CHRIST CHALLENGES EVERY CHRISTIAN
Matthew 4:12-23 - January 25, 2004
MATTHEW 4:12-23
12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.
21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
In our earthly living we face challenges. The fact is from time to time you and I might even enjoy challenges. Challenges test our ability to accomplish a project. They test our ability in a sense to put our trust in God. In our text today, as we listen to these words, we hear the Lord offer a challenge to two sets of brothers when He says, "Come, follow me." So it is that Christ challenges every Christian. He challenges us everyday when Jesus says to us, "Come, follow me." In our Wednesday night Bible Study we started on 1 Peter and the challenge there for those Christians was the fact that all of their possessions were taken away from them. Their property was burned. They were kicked out of their homeland because they were believers. Yet the challenge for them as Peter continued was that they would still praise God.
This challenge we have in that first chapter in 1 Peter says: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ’Be holy, because I am holy’"" (1 PETER 1:15,16). That is a divine challenge. It was a challenge for those believers. It is a challenge for us today to be holy. The only way we can be holy is to walk in the footsteps of our Savior. That is a great challenge in a world that doesn’t look at Christ as being that influential anymore in our society. So we want to examine what Christ has put before us this morning, with that thought that CHRIST CHALLENGES EVERY CHRISTIAN. Jesus does so with the words, "Come, follow me."
I. Jesus reminds us that we need to believe whole-heartedly in God’s Word.
II. Jesus reminds us that we need to follow whole-heartedly Jesus’ invitation, His call.
I. Believer wholeheartedly God’s word
Last week we heard how John pointed out that Jesus was the Lamb of God. The week before that we heard how John was baptizing in the Jordan River, and the people came to hear the message. Since that time, there is about a year that has taken place before our text begins. Our text tells us about a historical event that really changes once again history. 12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. John the Baptist, who had been free by the Jordan River preaching the message of repentance, had hit a nerve with the ruler Herod. Herod didn’t want to hear that message anymore, so he put John into prison. That did not mean the message was going to quit, but instead we see Jesus leaving and coming to Galilee.
Where does He leave? 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--Our text doesn’t tell us much more than that, but if you turn to the other Gospel writers, you may remember that Jesus, who grew up in Nazareth, was not accepted there as a prophet in His own country, His own town. The rejection of Jesus became so bad we are told that He could not perform miracles there because of the great unbelief of the people. So leaving Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum which was by the lake in the area of Zebulon and Naphtali. You can picture the Promised Land for yourselves--toward the bottom is the big sea, the Dead Sea and the Jordan River and on top we have the Sea of Galilee. On the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee is Capernaum, a very small fishing village. There is where Jesus is going to live. As Jesus lives there, He is going to make that His place of operations for His ministry. This was part of Galilee; but also the original tribes that were there were Zebulon and Naphtali, two of the small tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus went there for a specific purpose. It was to fulfill prophecy as our text tells us: -- 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah, of course, was talking about the Messiah who was to come. Matthew mentions that prophecy of Isaiah is now fulfilled with Jesus. Many thought that when the Messiah comes and because He was going to be the Savior of the world, He is not going to waste time in Capernaum, a little fishing village. The Messiah is not going to waste time in Nazareth, but that is where Jesus grew up. He is not going to spend time with two of the small original tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali. He is going to stay in Jerusalem. The temple was in Jerusalem. That is where the work of the Messiah is going to be. We see how the people of Jesus’ time didn’t want to believe God’s Word. They didn’t want to believe God’s prophecy. Jesus’ own hometown did not believe that He was the Messiah.
Matthew says: "Remember Isaiah? Isaiah says, ’In that small place of the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali there would be the light of the world. Those sitting in darkness in the shadow of death will see God’s great light, Jesus.’" We heard it in our Gospel Lesson (ISAIAH 60:1-6) why Jesus went into the synagogue; and again we read from Isaiah: "Now the Scripture is fulfilled." Again, they were not anxious to believe. All of these things happened when Jesus was right there reading from God’s word and telling and teaching the people in person that Scripture was fulfilled.
So the Lord places a challenge before us this morning to remind us the importance of putting our trust and confidence and faith in His Word. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet, we know all around us that people are anxious to put trust in themselves. All around us people are anxious to misplace trust in those who call themselves authorities; those, supposedly the ones with the right answers for the right problems. Yet, during this season of Epiphany we are reminded that Epiphany means appearance, the appearance of our Savior as the Light of the world. Why is it so many people do not want to open their eyes and see the knowledge of salvation? Why is it sometimes that you and I trust ourselves more than God or we trust those in authority more than God? John tells us very simply: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil" (JOHN 3:19).
The Lord reminds us that we are born into this world, not neutral and not with a foot on the good side of the fence, but we are born with a sinful nature, a nature that is an enemy of God. From time to time our sinful nature rears its ugly head so that even we like the deeds of darkness rather than the deeds of light. Sin darkens our lives. Satan tries to extinguish our faith whenever he can. Of course, when we look at this world in which we live, we see that our society does not have much use for God and His Word. After all, what good answer could be left in a book so old? But we know differently. We have seen time and again when we put our trust and confidence in ourselves, the Lord has reminded us: "But what about Me?" The Lord reminds us that when we have short-changed ourselves by not studying God’s Word or reading it or hearing it, He says again: "What about Me?" We are reminded of the words of the Psalm writer who tells us when we walk around in darkness what happens: "They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken" (PSALM 82:5). You have heard me talk about that many times. As you watch the news, it seems like the foundations and everything of the earth are shaken. There are many in this world who are shaking day after day, because they don’t know what the future holds; because they would rather walk in darkness than in the Light. They would rather try to find a life of ease on this earth than face the challenge that God places before the believer to "Come, follow Me," to believe whole-heartedly God’s Word.
We realize by God’s grace we believe. We are no different than anyone in this world. We were born into the same sinful situation. We live in the same sinful world. We have the same sinful temptations trying to lead us astray; but thankfully and joyfully by the grace of God, He has worked faith in our hearts. Paul describes this when he says: "For God, who said, ’Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:6) The Lord made His light shine in our hearts; so that we gather today to hear God’s Word, to be reminded: Yes Lord, the challenge before us is to turn to You more often. The challenge before us is to "Come, follow me" as Jesus says.
The challenge is to put our wholehearted trust and complete confidence in His Word. Jesus challenges us as believers. He says, "Come, follow me." Jesus wants us II. To listen to and follow His call.
II. Follow wholeheartedly Jesus’ call
As I said, a year went by since John had been preaching and then put into prison. It would be another year before John would be put to death. John was beheaded because of his faith. John simply preached a repentance message. That message would continue: 17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Jesus wanted people to change their hearts. Jesus wanted people to change their lives for God’s kingdom was near. It was the exact same message that John had preached. Of course now, when Jesus preached it, He could have said, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is here" rather than near; because Jesus was the embodiment of God’s kingdom. But instead Jesus said it was near. Jesus wanted them to realize they could have time to repent—but now is the time to repent.
Then we see the power of the Word of God: 18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. Capernaum was on the coast and a fishing village, and we see Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee in today’s verses. He sees Simon and Andrew. When we think about that, we may remember from last week when John was walking along the Sea of Galilee. Upon seeing Jesus, John said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Simon was with John and he left John to follow Jesus. Simon found Andrew and he told Andrew, "We have found the Christ, that is the Messiah (the Anointed One, the One who was promised)." On that day they went and saw where Jesus was staying. Today’s text tells us Jesus comes again to them. This time Jesus is going to challenge them by asking them to give up everything. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Now they would have think.
Now they would have to listen to that challenge and think to themselves, "Are we going to follow Jesus, or are we going to stay fishing for just fish instead of men?" Our text says, 20At once they left their nets and followed him. We note they left at once. They didn’t think very long. They heard that call of Jesus. Not only did it change their hearts because of faith, but also it was going to change their lives. They left their nets. Remember Simon Peter and Andrew weren’t just out fishing for the day. That was their livelihood. They had a business. At once they followed Jesus. There is more. 21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. It is interesting that Jesus finds two sets of brothers. Certainly, as they would leave everything behind and follow Jesus and at times realize that following Jesus wasn’t such a great life because they would face difficulties and persecutions, they could encourage one another as brothers. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them. They had boats and thus had a bigger fishing business than Peter and Andrew. Jesus called them and maybe spoke those same words, "Come, follow me." Their response, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. We are told that they went right away, leaving behind the nets that needed mending, leaving behind their father who needed them to carry on the family business; and they followed Jesus. Jesus placed that challenge before them. As they followed Jesus, Jesus went out and instructed them of what they were going to do by his own example. We are told: 23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. It was a custom during the time of Jesus that the rabbis would take for themselves disciples, followers; but that is all they would ever be--disciples or followers. We realize when Jesus called these disciples to follow Him, they weren’t only going to follow; but in the end they were going to do, weren’t they? Following Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension into heaven, the only people that were left to carry on His message are His disciples. From the handful of disciples that were left, God’s word goes to the ends of the nations as we are studying on Sunday morning in our Bible study in Acts.
So Jesus says to us today, "Come, follow me." Why do we come and follow Jesus? He has little to offer in an earthly sense. The world will look at Jesus’ invitation and say, "I can live without that." Remember, Jesus said, "Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to lay His head." Jesus grew up in Nazareth, but could not even stay there when He was able to preach among them. They did not want to hear it. So why would we follow someone like that? Well, because there is a lot more to living than living here on earth. The prophet Isaiah foretold this: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you" (ISAIAH 60:1). None of us like to be in the dark. None of us like to walk in the darkness. When we get up in the middle of the night, we can stumble or run into a door or many other things. The Lord says, "Now, I am the Light. I am your Light, the Light of the world."
Our loving Lord shines upon us by His grace. The Holy Spirit has worked faith in our hearts for us to realize that to follow Him is a challenge, but it is also a privilege and an honor. In Ephesians, Paul writes these words: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)" (EPHESIANS 5:8,9). Don’t those words just encourage us when we hear them--goodness, righteousness and truth--especially in our day-to-day activities when we don’t always see goodness or righteousness or truth. When we watch the news or read the newspaper or listen to the radio we realize the media is not always truthful. The media doesn’t always bring us good news, and it doesn’t always look for the righteousness of mankind but instead its wickedness. Jesus says we are to embody those things, goodness and righteousness and truth. Jesus challenges us as He says, "Come, follow me. Come, follow me day after day and let the world around you see God’s goodness and righteousness and truth for that way they would praise your Father in heaven."
Jesus challenges us everyday to open God’s Word and read it for ourselves. Jesus challenges us to come, follow Him, to hear His Word and to study it. On earth we never want to short-change ourselves with earthly blessings. In the same we ought never want to short-change ourselves in spiritual blessings that the Lord offers to each one of us in His Word. The Lord Jesus gave the example of the man who built his house on the shifting sand and the one who built his house on a rock. He says the one who built his house on the rock is the one who heard the Word of God and put it into practice. As a result, Jesus says: "He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built" (LUKE 6:48). As you and I continue to build our foundation on the solid rock of Christ, the floods and torrents of trouble of this world come against us, we cannot be shaken; because it is well built. That is more than a challenge, isn’t it? It is a privilege and an honor that we who were in darkness are now God’s children.
The Lords says to us, "Come, follow me." Jesus says to us, "Remember God’s Word and believe it with all of your heart and soul and strength. Come, follow me." Here is an invitation to follow Him in His footsteps. This Wednesday we are going to look at 1 Peter 2 and going into chapter 3. We will come to this verse: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (1 PETER 2:21). I am certain that probably hardly any one of us, if any of us at all, are going to follow all the exact way in the steps of Jesus to death on the cross, because He has done that for us. However, we are going to follow in Jesus steps into the gates of heaven. Jesus says to this He has called us that we would follow Him. We follow Jesus by wholeheartedly believing His Word. We follow Jesus by walking in His steps, by wholeheartedly following Jesus’ call. Amen.
Timm O. Meyer
