Jesus’ Begins His Ministry
Text to Read Matt 4:12-25
Preaching Material: Matthew 4:12–17
God’s providence is an amazing reality. Here is an example.
David Thompson (1770-1857), who was the greatest land
surveyor/map maker in history, became a map maker by Accident. At
age 20 he shattered his femur while working for the Hudson’s Bay
company in the wilds of Canada. It was 1790. It was a severe break,
and there was no medical care. One of the men attempted to set the
break. It was a bad set. As a result Thompson was confined to bed
off and on for a year. The young man was devastated. What would
become of him? How would he make a living? The slow healing of his
leg kept Thompson confined to bed and uselessness. It meant that
he was on hand for when Philip Turnor, the Hudson’s Bay Company
“surveyor and astronomer arrived.”1
Being disabled, and with nothing else to do, Thompson built a
relationship with Turnor and learned from him the craft of surveying. It
required intense study, mathematical ability, and perseverance, but
Thompson was equal to the task. The rest is history. Thompson’s leg
eventually healed and with his new-found learning Thompson
became what many consider the greatest land surveyor in history.
Thompson was a Christian. I am sure He credited this turn of
events, which catapulted him into world prominence, to God’s
providence. God’s providence is the subject of verses 12-17.
1
Troll, Ray (2011-05-03). Sources of the River, 2nd Edition: The Artwork of Ray Troll (p. 33). Sasquatch
Books. Kindle Edition.
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NBD: “Providence is…the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby…he
guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and
men, and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory.”2
Most of chapter four has been about Jesus’ preparation for
ministry. Jesus submitted to Baptism. When he came up from the
water the Father affirmed his love, and the power of the Holy Spirit
came upon him. Next the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to
be tempted/tested.
Now in the words of Luke 4:14 he has come out of the
wilderness “in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Main Point: God’s providence led Jesus to begin his
ministry in the right place.
Today’s sermon has three points. 1st Galilee was “A Place
Ordered by Providence.” 2nd Galilee was a place of spiritual darkness.
3rd Galilee was a place of Gentiles.
A. A PLACE ORDERED BY PROVIDENCE
The point of today’s text is that God’s providence moved Jesus
to Capernaum. In his humanity Jesus was just like us. He didn’t know
the future. He didn’t always know the next step in God’s will.
Sometimes God directed him by speaking directly to him. At other
times Jesus just moved in faith just like we do.
To understand this we need to remember that Jesus was one
person with two natures. With the exception of sin, he had a
completely normal human nature. But, he also possessed a fully
divine nature. The two never mixed yet he was not two people. He
was one person with two separate natures.
2
Packer, J. I. (1996). Providence. In (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, & D. J. Wiseman,
Eds.)New Bible dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Anecdote: Wally the Cocker-Doodle
In his human nature he did not know the future. (Matthew
24:36) “But concerning that day and hour [of the second coming] no
one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the
Father only."
In his human nature he hungered. (Matthew 4:2) "And after
fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."
In his human nature he got weary. (John 4:6) "Jacob’s well was
there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting
beside the well."
In his human nature he thirsted, he experienced normal sexual
desire, he got lonely, etc.
I am stressing this to highlight the way the HS guided Jesus. He
was often guided like us, by Providence. The word “providence” does
not appear in the Bible, but the concept is everywhere.
NBD: “Providence is…the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby,…he
guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and
men, and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory.”3
Providence guided David Thompson into the surveying
business. In today’s text providence insured that Jesus arrived at the
right place at the right time to fulfill a seven hundred year old
prophecy.
Think back on the story of Joseph in Genesis. The providence
of God used evil to relocate Joseph to Egypt. Then the providence of
God used circumstances to elevate Joseph to the office of Egyptian
Prime Minister. Then the providence of God used a famine to send
his family to Egypt in search of grain. There God used Joseph’s
3
Packer, J. I. (1996). Providence. In (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, & D. J. Wiseman,
Eds.)New Bible dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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previous decision to store grain to save the patriarchs from famines.
This occurred to fulfill God’ s promise to make Israel into a great
nation.
In the same way, God’s providence used two events to move
Jesus to Galilee.
Jesus was just emerging from his wilderness temptation when
he heard that John the Baptist had been arrested. Verse 12 “Now
when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into
Galilee.”
News of John’s arrest must have distressed Jesus. John was
his “relative.” Jesus’ mother and John’s mother were related. He
probably knew John growing up. They were the same age. They also
shared the same spiritual interests and passions.
In addition, John’s arrest must have reminded Jesus of his
ultimate fate—arrest and crucifixion.
John the Baptist was arrested in Jerusalem. John the Baptist’s
enemies were in Jerusalem. John’s gospel tells us that Jesus first
returned from his wilderness temptation to Jerusalem. That is where
all expected him to go. It was the center of Jewish life and culture. It
was also the spiritual center of Judaism. But Matthew 4:12 tells us
that after John’s arrest he didn’t stay there. Why? Fear of
persecution. Instead, Jesus headed for his hometown, Nazareth.
Providence was at work guiding him.
MAP OF PALESTINE
God’s providence guided Jesus a second time. Verse thirteen
reads, “And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the
sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” Matthew doesn’t tell us
why he went to Nazareth or why he left Nazareth, but Luke does.
In his hometown of Nazareth Jesus unexpectedly endured
rejection by family and friends in. Luke chapter four records the story.
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On the Sabbath Jesus went to Sabbath as was the custom. He
was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and asked to read. He went
to Isaiah 61 and read the first verse. It was a verse describing the
Messiah’s his ministry.
(Luke 4:18–19) "18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”"
Jesus sat down. Sensing the power and presence of God all
the people fixed their eyes upon him. An uncomfortable silence
followed. Then Jesus said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing” (Lk. 4:21). The people that heard Jesus say this had
known him since his childhood. They also knew his extended family.
At first they were pleased.
(Luke 4:22) "22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words
that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”"
But, instead of ingratiating them, Jesus criticized them,
suggesting that God would take the gospel from the Jews and give it
to the Gentiles. The people of Nazareth responded with “wrath.” In
Jesus case, the old saying proved true—“familiarity breeds
contempt.” They took him to the brow of a hill with murderous intent,
but he escaped.
The bottom line is this. God’s providence used the persecution
and hatred of family and boyhood friends to drive him away from
Nazareth. The only place left was Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee,
and that was where, from this time forth, he centered his ministry.
Matthew wants us to know that all of this happened to fulfill a 700
year old prophecy.
13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the
territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet
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Isaiah might be fulfilled:15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the
way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people
dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the
region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
With these words Matthew justifies Jesus’ descision to center
his ministry in Capernaum not Nazareth or Jerusalem.
B. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD LED JESUS TO A PLACE OF
SPIRITUAL DARKNESS
The prophecy that predicted Jesus’ move to Galilee described
this region as an area of spiritual darkness.
(Matthew 4:16) "16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has
dawned.”
Isaiah gave this prophecy in 700 BC. He gave it just as Assyria
was preparing to overrun the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. In fact,
the Assyrians took the Jews from Galilee and deported them to
Nineveh in 722 BC. Then Assyria repopulated the area with idolaters
from Assyria. For the next seven hundred years Galilee was a place
of spiritual darkness. “The mixed population in Galilee,” notes Leon
Morris, “caused the Jews in Jerusalem to look down on the
Galileans.”4
When Jesus began his ministry many Galilean Jews were
religious, but their religion did not proceed from the heart. About 100
years prior to Christ’s arrival the people were compelled at sword
point to accept Judaism and be circumcised. To save their lives most
4
Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 82).
Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity
Press.
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obeyed. But the result was that most followed the Jewish law
outwardly, but their hearts were not into it.
Long before it happened, God knew all of this. That is why
Isaiah spoke the words of hope recoded in verse 16 “The people
dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in
the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
For centuries this hope kept many faithful Jews going. A day
would come when God would return and visit the people of Galilee.
That day was now here. Into the region of Galilee the light of the
gospel had come.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.”"
Unlike Nazareth, the people in the vicinity of Capernaum
responded to Jesus teaching.
We will examine this in more detail in the next two weeks.
C. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD LED JESUS TO A PLACE OF
GENTILES
(Matthew 4:15) "15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of
the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—"
In addition to the outwardly religious Jews we just mentioned,
Galilee contained a large gentile population. There were very few
Gentiles in Jerusalem. In fact, the further one went from Jerusalem
the greater the percent of Gentiles in the population. Capernaum was
about 70 miles from Jerusalem. Compared to Jerusalem, the
percentage of despised gentiles in Galilee was high.
Therefore, Jesus’ move to Galilee was important. It made a
statement. The Old Covenant was for Jews only, but the prophets
continually predicted a time when God’s light would go forth to the
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nations (Gentiles). That is why Jesus began and ended his ministry
with this important goal.
(Matthew 28:19) "19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
D. APPLICATION
1. God is Omniscient.
He knew about Jesus move to Galilee 700 years before it
occurred.
He used David Thompson’s broken leg to prepare him for his
unanticipated life’s work.
God knows every detail of your life as well.
(Psalm 139:1–6) "1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You
know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my
ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it
altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it."
God knows the beginning of your life from the end.
2. God is Sovereign
God’s providence used all the events in Jesus’ life to maximize
his Son’s eternal joy and the Father’s glory. God is doing the same
thing with you and me today.
(Romans 8:28) "28 And we know that for those who love God all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
God was sovereign over Jesus’ persecution. He used the
rejection of Nazareth to drive his Son to Capernaum so that prophecy
could be fulfilled.
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He used the persecution of the early church to scatter them on
mission.
(Acts 8:1) "1bAnd there arose on that day a great persecution against the
church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of
Judea and Samaria, except the apostles."
(Acts 8:4) "4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word."
3. God Keeps His Word
God kept his 700 year-old promise to Galilee of the Nations.
The fulfillment did not come on Galilee’s timetable. I am sure it
took much longer than anyone expected, but come it did.
In the same way Christ has promised to return again. He has
promised to come as our Judge. He has promised to acquit/justify
those who put their faith in his atoning work. He has promised to
create New Heavens and a New Earth. None of these promises are
taking place on our timetable either. But take place they will.
Are you ready?
4. God sent Jesus to call Sinners
Jesus headquartered his ministry in Galilee. This should not
surprise us. It is a pattern. God chooses the lowly and the
marginalized to disseminate the Good News. If that is the case, are
you surprised that God is using Duck Dynasty to preach the gospel to
America?
God chose Israel, the lowliest of the nations.5
(Deuteronomy 7:6b–7) “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession,
out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than
any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
(Deuteronomy 9:6) “Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess
because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people."
5
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The Lord chose you and me.
(1 Corinthians 1:26–29) "26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of
you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not
many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to
shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to
bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the
presence of God."
D. A. 6Carson, “If the messianic light dawns on the darkest places, the
Messiah’s salvation can only be a bestowal of grace—namely, that Jesus
came to call, not the righteous, but sinners.”
Conclusion: Jesus life and death sum up all of these principles.
God used a lowly Jewish carpenter to save the world.
God used a lowly Jewish carpenter to keep the promises laid
down by the prophets.
God’s providence didn’t just bring Jesus to Galilee. It brought
him to the cross where his death and resurrection would save billions
throughout history. It wasn’t pretty. God’s providence used the
betrayal of a trusted disciple and the rejection of God’s Chosen
people to bring him to God’s ultimate destination—impalement on a
Roman Cross.
(Acts 2:23) "23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and
foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."
It may not be pretty with you and me either, but we can trust
God’s providence to be at work for our good and the glory of God.
Can you trust God?
6
D. A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol 8, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984) pg. 117
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