THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. Jesus, by His baptism and the accompanying supernatural manifestations, had been formally and publicly inaugurated into His ministry. But He was not to begin His preaching at once. THEN WAS JESUS LED UP OF THE SPIRIT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL. ... [ Continue Reading ]
A severe test, even from the standpoint of Christ's physical nature: AND WHEN HE HAD FASTED FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, HE WAS AFTERWARD AN HUNGERED. The expression indicates that it was a spontaneous, voluntary desisting from food, the severity of the trials, the mental preoccupation caused by the... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the many and various assaults which the devil employed during the forty days, Matthew and also Luke mention three incidents which took place at the end of this period. Note that the chronological sequence of the events here narrated is a minor consideration. The evangelist's chief aim is to pictu... [ Continue Reading ]
The Savior equal to the occasion: BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. The most powerful and effective weapon: a simple statement of Scripture truth, Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus readily concedes the usual or... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE DEVIL TAKETH HIM UP INTO THE HOLY CITY, AND SETTETH HIM ON A PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE,... [ Continue Reading ]
Repulsed, but not routed, the devil seeks a new line of attack:... [ Continue Reading ]
a. and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down. His attempt to produce distrust in God's ability to sustain life under unusual conditions having failed, Satan tries to plant the seed of self-glorification and presumption in the heart of Jesus. He shows greater boldness, taking t... [ Continue Reading ]
This is implied in the answer of the Lord. Note that He does not even take the trouble of rebuking Satan for misquoting Scriptures: JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, IT IS WRITTEN AGAIN, THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD, THY GOD. He offers, not a contradiction, but a qualification, to emphasize the necessity of exp... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN, THE DEVIL TAKETH HIM UP INTO AN EXCEEDING HIGH MOUNTAIN, AND SHOWETH HIM ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD AND THE GLORY OF THEM. Once more the tempter attacks; there is no ceasing in his efforts to destroy God's work, 1 Peter 5:8. And he has great power, he controls, to some extent, the forces a... [ Continue Reading ]
And still the devil is not overcome:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAITH UNTO HIM, ALL THESE THINGS WILL I GIVE THEE IF THOU WILT FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP ME. For an ordinary human being no proposition, in itself, could have been more attractive. What a dazzling picture of absolute sway over the world and possession of its glory was here offered to the lowly and... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus meets the insult with proper dignity: THEN SAITH JESUS UNTO HIM, GET THEE HENCE, SATAN; FOR IT IS WRITTEN. THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD, THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE. Here Jesus rises in the power of His supreme authority, and passionately repels the Satanic suggestion. In the Greek w... [ Continue Reading ]
This last demonstration of almighty authority decided the day: THEN THE DEVIL LEAVETH HIM; AND, BEHOLD, ANGELS CAME AND MINISTERED UNTO HIM. The enemy's rout was complete, the glorious supremacy of the Lord, not only over man, but also over the spiritual world, had been established. For a season, at... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEGINNING OF THE GALILEAN MINISTRY AND THE CALL OF THE FOUR. With a few rapid strokes the evangelist now sketches the opening of the Messianic work of Christ in Galilee. He is not so much concerned about offering a chronological sequence of events as about grouping the incidents so as to present... [ Continue Reading ]
His home town naturally came first: AND LEAVING NAZARETH, HE CAME AND DWELT IN CAPERNAUM, WHICH IS UPON THE SEA COAST, IN THE BORDERS OF ZEBULON AND NAPHTALI. The unpleasant reception which was accorded Him at Nazareth, Luke 4:16, caused Him to make His stay there very brief. He went to settle, to... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY ESAIAS THE PROPHET, SAYING,... [ Continue Reading ]
The evangelist locates the city only sufficiently exactly to pave the way for another prophetic reference:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND OF ZEBULON AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE WHICH SAT IN DARKNESS SAW GREAT LIGHT; AND TO THEM WHICH SAT IN THE REGION AND SHADOW OF DEATH LIGHT IS SPRUNG UP. What Isaiah had written, Isaiah 8:22; Isaiah 9:1, found its fulfillment in the ministry of Jesus in this region. Here the tribes Zebulon and Naphtali had formerly had their h... [ Continue Reading ]
The form of Christ's message was familiar to the people: FROM THAT TIME JESUS BEGAN TO PREACH AND TO SAY, REPENT; FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. It had been uttered by John the Baptist in his urgent appeal for a change of heart. But with Jesus it had a greater significance. He must needs pre... [ Continue Reading ]
The calling of disciples one of Christ's first official acts: AND JESUS, WALKING BY THE SEA OF GALILEE, SAW TWO BRETHREN, SIMON, CALLED PETER, AND ANDREW, HIS BROTHER, CASTING A NET INTO THE SEA; FOR THEY WERE FISHERS. The Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Gennesaret, Luke 5:1, and Sea of Tiberius, J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAITH UNTO THEM, FOLLOW ME, I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.... [ Continue Reading ]
But the Lord had need of them:... [ Continue Reading ]
And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him. This was not a request for mere companionship, but an authoritative, though genial call to apostleship, couched in language which would appeal to their unlearned minds. They had been His disciples, but without special obligation as to attending... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOING ON FROM THENCE, HE SAW TWO OTHER BRETHREN, JAMES, THE SON OF ZEBEDEE, AND JOHN, HIS BROTHER, IN A SHIP WITH ZEBEDEE, THEIR FATHER, MENDING THEIR NETS; AND HE CALLED THEM.... [ Continue Reading ]
Others joined them on the same day:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE SHIP AND THEIR FATHER, AND FOLLOWED HIM. This occurred in the same neighborhood as the event just recorded and in immediate conjunction with it, Luke 5:10. John had probably been among those that followed Jesus at the Jordan, John 1:35, and had, in the meantime, also t... [ Continue Reading ]
With these men, as the nucleus of a loyal band of disciples, Jesus now entered upon His Galilean ministry, of which Matthew here gives a summary, in the form of an introduction to the succeeding Chapter s: AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF TH... [ Continue Reading ]
The result was natural: AND HIS FAME WENT THROUGHOUT ALL SYRIA. AND THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM ALL SICK PEOPLE THAT WERE TAKEN WITH DIVERS DISEASES AND TORMENTS, AND THOSE WHICH WERE POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, AND THOSE WHICH WERE LUNATIC, AND THOSE THAT HAD THE PALSY; AND HE HEALED THEM. Throughout the Syri... [ Continue Reading ]
With His fame grew the number of His followers: AND THERE FOLLOWED HIM GREAT MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE FROM GALILEE, AND FROM DECAPOLIS, AND FROM JERUSALEM, AND FROM JUDEA, AND FROM BEYOND JORDAN. The extraordinary impression which this Prophet of Nazareth created was not confined to Galilee. People cam... [ Continue Reading ]