Seeds for 05/08/2023 - Matthew 4:12-16
Scripture: 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.”
Observation: There are probably a lot of ways to envision how the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures worked in the life and ministry of Jesus. The New Testament is replete with references and Matthew’s Gospel is an excellent example of this. We’ve noticed it already in just a few short chapters: “to fulfill” or “as it was written.”
To state the obvious, any time a NT writer quotes an OT text, he is doing so in order to say something about what God is doing in Jesus right now. This looks like a reference that is simply meant to connect the movements of Jesus with the references to locations in Messianic texts from the OT—a kind of Jesus GPS system.
More important here is what the people in those locations are to experience through God’s Messiah: “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.”
Matthew figured out later that this messianic OT text pointed to Jesus, but by placing it at this point in the story, he’s forecasting the significance of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee region. All of Jesus’ preaching, teaching, calling and apprenticing disciples, healing, and miracle-working is to shine a light in the darkness.
Light allows us to see what we were missing in the dark. Jesus’ ministry will allow the people to see their God was now among them. Light allows us to navigate our way. Jesus will make their path to the Father visible. Light allows us to put aside our fears and walk with confidence. Jesus will call and enable people to put faith over fear by following Him. This is what lies ahead, and Matthew is preparing us to watch for it.
Application:
How does Jesus bring light into dark places you know in the world—whether in your life or in the experiences of others you know or see?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, we praise you that your light dawned in this world through the life and ministry of Jesus. Help me to see and walk in His light today. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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How does Jesus bring light into dark places you know in the world—whether in your life or in the experiences of others you know or see?
When we give our lives to Christ and follow Him, we live in His light and spread His light to others.
Heavenly Father, may I always dwell in the light of your son, Jesus Christ. May I always follow His light and let it guide in His path. Amen