Thru The Bible -- Gospel Of MatthewSample
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Why People Followed Jesus
As Jesus leaves the wilderness, now qualified to be our King and Savior, He travels back to northern Israel and moves His home base from Nazareth to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Why Capernaum? Matthew is the only book to give us a reason (since everything Matthew recorded was to show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy). In Matthew 4:15-16 he quoted Isaiah 9:1-2, explaining that âthe people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.â
The people of Capernaum saw a great light. Jesusâ presence with them made them responsible to respond to what they witnessed with their own eyes. Jesusâ invitation was always, âCome to Me.â Sadly, Jesus judged Capernaum later for their unwillingness to recognize Him as Messiah.
Next, as Jesus established His ministry, He calls His first four disciples.
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, âFollow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.â -Matthew 4:18-19
As we get to know these first disciples, weâll be surprised at how prone to failure they were. How great is it to know Jesus doesnât call perfect people to follow Himâjust willing? Maybe Heâll be able to use people like us!
Jesus said to Peter and Andrew and also to James and John, âFollow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.â His call to us may not be the same. He may not make you a fisher of men because youâre not in the fishing business. But you are in some other business. Heâll use you and whatever your talent might be if youâd turn it over to Himâthatâs the important thing! He wonât have us all doing the same thing, because we all donât have the same gifts. The Body of Christ has many members, unique and gifted to serve the body.
Together with His disciples, Jesus went all over Galilee, âpreaching the gospel of the kingdom,â which is centered in the person of the King whom they are to accept and receive. Jesus also healed thousands of people of all kinds of diseases and those who were demon possessed. When word got out of all Jesus was doing, people came from all over Israel to follow Him.
Whatâs your story? How far did you come to follow Him?
Next: Jesus delivers one of His most important sermonsâwhatâs it really about?
Scripture
About this Plan
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The Gospel of Matthew bridges the gap between the testaments, swinging back to gather up prophecies and going forward into the future, the first to mention the church by name. Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and King. And though originally written to Jewish people, we can see Jesus Christ in a fresh new light through these 20 lessons from trusted Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
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