Who Am I? The Gospel according to Matthew Week 8

The Gospel According to Matthew

Week 8

I don't know about you but after the past two weeks, Matthew 4 is very quickly becoming one of my favorite chapters in the bible.  It has been beautiful to see how the baptism was an act that so beautifully foretold of all that Jesus was going to do.  It is a picture of the Gospel, from start to finish.  Then this past week, seeing how each temptation of Jesus covers the temptations we experience and then there are clear guidelines or remedies for how to guard against the remedies.  

Take a few minutes as a class and share what you have been blessed by the past two weeks.  What stood out to you?

This week we are looking at a very short passage.  Perhaps even seemingly insignificant.  Yet we all know that sometimes there are big messages in small passages.  Let's read together.

READ: Matthew 4:12- 17

Jesus Begins to Preach

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

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

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

  

If you look at Google maps you will find that Capernaum is right by the Sea of Galilee.  According to Google Maps it is about a 9 hour walk from Nazareth to Capernaum.  Important maybe not but I thought it was interesting.  Matthew is telling us this all why?

Once again Matthew wants us to see how Jesus fulfilled the prophesy.  

Who was Jesus with?

In Jesus time we know that great men had disciples. John the baptist had disciples.   Men if they had a desire to study or learn were, book smart, instead of going to a university would ask to be a disciple of a rabbi. To become a disciple of a Rabbi was to submit completely and fully to their interpretation of the scripture.  So Rabbis were always being asked and if you could prove your fortitude they would choose whether or not to accept you.  It was quite the honor for both.  I can imagine that those who were considered great rabbi whom everyone looked up to were in high demand and probably had quite a following of disciples.   

So Jesus, now emaciated from 40 days and nights of fasting heads to Capernaum to continue what John the Baptist had been doing - he was going to preach.  But did he have disciples yet? NO. He is just emaciated, weak, and coming out of Nazareth, (where nothing good comes from). 

Then he starts doing what?  

Preaching

Ellen White says in the Desire of Ages

Jesus came in poverty and humiliation, that He might be our example as well as our Redeemer. If He had appeared with kingly pomp, how could He have taught humility? how could He have presented such cutting truths as in the Sermon on the Mount? Where would have been the hope of the lowly in life had Jesus come to dwell as a king among men?
To the multitude, however, it seemed impossible that the One designated by John should be associated with their lofty anticipations. Thus many were disappointed, and greatly perplexed. 

So basically Jesus who was nothing like they expected or wanted, Jesus who was weak from fasting, Jesus who was completely alone without followers, or disciples, traveled a full days journey on foot to a new place where he started doing his work which was to do what?

1. Fulfill the _______________________________
2. ______________________________  (verse 17)


READ again verse 16

People living in ____________________________________.

Those living in the land of the _____________________________________.

Sounds like a lovely place right.  Where is a modern place that you would say is like this?  Is there one? What made it such a dark place?  


So Jesus the king of kings was born in a manger, exiled to Egypt the same place where he had delivered his people from, lived in Nazarath (the place that nothing good comes from) spends 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, and then starts his preaching, starts his ministry, not in Jerusalem, or Bethlehem, but in the land of the shadow of death.

Who was Jesus?
 _____________________ (Matthew 4:1)


______________________(Matthew 2:13)

______________________(Matthew 27:3)


We all know this list is so much longer.  He was spat upon, beaten, laughed at, misunderstood, rejected. Yet what we see from this lesson is a continuation of how clearly humble He is.  He doesn't need a show or recognition. He doesn't want to be bathed in light he came to be the light.

Who am I because of who He is?

___________________________ (Matthew 4:16)

___________________________(Psalm 106:10)

___________________________(1 John 4:10)

__________________________ (Isaiah 43:4)

I don't know about you but these two lists are a bit uncomfortable to look at.  Jesus was hunted, Jesus was tempted, Jesus was condemned, Jesus was humble.  Yet then the one who deserves all that and so much more, me a sinner is not the same list.  He came to the darkness and the result.... I am in the light.  I am redeemed, I am loved, I am honored.  

It doesn't make sense but that is the way Jesus works.  So Jesus the son of God didn't come in all the glory that is so befitting him.  Yet we end up being the ones loved, honored, redeemed.  

Don't forget however that Jesus is our example.  So once we receive Him, once we accept Him, once we are in His light we are not to then march around in our pure white robes of His righteousness with an air of pomp and circumstance, but just like Him we are to humble ourselves and serve others.  We are to be willing to go to the dark place, alone, the place where nothing good comes and share the news that God has given us.  Share the love, share the honor, share His redemption, share the light.  There is no place for us to be Holier than Thou!  There is no place for us to think that any task He asks of us is beneath us.  If He wants us to greet at the door of the church, or be the janitor, or travel to the ends of the earth, or just into Charlotte, or feed the homeless, or serve one another, or pray for one another, or wash each others feet, or forgive each other, or really love one another, no matter what he asks, we must with His humility serve as He served!. 

Who is Jesus?

Who am I?

A humble servant.