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Matthew 4:14
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Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

12 aNow when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  
13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 “Thea land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles: 
16 aThe 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.”  
17 aFrom that time Jesus began to preach and to say, b“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven1 is at hand.”  

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18 aAnd Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon bcalled Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Matthew 4:13   Matthew 4:15 >>

What Does Matthew 4:14 Mean?



Matthew 4:12-17

It was in the Gentile area of Galilee—not in Jewish Jerusalem to the south—where Christ began His ministry of light. In Romans 11:11, Paul asserts that "salvation has come to the Gentiles." Peter, in citing Joel in his first sermon, understands the Gentiles to be spiritually "in the region and shadow of death," in deep darkness, with clouds obscuring their vision of God's salvation. He relates Joel to Pentecost because, on that day, God spread apart those clouds to allow the light of His salvation to reach the Gentiles, dispelling their gloom. What happened in Acts 2 gave the Gentiles the hope that they could build a relationship with the God of salvation. The hope of the Gentilesbecomes the theme of the book of Acts, as seen, for example,

» in the preaching by Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8);

» in the work by Peter with Cornelius and his family (Acts 10); and

» in Paul's ministry to the Gentiles in every city he visited. God called Paul "to bear My name before Gentiles" (Acts 9:15). Chapters 11 through 28 of Acts relates how Paul did that.

Charles Whitaker
Peter's Trumpets Message—on Pentecost

Related Topics: Gentiles | Gentiles, Salvation of | Pentecost | Pentecost , Miracle of | Salvation | Salvation as at-one-ment with God | Salvation of the Gentiles | Salvation, Periods | Salvation, Periods of



Matthew 4:12-14

At first glance, one might think Jesus moved out of the area because He wanted to fulfill the prophecy that His preaching would begin in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. That works until one understands that the word "departed" means "to withdraw," which gives it a different connotation. The beginning of verse 12 tells why He withdrew: because He heard that John had been put in prison. John had been imprisoned due to persecution, and in Jesus' estimation, it could have enveloped His ministry too. Jesus thus accomplished two things at one time by withdrawing: He left the area to avoid persecution and fulfilled the prophecy of His ministry commencing in the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali.

John W. Ritenbaugh
A Place of Safety? (Part 2)

Related Topics: Departing | Discretion | Naphtali | Persecution | Withdrawing | Zebulun




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Matthew 4:14:

John 7:41-52


 
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