Luke 11:39; Matthew 23:24). Jesus gave His disciples the secret to faithfully following Him, but they did not recognize it at the time. He said, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63). And "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (verse 65). The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years, learning, observing, and participating in His miracles. Yet, even they could not follow Him faithfully in their own strength. They needed a Helper. Jesus promised many times that, once He had ascended to the Father, He would send a "Helper" to them—the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). In fact, He told them that it was for their good that He was going away so that the Holy Spirit could come (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit indwells the heart of every believer (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:16; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). Jesus warned His followers that they were not to begin testifying of Him "until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). When the Holy Spirit came upon those first believers at Pentecost, they suddenly had all the power they needed to follow Christ, even to the death, if needed (Acts 2:1–4; 4:31; 7:59-60). Following Jesus means striving to be like Him. He always obeyed His Father, so that’s what we strive to do (John 8:29; 15:10). To truly follow Christ means to make Him the Boss. That’s what it means to make Jesus Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5). Every decision and dream is filtered through His Word with the goal of glorifying Him in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are not saved by the things we do for Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) but by what He has done for us. Because of His grace, we want to please Him in everything. All this is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of every area of our lives (Ephesians 5:18). He explains the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14), empowers us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), comforts us (John 14:16), and guides us (John 14:26). To follow Christ means we apply the truths we learn from His Word and live as if Jesus walked beside us in person. GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me”? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean to “count the cost” (Luke 14:28)? | GotQuestions.org If I convert to Christianity, my family will disown me, and I will be persecuted. Should I follow Jesus? | GotQuestions.org What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)? | GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the difference between a Christian and a disciple? ANSWER - The terms disciple and Christian are related but not synonymous. The Greek term for “disciple” in the New Testament is mathetes, which basically means “student” or “learner.” But a disciple is also a “follower,” someone who adheres completely to the teachings of another, making them his rule of life and conduct. The Pharisees prided themselves in being disciples of Moses (John 9:28). Jesus’ followers were called “disciples” long before they were ever called “Christians.” Their discipleship began with Jesus’ call and required them to exercise their will to follow Him (Matthew 9:9). Jesus was quite explicit about the cost of following Him. Discipleship requires a totally committed life: “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Sacrifice is expected: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24). Not all of Jesus’ followers were able to make such a commitment. There were many who left Jesus after a while. “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Jesus used the term disciple but never Christian. The first instance of the word Christian is found in the book of Acts: “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). Most Bible scholars agree that it is unlikely that the believers themselves thought up the name “Christians.” The early church had other names for themselves, such as “disciples” (Acts 13:52; 20:1; 21:4) and “saints” (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Ephesians 1:1) and “brothers” (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Peter 3:8). The name “Christian,” meaning “belonging to Christ,” appears to have been invented by those outside of the church. It was most likely meant as a derogatory term. Only two other times does the word appear in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The idea that the term Christian was originally a pejorative finds some support in 1 Peter 4:16: “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” Biblically speaking, a Christian is a disciple of Christ. A Christian is someone who has placed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12). A Christian has been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3). A Christian “belongs to Christ” and is daily being transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). A true Christian (and not one in name only) will have to be a disciple of Christ as well. That is, he has counted the cost and has totally committed his life to following Jesus. He accepts the call to sacrifice and follows wherever the Lord leads. The Christian disciple completely adheres to the teaching of Jesus, makes Christ his number-one priority, and lives accordingly. He is actively involved in making other Christian disciples (Matthew 28:19–20+). A true Christian disciple is a believer in Christ and possesses new life through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because he loves Christ, a Christian will also be an obedient disciple (John 14:15). Paul describes the reality of being a Christian disciple: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Classic book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - The Cost of Discipleship What is cheap grace? | GotQuestions.org What is Christian discipleship? | GotQuestions.org Why is making disciples important? | GotQuestions.org Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. Jesus: Mt 9:35 Mk 6:6 Joh 7:1 Ac 10:38 teaching: Mt 12:9 13:54 Ps 74:8 Mk 1:21,39 6:2 Lu 4:15,16,44 13:10 Ac 9:20,13,14-43 18:4 the gospel: Mt 13:19 24:14 Mk 1:14 Lu 4:17,18 8:1 20:1 Ro 10:15 healing: Mt 8:16,17 10:7,8 11:5 15:30,31 Ps 103:3 Mk 1:32-34 3:10 Lu 4:40,41 5:17 6:17 7:22 9:11 10:9 Ac 5:15,16 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS ON MISSION Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching (didasko in present tense) in their synagogues (sunagoge) and proclaiming (kerusso in present tense) the Gospel (euaggelion) of the kingdom, and healing (therapeuo in present tens ) every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people - Recall he began teaching in a synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth (Lk 4:16-18+) and His first proclamation so enraged the Jews (who He had grown up with) that they sought to kill Him (Lk 4:28-29+). Clearly nothing would deter Him from His mission, to the Jews first and also the Greeks (Gentiles). The Gospel of the Kingdom, was the good news to the Jews as to how they might enter into the Kingdom they so desired to enter (cf Jn 3:1-3+ where "see" is equivalent to "enter"). He was teaching (didasko in present tense) so that the truth might change the way His hearers thought and with a renewed mind they might walk in a new way. Notice the order of His mission - teaching, proclaiming, healing. Healing was the least importance, for it was only for the body, whereas the teaching and proclaiming were for the mind and the heart. Healing authenticated the importance and the veracity of His teaching and proclaiming. One would have thought the miracles would have gotten the attention of the Jews and all Israel would have been saved, but of course they were not. This shows us that miracles do not save anyone! Except one great miracle, the greatest miracle of all, the new birth by grace through faith! (Eph 2:8-9+). For more on Kingdom see Peter's massive treatise on The Theocratic Kingdom. The writers of the New Testament adapted the term Gospel as God's glorious message of salvation for lost otherwise hopeless, helpless sinners. Euaggelion is found in several combination phrases, each describing the gospel like a multifaceted jewel in various terms from a different viewpoint (from the NASB, 1977): the gospel of the kingdom (Mt 4:23+, Mt 9:35+, Mt 24:14+) the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mk 1:1+) because it centers in Christ the gospel of God (Mk 1:14+, Ro 15:16+, 2Co 11:7+, 1Th 2:2+, 1Th 2:8,9+, 1Pe 4:17+) because it originates with God and was not invented by man the gospel of the kingdom of God (Lu 16:16+) the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24+, Ro 1:1+), the gospel of His Son (Ro 1:9+) the gospel of Christ (Ro 15:19+, 2Co 2:12+, 2Co 9:13+, 2Co 10:14+, Gal 1:7+, Phil 1:27+, 1Th 3:2+) the gospel of the glory of Christ (2Co 4:4+) the gospel of your salvation (Eph 1:14+) the gospel of peace (Eph 6:15+) the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2Th 1:8+) the glorious gospel of the blessed God (1Ti 1:11+) In Ro 16:25, 26+ Paul called it “my Gospel” indicating that the special emphasis he gave the gospel in his ministry. An eternal gospel - Rev 14:6+ (Some writers such as C I Scofield interpret this as a "different gospel" than the other "gospels" mentioned above but I think such a distinction is incorrect and is poorly substantiated). For a rewarding study, study the preceding references in context making notation of the truth you observe about the gospel. If you would like a special blessing, take an afternoon to go through all 76 uses of euaggelion in context making a list of what you learn about the gospel. The Spirit of God will enlighten your heart and encourage your spirit in a very special way...and you'll want to share the "good news" with someone because of your "discoveries"! Euaggelion - Matt. 4:23; Matt. 9:35; Matt. 24:14; Matt. 26:13; Mk. 1:1; Mk. 1:14; Mk. 1:15; Mk. 8:35; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 13:10; Mk. 14:9; Mk. 16:15; Acts 15:7; Acts 20:24; Rom. 1:1; Rom. 1:9; Rom. 1:16; Rom. 2:16; Rom. 10:16; Rom. 11:28; Rom. 15:16; Rom. 15:19; Rom. 16:25; 1 Co. 4:15; 1 Co. 9:12; 1 Co. 9:14; 1 Co. 9:18; 1 Co. 9:23; 1 Co. 15:1; 2 Co. 2:12; 2 Co. 4:3; 2 Co. 4:4; 2 Co. 8:18; 2 Co. 9:13; 2 Co. 10:14; 2 Co. 11:4; 2 Co. 11:7; Gal. 1:6; Gal. 1:7; Gal. 1:11; Gal. 2:2; Gal. 2:5; Gal. 2:7; Gal. 2:14; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 3:6; Eph. 6:15; Eph. 6:19; Phil. 1:5; Phil. 1:7; Phil. 1:12; Phil. 1:16; Phil. 1:27; Phil. 2:22; Phil. 4:3; Phil. 4:15; Col. 1:5; Col. 1:23; 1 Thess. 1:5; 1 Thess. 2:2; 1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Thess. 2:8; 1 Thess. 2:9; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:8; 2 Thess. 2:14; 1 Tim. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:8; Phlm. 1:13; 1 Pet. 4:17; Rev. 14:6 Matthew 4:24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. the news: Mt 9:26,31 Mt 14:1 Jos 6:27 1Ki 4:31 10:1 1Ch 14:17 Mk 1:28 Lu 4:14 5:15 Syria: 2Sa 8:6 Lu 2:2 Ac 15:23,41 all who were ill: Mt 4:23 8:14,15 9:35 Ex 15:26 demoniacs: Mt 9:32 12:22 15:22 17:18 Mk 5:2-18 Lu 4:33-35 8:27-37 Ac 10:38 epileptics: Mt 17:15 paralytics: Mt 8:6,13 9:2-8 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NEWS SPREADS TO GENTILE LANDS The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them - Who is they? In context, this refers to Syrians, who would be Gentiles! While this text does not say specifically He taught and proclaimed the Gospel, it is difficult to imagine that as Jesus healed their bodies, He did not speak of how their souls could be healed. Matthew 4:25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. followed: Mt 5:1 8:1 12:15 19:2 Mk 3:7 6:2 Lu 6:17,19 Decapolis: Mk 5:20 7:31 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Herod's Kingdom - click to enlarge From Holman Bible Atlas (available for purchase in digital or Hardcover) © 1998 B&H Publishing Group used by permission. Please do not reproduce. Large crowds followed (akoloutheo) Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan (refers to east of Jordan) - Note the verb followed (akoloutheo), the same verb used in Mt 4:22. But, oh what a difference context makes in accurate interpretation! In Mt 4:22 they counted the cost, but in Mt 4:25 the word means they were simply walking after Him, but without any indication that they had counted the cost of truly following Him. And of course most of the large crowd never truly accepted Jesus as their Messiah, the Anointed One (Jn 1:11-13+) and thus they were not true disciples who endured to the end (Mt 24:13). For example, in John 6 after some "difficult" teaching about bread of life, etc, John records, that "As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore." (Jn 6:66).