HIS MINISTRY BEGINS

 Matt. 4:12-22, “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.   From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.  And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” 

According to Luke’s account, Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, so he began his ministry in Galilee. His beginnings in Capernaum was predicted by Isaiah (Isa. 9:1, 2).

I. REVELATION

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt. 4:14-16).

Matthew quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the coming of the Messiah.

Darkness denotes ignorance. The people were engulfed by it Darkness denotes ignorance! The people were engulfed by it. Taught a perverted theology of Judaism by the scribes and Pharisees. Truth was far from them until Jesus steps forward and opens their eyes. DARKNESS

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (Jn. 12:46). “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

A “shadow” is caused by an object coming between us and the sun A “shadow” is caused by an object coming between us and the sun. So the Hebrews imaged death as standing between us and the sun, and casting a long, dark, and baleful shadow abroad on the face of the nations, denoting their great ignorance, sin, and woe.. It denotes a dismal, gloomy, and dreadful shade, where death and sin reign, like the chills, damps, and horrors of the dwelling-place of the dead (Albert Barnes) SHADOW

“Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;  A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.”  Job 10:21, 22

II. REPENTANCE

The Lord’s ministry began no differently than John’s The Lord’s ministry began no differently than John’s. They both preached about a future kingdom, and repentance.

NOT THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS! Matt. 9:13, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” NOT THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS!

Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The established kingdom was not built during the time that Jesus walked this earth. Like John, He preached about a future kingdom. The difference, John never said he would build the kingdom, but Christ did! (Matt. 16:18). The Kingdom at Hand

III. RECRUITMENT

John 1:35-42, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.   FIRST ENCOUNTER

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.   One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  

He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.   And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

THIS TEACHES US TWO THINGS: Matthew’s account is not the first meeting between the brothers and Jesus. THIS TEACHES US TWO THINGS: They were first disciples of John the Baptist!

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Profession: God does not call the most obvious, the best prepared, or the most knowledgeable. His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. PETER & ANDREW Calling: “I will make you fishers of men!”

JAMES AND JOHN “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” 

James and John were the sons of Zebedee. James would be the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2). John was the only apostle not martyred.

Mark 3:17, “And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.” SONS OF THUNDER

Luke 9:52-56, “And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.   And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.   And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?   But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.   For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

They were not fishing they were mending their nets at the time of their calling. Twofold task of discipleship: to convert (fishers of men), and encouraging faithfulness (mending). MENDING

James and John left two things: Their profession, and their father!

Matt. 19:27, “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” Forsaking All

t Matt. 19:29, “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

TWO QUESTIONS Have you forsaken all to follow Jesus? If you had lived two thousand years ago, would you have been chosen by Christ? TWO QUESTIONS