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John Phillips · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Phillips writes "It is said that during a prolonged fast, the feeling of hunger goes away after three or four days, only to return with renewed force at the end of thirty or forty days. This sudden onslaught of recurring hunger became the basis for the first temptation." (xploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary - Page 61) J Knox Chamblin comments on became hungry noting that "it is not in the least surprising that Jesus was hungry after a forty-day fast: this is about as long as the human organism can last without food. ‘Anywhere between 21 and 40 days or longer, depending on the individual, hunger pains will return. This is the first stage of starvation and the pains signal that the body has used up its reserves and is beginning to draw on the living tissue. The fast should be broken at this time’ (Foster 1988: 59). ‘Since the human body cannot go without water much more than three days,’ Moses must have been miraculously sustained during his ‘absolute fasts’ (ibid., 49). The same would hold true for Jesus, if he abstained from water as well as food (but Foster, ibid., thinks he fasted from food alone)." (Ibid)
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Phillips - Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary - Page 64) Kent
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Phillips writes that Satan "was careful to leave something out: "to keep thee in all thy ways." And he omitted Psalm 91:13, which speaks of the Lord treading on the lion and adder and trampling the young lion and the dragon under His feet. Naturally Satan did not even want to think about that verse! Thus in handling Scripture, Satan used a convenient translation, paraphrased it to serve his own purpose, eagerly accepted an addition, deliberately left something out, and ignored the context. The Lord knew His Bible better than to be taken in by Satan's garbled version of a great and much-loved Messianic Psalm." (SEE Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary - Page 64) Phillips makes an interesting statement that Satan omits Ps 91:13 "You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down." (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew) This passage actually goes on to promise God’s ultimate victory over Satan! Here is Spurgeon's interpretation "The strongest foe in power, and the most mysterious in cunning, shall be conquered by the man of God. Not only from stones in the way, but from serpents also, shall we be safe. To men who dwell in God the most evil forces become harmless, they wear a charmed life, and defy the deadliest ills. Their feet come into contact with the worst of foes, even Satan himself nibbles at their heel, but in Christ Jesus they have the assured hope of bruising Satan under their feet shortly. The people of God are the real "George and the dragon, "the true lion kings and serpent tamers. Their dominion over the powers of darkness makes them cry, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy word." Henry
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Phillips adds some "color" to the description of Galilee - In Jesus' day nine cities bordered the lake and a busy life went on all around it. Township ran into township about the feet of the green western hills, and along the shore there were docks and harbors. Farmers elbowed fishermen; dockworkers jostled coopers and shipwrights. Fishing and fish curing were big business, employing thousands of families and making Galilee famous in the Roman world long before the Gospels were written. An intricate system of aqueducts carried water to the farms and orchards. There were dyeworks at Magdala and pottery kilns and shipyards at Capernaum. Presiding over the whole scene was the regal city of Tiberias with its magnificent Herodian palace, where Greek sculptures shone in the sun and reminded the Jews that their land was in the hands of the Gentiles. Walking the roads of Galilee, a Jew would meet long caravans heading south to the fords of Jordan. He would meet Rome's marching cohorts encased in iron, and their officers richly arrayed in armor adorned with purple and gold. He would meet Phoenician merchants bringing the treasures of lands across the sea to the bazaars and markets of a hundred towns. He would see chariots of the wealthy, troops of gladiators, and bands of roving entertainers coming to play before the cosmopolitans of Caesarea, Tiberias, and Decapolis. This was "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Matthew 4:15), as the proud Judeans contemptuously termed it. This was where Jesus chose to live. (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew) Related Resources: Galilee in Multiple Dictionaries American Tract Society Galilee Easton's Bible Dictionary Galilee Fausset Bible Dictionary Galilee Holman Bible Dictionary Galilee Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Galilee Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Galilee 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Galilee International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Galilee McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Galilee (2) Galilee The Nuttall Encyclopedia Galilee The Jewish Encyclopedia Galilee Lowell Johnson on Jesus waiting for John to step aside - John 4:1-3 tells us why Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee. Why now? Why not fully begin his public ministry earlier? Jesus could not and would not give the appearance of competing with John. If Jesus had begun His ministry in full force before John's ministry had been completed, the loyalty of the people would have been divided. John was sent to prepare the way and the way was not fully prepared until John was removed from the scene. Believers are not rivals. They are joint servants of the Lord who work together in their respective ministries. They are not to compete against each other. And when the time comes, when a servant's ministry is completed, he is to willingly step aside for the new ministry. I know I will not always be your pastor, if Jesus tarries His coming. Part of my responsibility as your pastor is to prepare you for the next man of God that will lead you. In Joshua 1:2 God speaks to Joshua and says, “Moses my servant is dead, now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land I am giving them.” In other words, “Moses is dead, but the work must go on. When the workman dies, none of the work of God dies.” Moses had been preparing Joshua to take over when he was gone. Take Moses from the people of God and He will give them Joshua. Elijah is caught up to heaven, so Elisha will do the work. Take John the Baptist away and the Voice of Jesus will be heard. It has been that way throughout the history of the Church. Notice: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came preaching in Galilee.” John would remain in prison for a year before he was beheaded by Herod because he preached against his sin of taking his brother Philip's wife. “When John was put in prison and Jesus came forth preaching” serve as a date to fix the approximate time that Jesus began to minister in Galilee. (Sermon) Matthew 4:13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. leaving: Lu 4:30,31 Capernaum: Mt 11:23 17:24 Mk 1:21 Joh 4:46 6:17,24,59 Zebulun: Jos 19:10-16 Naphthali: Jos 19:32-39, Naphtali Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Napthali & Zebulun And leaving (kataleipo - leaving behind) Nazareth - Even though He settled in Capernaum, even at the triumphal entry, Nazareth would still be described as his hometown (Mt 21:11). Why did Jesus leave Nazareth? In a word it was because of their unbelief that led them to reject Jesus. And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown (THIS PROPHECY WOULD BE FULFILLED A FEW MINUTES LATER AS THEY SOUGHT TO KILL HIM!). 25 “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way. 31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath (Mk 1:21+ describes Jesus' teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum but this event is not in the Gospel of Matthew) (Luke 4:23-31+) John Phillips makes an interesting comment that "Galilee was cut off from the theological bastion of Jerusalem. The district had never been wholly Jewish, for Solomon had given twenty Galilean cities to Hiram, king of Tyre. Constant invasions and settlement by Gentiles gave the area a mixed population; the western shore of the sea of Galilee was dotted with numerous towns and fishing villages occupied by large numbers of Gentile people. The more racially pure cities of Judea looked with scorn on Galilee and ridiculed the Galilean accent. By leaving Judea and settling in Galilee, Jesus made a significant gesture. It was an indication of His worldwide purpose, always present in His thinking even when He was ministering to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew) He came and settled - This city became Jesus "home base" over the months of His great Galilean ministry. In Matthew 9:1 Jesus refers to Capernaum as "His own city." John
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Phillips - Galilee of the Gentiles was soon ablaze with the light of another world, with the shekinah glory of God now dwelling among them in the person of Jesus Christ. The Lord's move to Capernaum placed Him right in the middle of all the bustle of a world where Hebrew and heathen met and mingled as nowhere else in the promised land. (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew) He Cares for the Likes of us "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan."—Isaiah 9:1 In 1865, the East End of London was a very depressed area. In Whitechapel, the center of this churchless slum, William Booth and his wife Catherine started a mission. Their tent meetings used lively music and fiery preaching to reach the toughest characters of that neighborhood. They preached in the taverns, the jails, and in the open air. The mission in Whitechapel was the first of what was to become the many stations for the Salvation Army. By 1879 there were eighty-one stations with 127 full-time evangelists holding seventy-five thousand services a year. By 1884 there were over four thousand workers in the Army. By 1891 there were ten thousand officers ministering in twenty-six countries. When William Booth died his funeral was held in West London. Queen Victoria slipped in to attend the ceremony. Sitting next to her was a woman who quietly confessed to the queen that she had been involved in a life of prostitution. "What brought you here to the service?" asked the queen. "Well," the woman replied, "he cared for the likes of us." When Christ started His earthly ministry He chose the rough region of Galilee and for His disciples he chose, tough fishermen. Christ went to the lost to save them. If you see the Salvation Army this Christmas season with their handbells and red kettles, remember: "Christ cared for the likes of us." Be willing to bring the light of Jesus Christ where it may have never shined before. "I am convinced the world is more eager to hear our message than we are to deliver it."—Howard Hendricks (From Generation to Generation - Peter Kennedy) Matthew 4:16 "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." in darkness: Ps 107:10-14 Isa 42:6,7 Isa 60:1-3 Mic 7:8 Lu 1:78,79 Lk 2:32 shadow: Job 3:5 10:22 34:22 Ps 44:19 Jer 13:16 Am 5:8 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS IS THE GREAT LIGHT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS - Where is light generally seen the most obviously? In the darkness! The Galileans were sitting in darkness, especially spiritual darkness. The center of the Jewish religion was in Jerusalem, but sadly their "religious light" was a sham, a counterfeit, powerless to save, and so they too were in darkness. The difference was the Jews in Jerusalem thought they were in the "light" whereas the Gentiles in Galilee knew they were in the darkness. 🙏 THOUGHT - I am an infectious disease expert and have seen the powerful effect of a vaccination (for example years ago, the polio vaccine), the effect being to keep one from contracting the real disease. This same dynamic unfortunately works in spiritual matters, for the Jews of Jerusalem had "vaccination" which made it difficult for them to receive the "real disease" (in a good sense of course), the purity of the Gospel. The same is true of many religions today that practice rituals and extra-Biblical routines and beliefs, which in effect serve to make them "immune" to the true Gospel. The most difficult people for me to share the Gospel with are those who are in this category of religious but without a relationship with Christ, for they think their religion will guarantee a place in Heaven but they are tragically deceived and I fear there are millions and millions of them in the United States! Intellectual knowledge without heart transformation saves no one. John writes about this spiritual darkness - "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." (1 John 1:6+). Then John gives the antidote for spiritual darkness "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7+). John describes the natural inclination of all men and women in Adam - “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20+) SAW A GREAT LIGHT - NET = "Have seen a great light." Notice the use of the past tense because the prophecy was so certain to come to pass. The "Great Light" is the Great Savior Jesus Who would enlighten those sitting in spiritual darkness. John described Jesus as the Light writing "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (Jn 1:4-5+) adds that "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (Jn 1:9+). Jesus described Himself as the light - "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (Jn 8:12) “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.(Jn 12:46) This Light presages the universal message of hope, because from this same region of “Galilee of the Gentiles” Jesus sends the disciples to carry out the commission to make disciples of all the nations (Gentiles) (Mt 28:16, 18-19+). This description of light and darkness reminds me of Jesus' words to Paul (at the inception of his call) regarding his ministry to the Gentiles in which He declares "But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’" (Acts 26:16-18+, cf Col 1:13+). Isaiah prophetically described Jesus "As a light to the nations (GENTILES), to open blind eyes,to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison." (Isaiah 42:6-7) Simeon "came in the Spirit into the temple" (Lk 2:28+) and enabled by the Spirit He prophetically described Jesus Who would be "A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Lk 2:32+) So even here we see Jesus prophesied as the Savior of all men, Jews and Gentiles alike. Darkness (4653)(skotia from skotos = darkness) means literal darkness in some NT uses (Jn 6:17, 20:1), but more often (14/16x) is used figuratively to refer to spiritual darkness. In every NT figurative use, darkness is contrasted with light in all but one passage (1Jn 2:11). Ponder this thought - Darkness has no existence by itself, being definable simply as an absence of light. In the spiritual sense darkness describes both the state and works of a person. It symbolizes evil and sin, everything that life should not be and everything that a person should not do! Woe! Gentiles (nations) (1484)(ethnos gives us our word "ethnic") in general refers to a multitude (especially persons) associated with one another, living together, united in kinship, culture or traditions and summed up by the words nation, Gentiles (especially when ethnos is plural which refers to the heathen nations), people (much like "people groups" in our modern missionary vernacular). In a negative sense ethnos conveys the meaning of godless (generally idol worshipping) pagans, foreign nations not worshipping the true God. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has a helpful summary of darkness in Scripture - Darkness has no existence by itself, being definable simply as an absence of light. It is a physical and spiritual reality as well as an apt symbol for some of the profoundest human experiences. With approximately two hundred references, darkness is a major actor in the biblical drama… Darkness stands out from virtually all other literary images, which are finally ambivalent (having both good and bad manifestations), because it is uniformly negative in its import… Throughout the Bible, darkness is an implied contrast to light, regardless of whether the darkness is physical or symbolic. In fact, sixty verses present light and darkness as a contrasting pair, and being brought out of darkness into light is a major biblical image of redemption… If light symbolizes understanding, darkness represents ignorance (Ps 82:5), folly (Eccles 2:13–14), a silencing of prophetic revelation (Mic 3:6), the state of the human mind unilluminated by God’s revelation (2Pet 1:19), falsehood (1 Jn 1:6) and the loss of walking in God’s truth “because the darkness has brought on blindness” (1 Jn 2:11NRSV). If light symbolizes good, darkness is the corresponding image for evil people “who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness” (Pr 2:13NRSV; cf. Pr 4:19). In Jesus’ mysterious picture of the eye as “the lamp of the body,” physical blindness becomes a metaphor for the lost state (Mt 6:22–23; Lk 11:34–36). (Ryken, Leland; et al, Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, InterVarsity Press) Related Resources: Darkness in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Darkness in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH - What a dramatic figure of speech. It is as if these souls though alive were in the shadow of death, doomed to die eternally without belief in the Messiah. Shadow (4639)(skia) refers to a pale shadow, as contrasted with a sharp, distinct one. Luke uses skia in a similar passage writing "Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW (skia) OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Lk 1:78-79+) A shadow is literally a region of darkness where light is blocked. In this context the region was spiritually dark because it had not had exposure to the Gospel, but that was now changing because of the Light of the World in this region. UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED - Light dawned means a light arose, which is the same verb used by in the Septuagint of Malachi 4:2+ “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise (Lxx = anatello) with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall." While not everyone agrees, this prophecy in Malachi seems (to me) to clearly refer to the Sun (Son) of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Malachi's context, it refers most likely to His second coming when He heals the nation (1/3 of Israel - Zech 13:8-9+) and restores the land to Israel. Anatello is also used in another messianic prophecy in Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." Peter's figurative use is somewhat similar to the figurative use here in Matthew - "So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts." (2 Pe 1:19+). It is also notable that this same verb anatello is used in a Messianic prophecy in the book of Numbers predicting the future coming of Israel's King who would have total dominion - “I (BALAAM'S FOURTH ORACLE) see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A Star shall come forth (Septuagint = anatello) from Jacob (THE MESSIAH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST), a scepter (PICTURE OF HIS POWER) shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth." (Nu 24:17) The fulfillment of Balaam's prophecy awaits Messiah's Second Coming when the One from Jacob, the Messiah, will be Victor over all His foes (see Ps 2:9-12; Ps 110:1-2; Rev. 19:11-21+, Daniel 2:34, 35+, Daniel 2:44, 45+). Dawned (393)(anatello from aná = up + téllo = set out for a goal) means to cause to arise, spring up, be up and was used of the rising of a heavenly body, sun, star, of a cloud, of the springing up of plants. To descend from as the Lord Jesus rose up from the tribe of Judah. Friberg - with an indication of upward movement; (1) transitively cause to spring up or rise (Mt 5.45); (2) intransitively; (a) literally, of the sun rise, come up (Mk 4.6); of a cloud appear (Lk 12.54); (b) figuratively, of one's family origin be descended, arise from ( Heb 7.14); (c) metaphorically, of increased understanding of spiritual things made possible through Christ's return, likened to the appearance of the morning star rise, shine forth (2Pt 1.19). Anatello in the NT - arises(1), causes...to rise(1), dawned(1), descended(1), risen(3), rises(1), rising(1). = Mt 4:16, 5:45 Mk 16:2 Lk 12:54 Heb 7:14 Jas 1:11, 2Pe1:19. Anatello in the Septuagint - Gen. 2:5; Gen. 3:18; Gen. 19:25; Gen. 32:31; Exod. 22:3; Lev. 13:37; Lev. 14:43; Num. 24:17; Deut. 29:23; Jdg. 9:33; Jdg. 14:18; Jdg. 16:22; 2 Sam. 10:5; 2 Sam. 23:4; 2 Ki. 3:22; 2 Ki. 19:29; 1 Chr. 19:5; 2 Chr. 26:19; Est. 1:1; Job 3:9; Job 9:7; Job 11:17; Ps. 65:10; Ps. 72:7; Ps. 85:11; Ps. 92:7; Ps. 97:11; Ps. 104:22; Prov. 11:28; Eccl. 1:5; Eccl. 1:6; Isa. 13:10; Isa. 14:12; Isa. 42:9; Isa. 43:19; Isa. 44:4; Isa. 44:26; Isa. 45:8; Isa. 58:8; Isa. 58:10; Isa. 58:11; Isa. 60:1; Isa. 61:11; Isa. 66:14; Ezek. 16:7; Ezek. 17:6; Ezek. 29:21; Hos. 10:4; Jon. 4:8; Nah. 3:17; Hab. 2:3; Zech. 6:12; Mal. 4:2 The Right Light - Eating in the dark is no fun. Low light in a restaurant is one thing; eating in a room with no light at all is another. The same is true in our walk with God. Unless we take advantage of the light He gives, we will miss seeing what He is doing for us. We have an Old Testament picture of this—the tabernacle. As the priest entered a room called the Holy Place, he could see only by the light of a golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40). Like everything else in the room, it had been carefully fashioned according to the pattern God gave Moses (v.40). The lampstand is a picture of spiritual light. The gold speaks of value. The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The six branches coming out from the center shaft portray unity in plurality. The symbol of the almond blossom is linked to God’s anointed priesthood (Numbers 17:1-8). When all this is combined with a New Testament reference that uses a golden lampstand to represent the church (Revelation 1:20), we have the complete picture. God gives light through the Spirit, who works through His congregation of anointed people (1Peter 2:9). Holy Ghost, with light divine, Shine upon this heart of mine; Chase the shades of night away, Turn my darkness into day. —Reed The light of God's holiness convicts the sinner and guides the saint. Secrets - "God is light,” the apostle reminded us, “and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). But if that is true, how can a holy God have anything to do with the likes of us? Fyodor Dostoevsky, in Notes from the Underground, writes what we all know: There are certain things in a man’s past which he does not divulge to everybody but, perhaps, only to friends. Again, there are certain things he will not divulge even to his friends; he will divulge them perhaps only to himself, and that too as a secret. But, finally there are things which he is afraid to divulge even to himself, and every decent man has quite an accumulation of such things in his mind. If we have so many deep dark secrets, how can we hope to have fellowship with God? An illustration from Martin Luther’s life shows us. Luther had a dream in which he stood before God. Satan was there to accuse Luther, and when the books were opened the accuser pointed to sin after sin in his life. Luther despaired. Then he remembered the cross and, turning to the devil, he quoted 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Thinking It Over "God is light" (1 Jn. 1:5). What does that mean? What creates distance between us and God? (1 Jn. 1:6,8,10). What is the solution to the problem? (1 Jn. 1:9). No sin is so secret that it is beyond God's forgiveness. An Illustration of Spiritual Darkness - A new preacher came to town and was meeting the people. He asked a stranger, "Are you a Christian?" "No," the man responded. "Name is Jones. The Christians live a block over." "No, you don't understand," the preacher continued. "I mean, are you lost?" "Lost?" the man queried. "No, of course I'm not lost. I've lived here all my life." "You still don't understand," the preacher continued. "I mean, are you ready for judgment day?" "When will it be?" the local resident questioned. "It could be today, it could be tomorrow," responded the preacher. "Well," the man answered, "don't tell my wife. She'll want to go both days!' (Brian Harbour) Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent: Mt 3:2 9:13 10:7 Mk 1:15 Lu 5:32 9:2 10:11-14 15:7,10 24:47 Ac 2:38 3:19 11:18 17:30 20:21 26:20 2Ti 2:25,26 Heb 6:1 kingdom of heaven: Mt 11:12 13:9,11,24,47 25:1 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries REPENT ABOUT FACE! The command "About Face" is describes the act of pivoting 180 degrees, especially in a military formation. Another English definition says it is "a reversal of direction, of attitude, behavior, or point of view." This is a good picture of repentance that Jesus commands. Jesus continues the call to repentance made by John in Mark 1:4+. From that time - From the time He left Nazareth...and settled in Capernaum (Mt 4:13), which became His base of operations. This is an important time phrase and should prompt the question what happens from that time? In short, this expression of time marks an important turning point and points something new when compared to the preceding passages. Jesus began to preach and say - The verb began (archo) literally means to be first and in the middle voice means to begin or start and thus calls attention to the "special" status or importance of what follows (the primacy of preaching!) Preach is in the present tense which indicates Jesus was beginning a continuous action, specifically beginning the proclaiming of the Good News of the Kingdom (While we will not all be formal preachers, we should still be proclaimers of the Good News like our Master Teacher for we are enabled by the same Spirit Who enabled Him! cf Mt 4:1+, Lk 4:14+, 1 Pe 2:21+. See Walking Like Jesus Walked) Notice that the focus is on Jesus preaching the Word, not on performing wonders (miraculous healings, etc). Men are saved only by the Word, not by seeing miraculous works. John 12:37 says "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him." There is however one miracle Jesus performed that did effect genuine belief. John records "So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." (Jn 2:22+) Of course that miracle is one every true believer believes, having seen it with eyes of faith, not sight (in contrast to the many signs Jesus performed while on earth). Preach (proclaim, herald) (2784)(kerusso from kerux/keryx = a herald - one who acts in place of the authority of one who proclamation he makes; kerugma = thing preached) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering. Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16+)! Present tense pictures the carrying out of His ministry. Certain qualities were required of heralds. They must have powerful voices, so voice auditions were often held. Also they had t o be capable of calming down an unruly mob, in order to faithfully communicate the command. An honest disposition was also required, as a protection against the exaggeration of a royal decree. Furthermore, they could make no additions or subtractions from the received message. Later these heralds were also used to declare the message of a Greek deity or a religious oracle. The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf 1Th 2:13+). He gave the people exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. The verb kerusso used to describe the official activity of a herald (kerux) in the ancient world, who brought a message direct from the king. Jesus was sent forth to herald the good news of salvation from God (Jn 3:16+). The irony is that the "Herald" of the Good News was in fact the personification of the Gospel! The herald also described an emissary when two armies were opposed to each other, and Jesus message was that He was the ONLY go-between (the "one Mediator" 1 Ti 2:5+) to offer conditions of peace to men who were at war with God (Ro 5:10+). Kerux was also used of a merchant shouting out his wares and inviting people to come and buy. Jesus clearly saw the gospel as something to be VERBALLY communicated. While it is absolutely essential that our walk backs up our talk, it is equally essential that our talk explains our walk. Otherwise, how will people come to know the real reason for the difference in our lifestyle? (cf 1Pe 3:15+, Col 4:5-6+) Our conduct should catch their eye, so that our confession might capture their heart. Conversely, when our talk outpaces our walk, our witness "limps." A godly life adorns the gospel; a faithful tongue announces it. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand - Mark has "repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15+). In both Gospels repent is in the present imperative, a command calling for a lifestyle of repentance, a command that while requiring a decision of one's will, ultimately can only be obeyed as one is enabled by Holy Spirit to obey (Yes, I realize God's sovereignty and free will is a mystery, one we will not fully understand in this life, but hopefully in the next!) In Europe before the fall of the Iron Curtain, those who became believers at great risk were called "Repenters." They were not playing games praying a prayer to ask Jesus into their heart (with not call to repentance). Their lives changed for they have a new power, Christ in them and His Holy Spirit empowering them. Jesus' forerunner proclaimed the same message - "Repent (present imperative), for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (eggizo in perfect tense)." (Mt 3:2+) Repent (3340)(metanoeo from meta = with, among + noeo = to think, exercise the mind <> from nous = mind; cf metanoia) means to have another mind. Friberg says it literally means to "perceive afterward, with the implication of being too late to avoid consequences." (Analytical Lexicon). Metanoeo means to change one's mind (one's heart) in respect to sin, God, and self. To turn to God and from sin (Luke 15:7,10+ = "one sinner who repents", cf illustration of repentance = 1 Th 1:9, 10+). While repentance involves an intellectual decision, it is more than that because the intellectual decision must produce a change in one's behavior. Peter makes it clear that repentance is an integral aspect of salvation writing "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9+) Come to what? Salvation. In context of course God's desire is that none would perish but all come to salvation (cf 1 Ti 2:4). But here Peter substitutes "repentance." Peter's point is DO NOT leave repentance out of your message or it will not be a message of salvation! Paul declared "I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:20-21+) Repentance is aptly depicted by the military command "About, face!" The repentant person in effect turns around 180 degrees and goes the other direction. And keep in mind that the spiritual dynamics of true repentance are enabled by the Holy Spirit - repentance is a GIFT FROM GOD! (cf Acts 5:31+, Acts 11:18+). In Romans Paul writes "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness (chrestos) of God (present tense - continually) leads you to repentance?" (Ro 2:4+) What is it that "leads you to repentance?" God's kindness! In his last letter Paul writes we as teachers should "with gentleness (be) correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." (2 Ti 2:25-26+) In other words repentance is a gift from our gracious God and not merely a human effort, although it does ultimately call for the repentant individual to make a volitional choice. Repentance involves the mysterious interaction of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Further, this change of mind may, especially in the case of Christians who have fallen into sin, be preceded by sorrow (2 Cor 7:8, 9, 10, 11); but sorrow for sin, though it may cause repentance, is not repentance. Darrell Bock writes "the point is that repentance involves a reorientation of perspective, a fresh point of view. When dealing with God's plan, it means to see that plan in a new way and to orient oneself to it. Luke demonstrates the fruit of repentance expresses itself concretely (Lk 3:10-14+). Repentance expresses itself in life, especially in how one treats others." (Gulp!) There can be no genuine conversion without genuine repentance. "This word (repent) was the message of the Baptist, of Jesus, of Peter, of Paul, this radical change of attitude and life." (Robertson) William