For those who are following along in the Gospels reading plan, here are some insights on Matthew chapter 4:
The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)
Matthew 4:11 "For it is written: 'you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Just as Jesus was our substitute in death (he died on the cross in the place of sinners) he is also our substitute in obedience (Jesus acts in obedience where we were disobedient). The episode in the wilderness demonstrates the contrast between the way Jesus acted towards God the father in the wilderness and the way the Israelites acted in the wilderness towards God. If you recall, the Israelites went on a massive grumbling campaign in the wilderness on their way to the promised land (Exodus 20-Joshua 2). They put the Lord to the test by complaining and doubting God every step of the way. At one point, they accused God by saying that God brought them out of slavery simply so that they could die in the wilderness and that they would have been better off back in Egypt. In contrast, Jesus goes into the wilderness in submission to the Spirit of God and empowered by the Spirit of God to act in obedience in place of the people's disobedience.
In other words, Jesus is our substitute in death (dying in our place) and our substitute in obedience (acting in obedience in our place). Only Jesus is perfectly obedient to God the Father, which is good news to us because we know our hearts are prone to doubt God and resist his wisdom (put him to the test). Jesus' obedience in our place is what makes our obedience to God possible. Knowing perfect obedience does not depend on us, we are free to work as hard as we can without the guilt of failure or the pressure of success. This is good news.
On a side note, notice how Jesus fends off the temptation of Satan by quoting Scripture. ALL of Satan's temptations are rooted in the allure of a lie, for which truth is the effective antidote. God's Word is truth. KNOW GOD'S WORD!
Jesus begins his ministry, Jesus calls his disciples, Jesus ministers to Great crowds (Matthew 4:12-25)
Matthew 4:22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus calls his disciples, in this case it was Andrew and Peter. Don't miss the significance of 4:22. When Jesus calls Andrew and Peter this is what they left behind:
1. Their boat: They left their career. They were fisherman, this was their livelihood and they left it.
2. Their security: Fisherman in their day would have been middle/upper class people who made good incomes. Leaving this meant giving up financial security.
3. Their Father: I am not sure they completely abandoned their father, but they left the dreams and aspirations that their father had for them to carry on as fisherman.
4. Their Family Business: Peter and Andrew break the family cycle and jeopordize the family business.
5. Their Identity: Fishing was probably all they knew, their livelihood. Certainly, their ability to make an income and what they would have been known and what they would have been good at was all gone. In their day, it was less likely that individuals had a wide range of skills, leaving fishing would have been leaving everything they knew.
In other words, when Peter and Andrew hopped up and immediately responded to Jesus' calling they were leaving a lot behind and trusting in Jesus to provide for them in big ways. This also shows us something about Jesus' willingness to break into families. Jesus' call and mission trumps family allegiance.
The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)
Matthew 4:11 "For it is written: 'you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Just as Jesus was our substitute in death (he died on the cross in the place of sinners) he is also our substitute in obedience (Jesus acts in obedience where we were disobedient). The episode in the wilderness demonstrates the contrast between the way Jesus acted towards God the father in the wilderness and the way the Israelites acted in the wilderness towards God. If you recall, the Israelites went on a massive grumbling campaign in the wilderness on their way to the promised land (Exodus 20-Joshua 2). They put the Lord to the test by complaining and doubting God every step of the way. At one point, they accused God by saying that God brought them out of slavery simply so that they could die in the wilderness and that they would have been better off back in Egypt. In contrast, Jesus goes into the wilderness in submission to the Spirit of God and empowered by the Spirit of God to act in obedience in place of the people's disobedience.
In other words, Jesus is our substitute in death (dying in our place) and our substitute in obedience (acting in obedience in our place). Only Jesus is perfectly obedient to God the Father, which is good news to us because we know our hearts are prone to doubt God and resist his wisdom (put him to the test). Jesus' obedience in our place is what makes our obedience to God possible. Knowing perfect obedience does not depend on us, we are free to work as hard as we can without the guilt of failure or the pressure of success. This is good news.
On a side note, notice how Jesus fends off the temptation of Satan by quoting Scripture. ALL of Satan's temptations are rooted in the allure of a lie, for which truth is the effective antidote. God's Word is truth. KNOW GOD'S WORD!
Jesus begins his ministry, Jesus calls his disciples, Jesus ministers to Great crowds (Matthew 4:12-25)
Matthew 4:22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus calls his disciples, in this case it was Andrew and Peter. Don't miss the significance of 4:22. When Jesus calls Andrew and Peter this is what they left behind:
1. Their boat: They left their career. They were fisherman, this was their livelihood and they left it.
2. Their security: Fisherman in their day would have been middle/upper class people who made good incomes. Leaving this meant giving up financial security.
3. Their Father: I am not sure they completely abandoned their father, but they left the dreams and aspirations that their father had for them to carry on as fisherman.
4. Their Family Business: Peter and Andrew break the family cycle and jeopordize the family business.
5. Their Identity: Fishing was probably all they knew, their livelihood. Certainly, their ability to make an income and what they would have been known and what they would have been good at was all gone. In their day, it was less likely that individuals had a wide range of skills, leaving fishing would have been leaving everything they knew.
In other words, when Peter and Andrew hopped up and immediately responded to Jesus' calling they were leaving a lot behind and trusting in Jesus to provide for them in big ways. This also shows us something about Jesus' willingness to break into families. Jesus' call and mission trumps family allegiance.
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