THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Matthew 4:12-25
Lord Use Me Until You Use Me UP
V:12. \” When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. \”
A. The Lord plans and decides our ministries according to His
divine plan.
1. The ministry of John the Baptist was foretold 700 years before his birth
Isa 40:3.
2. His mission was restated again 400 years before his birth. Mal 3:1
B. God decides the length of our ministry.
1. John the Baptist knew the end of his ministry, He declared himself to
forerunner of Jesus;
John 3:30: \”He must increase, but I must decrease.\”
2. Jesus heard that John the Baptist, his cousin was in prison.
3. There is no mention of Jesus visiting with John in prison.
4. Except for the His baptism, there is no mention of Jesus
having any direct contact with John.
5. Just because the pastor does not mention your name, does not mean
your work for Jesus is not noticed or appreciated.
Matthew 11:11 \” I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not
risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of
heaven is greater than he.\”
6. We have no right to believe that anything we do for Christ deserve any applause
from man.
SEPARATED FROM HIS PAST
V:13-14. \” Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
A. A minister must have his own space to do God\’s Work.
1. Jesus left Nazareth to began His ministry.
2. He did not need the micro management of his family members.
3. There is no indications that Jesus brothers and sisters supported
him in the ministry while He was alive.
4. In fact there is indications that His brothers and sisters thought He
was crazy.
Mark 3:21
\”When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said,
\”He is out of his mind.\”
B. Jesus did not need the distraction of His Family.
1. We do not hear about Joseph during Jesus ministry, so I assume
he was dead.
2. You would have thought Mary would have shared the message from
the Lord about Jesus with her other children.
3. It is apparent that she did not tell her other children that Jesus was the
conceived in her by the Holy Spirit.
4. It would seem fitting to me for Mary to tell them that Jesus was God in the flesh.
C. There is history and prophecy in the names, Zebulun and Naphtali.
1. Zebulun was the tenth son of Jacob by Leah.
2. Naphtali was six son of Jacob by Bilhah the maid of Rachel
3. 1000 years earlier, during the building of the
temple in Jerusalem , the king of Tyre gave King Solomon
Ceder trees and gold. Solomon gave the king of Tyre 20 cities
in Zebulun and Naphtali in return, The land became populated
with a mixed group of Persians, Phoenicians and Greeks. It became
known as the Land of Cabul (good for nothing).
JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
V-15-16. \”Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles, 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.\”
A. This land had once been abandon by the Israelites.
1. In the Land of Good For Nothing, Jesus began His
Ministry with four disciples.
2. Jesus, first brought the Gospel to the Synagogue in Nazareth, His home
town, but when they heard His message they tried to kill Him by casting
Him down a hill headlong. Luke 4:29-20.
3. He moved His home base to Capernaum, in the Good For Nothing
Place.
B. Jesus could have started His ministry among the rich and educated.
1. But He chose the poor, uneducated and sinful to began the preaching
Good News.
2. Capernaum was located on the coast of the Sea Of Galilee.
3. This was a people in the shadow of death.
4. Jesus became the light that was receive by poor ignorant Gentiles.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH
V:17-20. From that time on Jesus began to preach, \”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.\”
18 As 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.\”
20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
A. At the time of Jesus the sea of Galilee had became a place of commercial fishing
1. The livelihood of village people became dependant in part on the sea of
Galilee.
a. The land around the sea became fertile ground for farming and raising
animals.
2. What was once considered \”Good For Nothing\” became fertile ground
for the preaching of the Gospel.
3. The people living in the area uneducated and struggling to survive
maintained their reputation as \”Good For Nothing\”. John 1:46
B. It seem odd to me that fishermen would drop their nets and follow
someone at His command.
1. The fist two disciples of Jesus were first disciples of John the Baptist
(John 1:35-39).
2. John the Baptist planted the seed of repentance and Jesus came watering.
3. John\’s commission while still in womb of his mother was to be
forerunner for Jesus.
AN URGENT CALL TO FOLLOW JESUS
V:21-22. \” Going 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,
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. A. There will always be evidence that your are doing your job.
1. John the Baptist got the attention of leaders of Israel, the community far
and wide and the Roman Government.
2. People heard the message of repentance and came in crowds to be baptized.
B. John understood the scope of his preaching which was to get the
people prepared to be baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus the Messiah.
1. John the Baptist also understood that those who followed him would
leave him and follow Jesus.
2. It was by divine design that the first disciples of Jesus were fishermen,
because Jesus was the greatest fisher of men.
3. The work of a fisherman is never done. He is either fishing or
or getting his equipment ready for fishing.
4. As disciples of Jesus our job to be ready to proclaim the Gospel to
those we come in contact with.
JESUS, OUR PERSONAL DOCTOR
V:23. \” Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. \”
A. Jesus started His ministry in the Church, the Jewish synagogues.
1. Those who knew God the Father were introduced to God the Son through
the teaching of the Word with power and authority.
2. There is no mention of the Jewish Church hierarchy, which included the Chief
Priest having the ability to heal diseases or cast out demons.
a. This shows a disconnect of Jewish synagogues with God Himself.
b. Instead of being intercessors of the people to God, they became intercessors
for themselves to the Roman government.
c. They had ceased to be Priest of God for the people.
d. Their priesthood became political positions for power and prestige.
B. As a result, there had not been a prophet of God for 400 years.
1. Malachi, God last prophet before John the Baptist
included the message of honoring God with tithes and offering.
2. Through the Priests, tithes and offering had become corrupt
with them enriching themselves with temple offering.
3. We cease to be ministers of Jesus, when our mission become
selfish.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME IN GOD\’S HOUSE
V:24. \” News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. \”
A. Many people were drawn to Jesus because of the love He showed through healing.
1. God is no respecter of persons.
2. He took the Gospel to the synagogue in His own town and was rejected.
3. He turn to the Gentiles who received him gladly.
4. The educated and the well trained in scripture blinded by their knowledge
of scripture and could not see the Messiah in front of them.
5. The poor and the uneducated got the benefit of Jesus miracles.
B. Many came and received the Gospel but others came for miracles only.
1. All who came received the convicting power of the Word.
2. When the word is buried in our mind. it will in time take root in
our hearts.
THE GLOBAL CHURCH, COME AS YOU ARE
V:25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across
the Jordan followed him.
A. The Church is made of all nations and nationalities.
1. No race of people is excluded.
2. The poor and the rich alike are invited into Church of Jesus Christ.
3. There is no charge for physical or spiritual healing.
4. The Greatest gift, salvation is free to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
B. Jesus stands at the door of our heart, waiting for us to let Him in.
1. The benefit of a relationship with Jesus is being under His care.
2. He came that we might have peace, joy and love.
THANK GOD FOR HIS CHURCH
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North
Houston, Texas 77041
For more lesson follow me on facebook and visit my blogs:
revmmitchell.com and goodnewsmevmitc.blogspot.com
