A light has dawned

A light has dawned

Scripture: When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 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:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond 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.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:12-17

Observation: After the period of the Lord’s temptation, Matthew next highlights the incident of John the Baptist’s imprisonment which serves as the catalyst for Jesus to withdraw to Galilee. The role of John the Baptist had been to prepare the way for the Lord, and now that his work was done, the Lord proceeds to commence His public ministry from the base of Capernaum, which was by the lake of Galilee.

We see here how the Lord’s every action was with a purpose, and the timing and place of His ministry was carefully planned to ensure the fulfillment of Scripture. The land of Zebulun and Napthali, called the Galilee of the Gentiles was so named because of the Assyrian captivity of Israelites and introduction of many Gentiles into the area. It was called the land of the shadow of death because of the heavy afflictions inflicted upon the people during the cruel Assyrian invasion. Yet, it was especially in such a dark and hopeless place, that the Lord chose to begin His ministry of bringing life. Jesus said that He is the light of the world, and where else can the light shine brightest than in the deepest darkness?

Jesus then takes on the same message John the Baptist declared. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. Traditionally, the word “repent” gives us the imagery of remorse, of being deeply sorry for one’s sins and seeking mercy and forgiveness. Literally, to repent means to change one’s mind in Greek, and in Hebrew, it means to turn around. Repenting therefore occurs when a person may be walking in a set way, but after a deep conviction causing a complete change of mind, turns around and starts walking in an entirely new direction. The human short-term view of thinking is to enjoy life now, to eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. However, when a person changes to a kingdom view, a long term view, he realizes that there is a God and a judge, and that he must be accountable for what he does on earth. So he begins to live life in fear of God, turning away from sin and instead seeking righteousness and mercy from God.

Application:

We highlight 3 main applications here. Firstly, we see that there is a proper time and place for everything. God knows the best timing, the best place, the  best method for us. It is for us to learn to trust God and listen to His Spirit to help us on the best timing, place and way to do things.

Secondly, we need to remember that Jesus is our great light. We may go through valleys of great darkness, and we may despair and see little hope on the horizon. However, we can rest assured that we have a great light indeed to help us, our Lord Jesus Christ. With His light, we need not fear nor doubt, but always have faith and peace in the God of love.

Finally, we need to repent because the kingdom of God is near. Repentance is not a once in a lifetime thing but a continual renewal of our minds, a constant turning away from the sinful desires and temptations of the world and constant turning towards the righteousness and holiness of Jesus who call us, and gives us His Holy Spirit to help us.

Prayer:

Abba Father, hallowed be thy name. You hold all things in Your hands, even time itself. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit I pray According to Your perfect timing, lead me O Lord, to the right place at the right time where I might glorify Your name. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are my great Light, who shines brilliantly in my darkness and shows me the path and way I should go. Teach me O Lord to continue in repentance, turning away from the world, and continuing to turn to You and Your righteousness. Grant me more and more of Your Spirit, to help me as I seek to follow You. Bless Your holy name O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.