Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 4 Mean?

Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus as He came out of the water following His baptism by John the Baptist, along with the voice of God the Father declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son (Matthew 3:16–17).

The Holy Spirit immediately leads Jesus from that moment of confirmation and validation into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It’s important to note this time of testing was part of God’s plan for Jesus. It would show that, though Jesus was fully human, and fully God, He remained fully sinless in the face of temptation (Matthew 4:1).

Jesus fasts for 40 days and nights. “Fasting” does not always involve taking in no food of water, ever, at all, for the entire time period. Jesus almost certainly drank water during this time. It’s possible, though, that He might not have eaten at all before Satan arrives to tempt Him. Satan tempts Jesus first to turn stones to bread to feed Himself. The temptation here is to do something “right,” but at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons. Jesus properly responds by showing His willingness to depend on God’s provision, not His own power (Matthew 4:2–4).

Satan’s next temptation is for Jesus to jump from the highest part of the temple in Jerusalem and have the angels save Him from the fall. Part of this temptation involves a twisting of Scripture. Satan quotes the Old Testament, and dares Jesus to prove its truth by “forcing” God’s hand. Jesus deflects the temptation to demand something of God on His own terms. Jesus again quotes Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:5–7).

The final offer made by Satan involves taking Jesus to a dramatic location and showing Him what are probably visions of all the nations of the earth. The Devil promises Jesus worldly power and prosperity if He will worship Satan. This temptation involves turning away from God in exchange for earthly benefits. It also tempts Jesus to impatience: God has already promised Jesus all those things, in His own good time. Jesus again resists temptation, with a quotation from Scripture. It’s especially important to note that this is the only place in the Bible where an individual is offered prosperity in exchange for worship—and that offer is entirely Satanic (Matthew 4:8–10).

Having survived these trials, Jesus sends the devil away, and the angels come to minister to Him (Matthew 4:11).

Sometime after this, Jesus learns that John the Baptist has been arrested. Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee and then moves to Capernaum, a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew connects Jesus life and ministry in this region to a fulfilment of the prophecy found in Isaiah 9:1–2. This region, once thought to be dark and in the shadow of death because of its closeness to the Gentile nations and distance from Jerusalem, receives the dawning of a great light. That light is the Messiah, Jesus (Matthew 4:12–17).

Matthew describes Jesus calling four men to follow Him as His disciples. These two sets of brothers were fisherman working on the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum. Walking there, Jesus first calls Peter and Andrew, who leave their nets and immediately begin to follow Him. Jesus promises to make them fishers of men. Next, Jesus calls brothers James and John, mending nets in a boat with their father Zebedee. They, too, immediately leave behind their careers, family business, and family itself to follow the Christ (Matthew 4:18–22).

Focusing His ministry on the northern region of Galilee, Jesus travels with His disciples from town to town. He teaches in Jewish synagogues and proclaims the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near. He demonstrates the power and glory of the kingdom by healing every kind of disease and affliction. These conditions include everything from basic illness to demon possession to full paralysis. Jesus heals all sorts of people and conditions (Matthew 4:23–24).

Not surprisingly, Jesus quickly becomes famous not just in Galilee, but in every region around it, from Syria in the north to the Decapolis, or “ten cities,” in the southeast and on both sides of the Jordan River. Huge crowds from all over begin to follow Jesus from place to place to witness His miracles and to hear His teaching (Matthew 4:25).

Those who have stayed near Jesus have the opportunity to hear the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to record in chapter 5.

Chapter Context
Matthew 3 ends with a great affirmation from the voice of God the Father: Jesus is His Son. Immediately after that, God’s Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of temptation by the devil. Jesus passes that test and then begins His ministry in the region of Galilee. Jesus begins to call His disciples and travel around the region. He teaches in the synagogues and heals people with every kind of affliction. Jesus’ fame grows quickly. This provides Him a large audience for the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to record in chapter 5.

Verse By Verse

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

The previous chapter ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus and the voice of God the Father declaring that Jesus is His Son. That moment of confirmation and acknowledgement by God is immediately followed by a time of testing in Jesus’ life.

This testing was not a sign that the Holy Spirit had left Jesus. On the contrary: it is the Spirit, acting after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, leading Jesus into the wilderness where He will be tempted. In other words, it was God’s intention that Jesus should endure this time of testing.

It’s important to remember that God never tempts anyone to sin (James 1:13). God hates sin and does not wish for anyone to engage in it, including His own Son. However, God will lead believers through times of testing, sometimes in order to strengthen their faith (James 1:2). In this case, God’s Spirit leads Jesus into the place and time of testing, but the devil is the one who does the tempting. Jesus’ faith does not need to be strengthened. But this time of testing will provide evidence that He remains sinless despite being tempted to sin just as all human beings are (Hebrews 4:15).

Because he is called “the devil,” the one doing the tempting here will be Satan himself. Satan is the great deceiver and enemy of God who leads the host of fallen angels known as demons. On several occasions in the Old Testament, Satan stood as the accuser of God’s people or was used by God to accomplish His own will (1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; Zechariah 3:1–2).

Verse 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

God the Holy Spirit came to rest on Jesus during His baptism by John in the Jordan River. Now God’s Spirit has led Jesus, the Son of God, into the wilderness for a time of testing during which Christ will be tempted to sin by Satan. This time of testing demonstrates that Jesus is sinless despite experiencing temptation as any human does (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus’ time in the wilderness begins with 40 days and nights of fasting. “Fasting” is often misunderstood as requiring absolutely no food or water; however, there are different kinds of fasts. Commentators suggest that Jesus may well have gone the entire time without any food—or at least with very, very little. However, it’s not likely He went without water. Jesus endured all His earthly trials as a fully human man, while also retaining His eternal status as God’s Son.

Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness were an intentional echo of the Israelites’ 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Matthew repeatedly connects Jesus’ experience to that of God’s “son” Israel. This includes Jesus’ return to Israel from Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15) and several other specific echoes of Scripture. Matthew means for his readers to see that Jesus is both a true Israelite, and the perfect fulfillment of God’s relationship with Israel.

Matthew’s words about Jesus’ condition sound like an understatement: Jesus was hungry. Yet this comment matters. Jesus did not supernaturally do away with his appetite for food. He felt it. He would have been physically weak with a body desperate to eat. The temptations to follow will be presented to Him while He is in that physical condition. These events serve to emphasize that Jesus did not overcome temptation by “cheating;” He endured as a human being.

Verse 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Verse 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

After Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, He was hungry. “Fasting” does not require that a person have no food, at all, for the entire period. Given that Jesus was in the wilderness, however, scholars speculate He might have gone entirely without food and only taken in water. His body would have been aching to eat something. Satan’s first temptation to Jesus is designed to exploit His human, physical appetite. He challenges Jesus to turn rocks into loafs of bread if He is the Son of God.

Satan knew Jesus was God’s Son, and so did Jesus. The point of the temptation—and that remark—is to goad Jesus into acting independently of God the Father. Satan’s goal is to cause Jesus to sin through exercising His own will instead of the Father’s. Jesus understood clearly that the Father meant for Him to endure temptations in His physically weakened condition.

Jesus resists each temptation while quoting from Deuteronomy, tying His own experience of 40 days in the wilderness to Israel’s experience of the 40 years after their escape from Egypt. Here, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8. In that passage, Moses is addressing the Israelites just as they are preparing to go finally enter the Promised Land of Israel:

“You shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:2–3).

Jesus tells Satan in no uncertain terms that He will live on obedience to the Father’s word before giving into His appetite for food.

Verse 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

Jesus has spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for being tempted to sin by Satan, the devil. He is hungry, His body crying out for food. He has already turned away the first temptation: to sin by turning stones to bread “if you are the Son of God” (Matthew 4:1–4).

Now Satan brings a second temptation that also hinges on whether Jesus is the Son of God, something they both know to be true. This is the equivalent of starting a challenge with, “if you’re so smart, tell me…” Through taunts and twisting of Scripture, Satan is challenging Jesus to act independently of God the Father. The Devil wants Jesus to assume His own authority over that of God the Father. This would be willful, sinful defiance.

Now Satan takes Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. We aren’t told how they travelled so quickly, or how they arrived at the highest point of the impressive Jewish temple. However it happens, it reflects the devil’s considerable powers. One possible location for this moment is the southeast corner of the temple; this once rose 300 feet, or more than 90 meters, above the terrain below.

From that precarious vantage point, the Devil will pervert Scripture, pushing Jesus to take action apart from the Father’s will.

Verse 6 Satan’s second temptation of Jesus involved a dramatic change in location. The devil brought Jesus—presumably in rapid fashion—from the wilderness to the highest point of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This may have put the pair about 30 stories, more than 90 meters, above the surrounding terrain. Even looking down “only” to the plaza below would have been perhaps 15 stories, or around 45 meters.

This time, Satan quotes Scripture to make his case to Jesus. He challenges Christ to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple if He is the Son of God. Both Satan and Jesus know that Jesus is the Son of God. Satan is tempting Jesus to use His power and authority to act independently of God the Father, to do things His own way.

The devil isn’t suggesting Jesus commit suicide. Rather, by jumping from such a great height, He would be using His authority over angels to dramatically save Himself. That would have happened in full view of everyone gathered at the temple. Satan quotes from Psalm 91:11–12, applying it to Jesus. Though he leaves out a line of the verse, Satan is not necessarily twisting the text of Scripture. Instead, he is misusing it. The Devil is tempting Jesus to prematurely reveal Himself as the Son of God by forcing God to send angels to save Him.

This would result in revealing Jesus’ true identity to Israel immediately. The Father’s plan, though, was for His Son to suffer and die for the sins of humanity. More work needs to be done before Jesus’ role can be fully revealed (John 12:23; Acts 1:7). Jesus knew that. He will quote another passage from Deuteronomy in rejecting the devil’s temptation.

Verse 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Satan knows the Bible well. He was bold enough to quote it to Jesus, tempting Him to claim the crown over Israel immediately. The devil took Jesus to the very top of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and challenged the Lord to jump. He wanted Jesus to illegitimately claim the promise of Psalm 91:11–12: that God’s angels would not allow Him even to strike His foot against a stone. In doing so, Jesus would also demonstrate to Israel He was indeed the Son of God. Such a dramatic event, however, would mean Jesus acting in His own timing and outside of the plan of God the Father.

Interestingly, Scripture does not say if this was something which had already weighed on Jesus’ mind. Satan’s first temptation involved food, and Matthew has been clear that Jesus is hungry. Temptation, by definition, requires an offer of something attractive—but this may or may not have been something Jesus was already eager for, prior to this moment.

This temptation is designed, perhaps, to appeal to Jesus’ desire to skip the suffering of the cross. A flashy, public miracle might have led to Christ immediately taking the throne of Israel. Jesus does not reveal that He has any interest in this.

Instead, Jesus focuses on the act of jumping from the top of the temple and forcing the hand of God the Father to send the angels to save Him from death. This would amount to testing God to keep His Word, instead of obeying God by following His will. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 to the Devil: a clear command to Israel not to put God to the test.

Notice that, though He is the Son of God, Jesus believes the commands of Scripture apply to Him as much as to any other human being. He must remain obedient to God’s Word in order to stand in as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

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

Satan’s temptations of Jesus are progressive. He starts by appealing to Jesus’ physical appetite. He knows Jesus is hungry, literally starving, after a 40–day fast. The first temptation was to turn stones to bread if He was the Son of God. Knowing this was outside of God’s will, Jesus said no (Matthew 4:1–4).

Second, the Devil tempted Jesus to test God’s Word in Psalm 91: that angels would not allow Him to be hurt. Satan’s challenge was for Jesus to jump from the highest point of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and to be rescued in dramatic fashion. This may have been designed to appeal to Jesus’ desire to become king over Israel without suffering through God’s plan for His death on the cross. Jesus said no (Matthew 4:5–7).

Now Satan takes Jesus to a high mountain. The location seems to be literal, but what Jesus sees might have been part of a vision or supernatural images. The Devil is able to show Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory from this one vantage point. The choice of the mountain, then, seems to be more for the sake of creating a dramatic scene, not a place to literally see the entire world at once. Satan will offer Jesus rule over earth with this temptation, though at a very high price.

Verse 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

For the third temptation of Jesus, Satan has taken Christ to a high mountain top. This seems to have been chosen simply for the sake of drama; no mountain can literally see the entire world. On this peak, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in their glory. This most likely involved supernatural visions of various places on earth.

This last temptation involves pure and simple power. Satan offers Jesus ownership and rule of the entire world in exchange for worship. What gave this temptation heft is that the rule of the earth did, in fact, belong to Satan. Paul calls the Devil the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and Jesus Himself will later refer to Satan as the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31). Satan could have handed over the keys to Jesus in exchange for being worshiped by the Son of God.

The reader should note—with emphasis—that this is the only place in Scripture where an individual is offered prosperity in exchange for worship. Likewise—with emphasis—the reader should note such an offer comes from Satan. The so-called “prosperity gospel,” which presumes that faith is an avenue to worldly wealth or success, is a despicable perversion of God’s truth (1 Timothy 6:5; 2 Peter 2:1–3).

We’re not told that this temptation was something Jesus considered prior to this moment—as He would have with His hunger (Matthew 4:1–4). Still, most people can understand the attraction of being offered that much earthly power. Jesus, though, understood He would become king over all the earth; and that would happen in God’s timing. Satan’s offer was to allow Jesus to skip the suffering and waiting, and to take power immediately.

Jesus was content to wait to take the throne under the right circumstances. John quotes Christ as saying, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:31–32).

Jesus will not only quote Scripture to refuse this last temptation, He will soundly rebuke Satan and send him away for suggesting it.

Verse 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your Godand him only shall you serve.’”

Satan’s third temptation to Jesus was enormous. As the “ruler of the world” (John 12:31), Satan had offered to give all the kingdoms of the earth to Jesus in exchange for Jesus falling down before Satan in worship. It’s an audacious offer. The Devil’s intent was to tear at the natural human desire for power and glory. It also would have meant Jesus attaining kingship without the suffering of the cross. It would mean rebelling against God the Father’s will for Christ’s life.

In this response, Jesus sounds righteously angry. He tells Satan to “be gone” and quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13. This sin of worshiping false gods—which in practice is often worshiping Satan in disguise—is the exact rebellion that brought God’s wrath and judgment down on Israel many times. It’s not surprising Jesus sounds angry with the Devil.

Matthew 4:9 is the only time in Scripture where an individual is offered worldly prosperity as payment for their worship. That offer does not come from God; it comes from Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). Any person claiming worship, faith, or the Christian life are meant to result in health, wealth, or power is a liar (2 Corinthians 11:13–15). The so-called “prosperity gospel,” or “prosperity preaching” is wholly and entirely false. God calls us to obedience which may result in hardship (John 16:32–33); promises of wealth and health are literally satanic.

Verse 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Jesus has passed the test. He was sent, by the Holy Spirit, into the wilderness to endure testing (Matthew 4:1). After 40 days and nights of fasting, Jesus refused each of the Devil’s three enormous temptations (Matthew 4:2–10). In doing so, Jesus gave evidence that, though He was fully human and subject to temptation (Hebrews 4:15), He remained sinless.

The final temptation was for Jesus to bow and submit before Satan, in exchange for rule over all the kingdoms of the earth. This is the Bible’s only instance of worldly prosperity being promised in exchange for worship—and such claims are literally satanic. Jesus refused, sounding justifiably angry (Matthew 4:10). He ordered Satan to “be gone.”

Now the Devil leaves at Christ’s command; this in part reminds us that Jesus had the authority to send Satan away all along. He endured the Devil’s presence, and the temptations, because it was the will of the Father He should do so. Once the test was completed and the devil gone, however, the Father sent angels to His beloved Son to care for Him. This likely involved bringing Jesus food to meet His hunger and to begin restoring His physical health.

The Devil’s temptations were all about timing. Satan challenged Jesus to prematurely take what would eventually be His, anyway. He goaded Christ to act in His own timing instead of waiting for God the Father’s plan to be fulfilled. Now Jesus begins to receive what He refused to take for Himself. He refused to manipulate God into sending angels to save Him as He jumped from the temple, and now God sends those angels to save Him, anyway. He refused to exercise His own will by turning stones into bread, and now God sends angels, likely, to feed Jesus. He refused to worship Satan in order to become king of the world immediately, but soon Jesus will set out to preach about His kingdom to come.

Context Summary
Matthew 4:1–11 describes Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. After 40 days and nights of fasting, Jesus faces three temptations from Satan. Each one attempts to lure Christ into abusing His power; to take immediately what God the Father has promised to provide later. Jesus resists each temptation with a quote from Deuteronomy, refusing to rebel against the plans of God the Father. Finally, Jesus refuses to worship the devil in exchange for the kingdoms of the earth. He tells the devil to leave, and angels come minister to Him.

Verse 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

We don’t know exactly how much time passed between Jesus’ baptism by John and John’s imprisonment by Herod Antipas. Antipas was one of the sons of the late king of Israel, Herod the Great. Jesus may have spent some time in the southern region of Judea until Herod’s arrest of John and then retreated to the northern region of Galilee to avoid trouble Himself.

Many Bible scholars argue that Jesus’ public ministry began “officially” once John had been arrested. The time of the one who would prepare the way of the Lord had come to an end (John 3:28–30). It was time for the ministry of the Lord Himself to begin. Jesus’ message was very similar to John’s: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

Matthew does not explicitly mention how Jesus felt about the arrest of John the Baptist. Presumably, this was a difficult experience: John was His relative (Luke 1:34–35) and God’s chosen man to prepare Israel for His arrival.

Verse 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

Jesus has returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the place Joseph brought Him and His mother after returning from Egypt (Matthew 2:19–23). Jesus, once again, seems to have returned home to avoid the attention of the local authorities in the region of Judea. John the Baptist had been arrested and imprisoned there for preaching about the coming of the Messiah (Matthew 4:12).

This verse describes Jesus moving from Nazareth, a hill town in central Galilee and west of the Jordan River, to Capernaum, a fishing village on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee. Why did Jesus make the move? One reason may be that He could no longer stay in Nazareth. Luke’s gospel describes a violent reaction at the synagogue in Nazareth after Jesus revealed His purpose and preached a harsh message there. The people rose up to kill Jesus, but He walked away.

Matthew points out that Jesus’ new home in Capernaum lies within the ancient territory of the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, given to them in the time of Joshua. In the following verses, Matthew will show how Jesus’ residence there fulfills yet another prophecy about the Messiah.

Verse 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

From the very beginning of his telling of the story of Jesus, Matthew has emphasized how circumstances of Jesus’ life fulfill prophecies from Jewish Scriptures about the Messiah. He is intent on ensuring both Jews and Gentiles understand that Jesus was not simply a charismatic character. He did not merely attract a large following with the claim He was the Messiah. Matthew wants to establish that in every way, the claim that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, is verified by the fulfilment of ancient prophecies.

Now Matthew points to another proof. This is a prophecy from Isaiah 9 about the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus’ move to the town of Capernaum, which lies in that region established during the time of Joshua, fulfills a very specific promise to those people from God.

Verse 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles —

Jesus is living in the region of Galilee in northern Israel. He has moved from his hometown of Nazareth in central Galilee to Capernaum, a fishing town on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:12–13). Matthew identifies this move as the fulfilment of a prophecy by Isaiah in Isaiah 9:1–2, a Scripture that points to the coming of the Messiah.

Capernaum and the region around it fell within the ancient boundaries of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. This land was given to them during the time of Joshua, after Israel had driven out the peoples of Palestine. Though the area may have had economic advantages, it was a long way from the religious and cultural centers of Jerusalem and Judea. In this way, it was thought to be “dark.”

Matthew quotes Isaiah chapter 9, beginning in verse 1, to make that point. Scholars aren’t exactly sure which translation of the original he is using, however. The ESV translates Isaiah 9:1 from the original language as follows:

“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”

Jesus moving to Galilee marked a significant fulfilment of this ancient Scripture, one that comes into clear view in the following verse.

Verse 16 the people dwelling in darknesshave seen a great light,and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,on them a light has dawned.”

Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 9:1–2 to show that Jesus’ move to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee was another fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah. Capernaum and the region around it fell within the ancient boundaries of the Jewish tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.

The people of that land were described as dwelling in darkness under the shadow of death during Isaiah’s time. This was likely true for several reasons. First, their land was much closer to Gentile peoples and thus more vulnerable to attack. Second, the people living there were far away from the cultural and religious centers of Jerusalem and Judea. They had to travel some distance to reach the temple and the dwelling place of God.

Isaiah’s prophecy, though, while writing about the coming of the Messiah, was that a light would dawn in their region. Matthew shows that Jesus is that light. He shines brightly in the land of darkness known then as “Galilee of the Gentiles.” Instead of coming first to the “well lit” region of Judea, Christ comes first to the people living in darkness.

Isaiah 9 is often read around Christmas time. Though the prophecy was about the peoples of Zebulun and Naphtali, it is also true that the birth of Jesus brought light into a world of darkness. A few verses later, Isaiah 9:6 famously says of the Messiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Verse 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew emphasizes in this verse that Jesus’ ministry became entirely established after His move to Capernaum. He fully embraced the mission the Father had given to Him and began to preach to the people of Israel. Matthew shows that Jesus’ ministry began in earnest after the arrest of John the Baptist.

Jesus’ preaching ministry begins with the same essential message as John the Baptist: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 3:1–2). There is a difference, though. John preached that message to Israel as the one who prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. He called the people to get ready, before the Messiah arrived and established the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus preached the same message, but He did so as the Messiah Himself. He called people to repent, but He would also call them to submit to and follow Him as the Son of God. Both John and Jesus emphasized that people cannot participate in God’s kingdom without first repenting of their sins, changing the course of their lives to follow the way of Christ.

Context Summary
Matthew 4:12–17 shows Jesus’ travel and ministry in Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. This fulfills another ancient prophecy about the Messiah, found in Isaiah 9:1–2. Scriptures promised a great light would dawn in the region once occupied by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, near the Sea of Galilee. Once thought of as ”dark” because of its nearness to the Gentile nations and distance from Jerusalem, Galilee is the region in which the light of the Messiah will first shine brightly.

Verse 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

Jesus has moved to Capernaum and has fully engaged in His ministry on earth as the Christ. Matthew now begins to introduce Jesus’ disciples. Capernaum was a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee. It is not surprising that Jesus called several fishermen to follow Him there.

This was not the first time Jesus met Peter and Andrew. John, the apostle, tells that story in his book about Jesus (John 1:35–42). Andrew had been a former disciple of John the Baptist and was standing with John one day when John saw Jesus and called out, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Andrew understood Jesus to be the Messiah in that moment and went to get his brother Simon to meet Jesus. Jesus took one look at Simon and immediately changed his name to Cephas, which has passed through languages like Greek and English to become “Peter.”

Jesus apparently did not call the brothers to follow Him at that first meeting. Peter and Andrew were from another fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, Bethsaida, but they had moved to Capernaum and were working as fishermen there. Jesus saw them as He was walking.

The brothers were in the midst of casting a net into the water. This method of fishing involves throwing out a circular net with lead sinkers attached to its edges. As it sinks, it traps the fish beneath and inside it. Such nets were about 20 feet across. The fact that the brothers were in the middle of casting a net makes their immediate obedience to Jesus’ command in the following verses even more striking.

The Sea of Galilee, named after the region of Galilee, was also known as the “Lake of Gennesaret,” as it is called by Luke (Luke 5:1).

Verse 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus had met Peter and Andrew before this moment (John 1:35–42). Andrew, at least, had spent a day with Him, and Jesus had changed Simon’s name to Peter. Before introducing Peter to Jesus, Andrew told his brother, “We have found the Messiah.”

Their understanding that Jesus was the long-promised Christ, the one who would save Israel and bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, may explain why they obeyed Jesus so quickly. Still, their faith and quick action is remarkable. Jesus had seen the brothers at work. They were in the middle of throwing a net into the Sea of Galilee. Without any small talk or explanation—at least not as recorded in Matthew’s account—Jesus commanded them: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

It was common in this day for a rabbi, or teacher, to gather students who would follow him in his daily life. They would be mentored by him, learning both through his words and through observing his daily interactions and choices. Jesus’ call to younger men to follow Him in this way was not a foreign concept. Many rabbis and teachers had disciples. Andrew and Peter would have understood the role Jesus was calling them to fill.

The idea of fishing for men may have been strange, however. Peter and Andrew were expert fishermen. In one sentence, Jesus was already helping them understand the mission He would give to them.

Verse 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew reports that Peter and Andrew did not hesitate for a moment. Andrew, at least, had already served as a disciple under John the Baptist. The brothers believed Jesus to be the Messiah, the promised Christ who would bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. They understood who Jesus was and the role He was giving them as trainees under His leadership.

They apparently did not even pack up their work. They left their nets behind and immediately began to follow Jesus, demonstrating full commitment to whatever path He would lead them on. Their faith in Jesus is remarkable, though they did not yet have any idea what they were getting into.

Some of the men’s willingness to immediately follow Jesus, here, is explained by their earlier encounter with Christ (John 1:35–42). This is not a stranger, it’s someone they already know, and have good reason to want to follow.

Verse 21 And 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.

Matthew is describing how Jesus gathered His team of disciples. After calling the brothers Andrew and Peter to follow Him, they immediately left behind their nets—and their careers—to become disciples of the man they believed to be the Messiah.

Now Jesus continues along the shore of the Sea of Galilee in or near Capernaum. He sees another pair of brothers at their work as fishermen. These two, James and John, are working in a boat with their father Zebedee. The boat is large enough to hold several people. It may have been the kind large enough to hold as many as 15 men. With larger boats, fishermen could capture and haul more fish, increasing their profits.

James and John and their father were mending the big, circular fishing nets they used to catch and haul in the fish. If this was morning, they may have just finished a night of fishing. Jesus calls the brothers to follow Him: to be His disciples. It is likely that John had met Jesus before (John 1:35–39), though Matthew doesn’t say so explicitly.

Verse 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus is gathering His disciples, the twelve men He will train to become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). So far, he has called two brothers to follow Him. Andrew and Peter did so immediately, leaving their fishing nets and careers behind them (Matthew 4:18–19).

Now Jesus has called two more brothers. James and John were working in a fishing boat with their father, mending fishing nets. They also immediately leave the boat and their father behind to begin the full-time work of being Jesus’ disciples. It is likely they knew who Jesus was (John 1:35–39) and believed Him to be the Messiah, as did Andrew and Peter.

James and John appear to leave behind even more than Andrew and Peter, however. They leave behind active careers, but also walk away from family and a successful family business. Becoming Jesus’ disciple is immediately costly for them, but they do not hesitate.

Mark’s gospel adds the detail that James and John left their father with the hired servants (Mark 1:20); the brothers did not leave their father destitute, helpless, or unable to complete his own work.

Context Summary
Matthew 4:18–22 describes Jesus’ calling of two sets of brothers to follow Him as His disciples. Both pairs are working as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee as Jesus is walking by. He commands them to follow Him. Both Andrew and Peter, and James and John, immediately do so, leaving behind careers and family.

Verse 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Matthew has described how Jesus added four disciples to His team, and He will introduce others later in his book. Now, though, Matthew dives into the content of Jesus’ ministry: what He did, how He did it, and why.

Jesus’ earliest ministry remained focused on Galilee, where He lived in the northern region of Israel. Scholars suggest there were 200 or more villages and towns located in the region of Galilee. The population may have been upwards of 300,000 people.

Many towns had their own Jewish synagogue. This would have been used as a local gathering and worship center apart from the main temple in Jerusalem. Ruins of synagogues have been found in Israel and other places in the ancient world with large Jewish populations. It was common for worship in the synagogue to include preaching from various rabbis who wished to speak. This gave Jesus, and later Paul, a natural way to introduce Himself and His message in a new community. Jesus and His disciples traveled from place to place, likely keeping an exhausting schedule. Jesus’ message everywhere He went was the “gospel of the kingdom.” “Gospel” means “good news,” and that good news was that God was bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Jesus did not stop at preaching, however. He verified His claim to be the Messiah by supernaturally meeting the needs of the people. This included miraculously healing diseases and afflictions of every kind. These blessings of healing and relief from suffering showed that Jesus really was the bringer of the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.

As Jesus traveled around Galilee with His disciples, He proclaimed the good news that the kingdom of heaven was near. As the promised Messiah, He demonstrated the truthfulness of His teaching by miraculously healing every kind of disease and affliction. In doing so, he was giving the people a glimpse into the kingdom of heaven itself, in which there is no disease or affliction (1 Corinthians 15:42–43; Revelation 21:4).

Not surprisingly, Jesus’ ability to heal in this way began to make Him famous beyond the region of Galilee. Matthew shows here that He also became famous in Syria, to the north of Galilee. People traveled great distances from the north to bring to Jesus those who needed healing.

Those seeking Jesus’ help included the sick, the diseased, and those in great pain, as well as people oppressed by demons, afflicted by seizures, and paralyzed. In the first century, there were unsolvable, or nearly unsolvable, health problems. Yet Jesus was able and willing to heal them all. In doing so, He revealed not only His power as Messiah, but His compassion, as well.

Verse 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Jesus’ teaching about the coming kingdom of heaven and His miraculous healings of every kind of disease and affliction quickly made Him famous. He remained in Galilee, but large crowds came to Him from all over the map. Matthew mentioned Syria to the north in the previous verse. Now he adds other regions. The Decapolis, or “ten cities,” was a Roman and Gentile region south and east of the Sea of Galilee. Crowds came from Jerusalem and the region of Judea, but also from “beyond the Jordan.” This phrase usually referred to the territory east of the Jordan River.

Matthew’s statement that the crowds followed Him does not mean that all those people became committed disciples of Jesus. It simply means they literally followed Him from place to place. Their intent was to see the miracles He performed and to hear His teaching. Those who did so had the opportunity to hear the greatest sermon ever given, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2).

Context Summary
Matthew 4:23–25 describes Jesus’ ministry all around the region of Galilee. He and disciples travel from place to place. Jesus teaches in the synagogues and proclaims the good news to all that the kingdom of heaven is near. He also displays the power of the kingdom by healing people with every kind of affliction, including diseases, demon possession, and paralysis. Jesus quickly becomes famous, drawing huge crowds of followers from every direction.

Chapter Summary
Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus following His baptism. Now the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to endure tempting by the devil after 40 days of fasting. Jesus demonstrates His sinlessness by resisting all temptations. He begins His ministry in the region of Galilee, settling in Capernaum and calling some disciples to follow Him. Jesus’ work in Galilee includes traveling from place to place, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near and healing every kind of affliction. He soon becomes famous, drawing huge crowds from great distances.