In His Own Words - Part 1
The words and actions of Jesus Christ
By Pastora Cate Covert
Please note:
This series focuses on the words of Jesus Christ to His disciples—past, present, and future. Though our goal is to focus specifically on what Jesus said and taught, we will provide biblical and historical background for context where necessary for better understanding.
Background:
John (later called the Baptizer) was Jesus’s cousin. John and Jesus first met while they were in their mothers’ (Elizabeth and Mary) wombs; both men’s births were miraculous. Chapter one of Luke’s Gospel tells the glorious story of the prophecy of John’s coming. An angel foretold John’s birth, and signs accompanied the event. John was to be the forerunner, the prophet who would prepare the path for Jesus’s ministry to mankind.
Other gospels speak more of John the Baptist—alternatively called the Baptizer or the Immerser—but Matthew simply states that Jesus heard John had been arrested and imprisoned.
So Jesus left His boyhood home in Nazareth, departed to Galilee, and moved to Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus lived there as foretold by Isaiah, the prophet.
The words of Isaiah are precise concerning details of the life and ministry of Jesus.
(12) “Now 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) “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES: (16) THE 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.” Matthew 4:12-25
We learn from Isaiah’s prophecy that Messiah (Jesus) would relocate to an area inhabited by the Gentiles; this is a crucial detail because Jesus first came to save the lost sheep of Israel, but since He now resided in proximity to other people groups (non-Israelites), they would also learn from the Light of the World and find deliverance from darkness and the shadow of death.
Verse 16 above reads: “The 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.” This passage is reminiscent of Psalm 23. In fact, David’s words were more than simple praise to the Lord; they were prophetic:
(1) A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. Psalms 23:1-6
We must pause for a moment to discover the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep.
The Shepherd provides for His sheep so they shall not want—they won’t lack anything they need.
Green pastures are not prevalent in the wilderness, but the Shepherd knows the lay of the land, the seasons, and where to find grazing pasture for His sheep.
The Shepherd provides water that satisfies and has no hidden danger. Still waters are calm pools, with no rushing current to cause an unwary sheep to lose her footing and carry her away.
The Shepherd restores the soul of His sheep; rest and healing are His hallmarks. Where others walk in dangerous paths, He leads His flock in paths of righteousness as proof that He is their Shepherd and will make all things right for those who follow Him.
When the Shepherd must lead His flock through dangerous territory, He makes a path for them to walk where the enemy cannot interfere. If the sheep keep their eyes on their Shepherd, they do not have to consider what is on their right or left hand because they trust the Shepherd to get them through safely. He is with them; they cannot fail.
The Shepherd carries a rod and a staff to comfort His sheep. His rod protects the flock when raised against marauding bears, lions, and wolves, but He also uses it to correct or discipline the sheep that stray or bully one another. His staff guides the flock along the excellent path, keeping them from leaving the good trail.
Though predators may surround them, the sheep are safe to graze because the Shepherd will not allow them to come to harm.
The Good Shepherd always knows how to care for the physical well-being of His sheep. The Shepherd anoints the rams’ horns with thick oil to keep them from harming each other during mating season. He puts oil in the noses of the flock to protect them from nose flies that can inflict so much pain on the sheep that they sometimes commit suicide in their agony. He anoints the bodies of His sheep to prevent and treat scab, an infectious disease that can affect an entire flock.
The security and well-being of the sheep cause their cups to overflow—symbolizing great contentment and joy. Goodness and mercy follow the flock, standing between them and any predators that may follow.
Now, look back over the 23rd Psalm and see yourself as one of His flock; David did, and as an experienced shepherd, he knew the goodness of the Lord. His faith was so ingrained in him that he saw the Lord God in everything he did and prayed that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Finally, the words of Jesus, recorded in the Gospel of John, demonstrated that He is the Shepherd described by King David in Psalm 23:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11
This was no light-hearted metaphor; it would cost Jesus His life to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, as Isaiah foretold, but He gave His life willingly so that anyone who believed in Him would be reconciled to His Father in Heaven.
Jesus then said:
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” John 10:14
Jesus said that His sheep—those who followed after Him—would know His voice; they would not be deceived by the voice of a liar who came to entice them with a false messiah, bring division, or dissuade them from believing.
Now, we return to our text in Matthew chapter four, where we begin to understand the urgency of Christ’s mission and His desire to save all humanity.
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
The Kingdom of Heaven is a glorious-sounding theme, but few understand what it means. We tend to think that our salvation is only about Jesus’s blood saving us from our sins so we can go to Heaven. But it is so much more than that! Jesus wants to restore us so we are fit for life in the Kingdom of God!
What is the Kingdom of God?
To understand, let’s start with a more straightforward question: what is a kingdom?
First, a kingdom must have people attempting to live together safely in a group. This group needs a king. The king must provide for his people to live productively and peacefully without fear. He must impose laws and order on the people to bring security and harmony among them. He must have a diplomat corps to deal with surrounding kingdoms. When diplomacy fails, he must protect his people from outside threats; to do this, he must have an army. The army must have the proper equipment and weapons to fight a war with intruders. The king must provide for the continuity of his government, so he appoints a successor and selects judges, sages, counselors, and others to advise him and carry out his wishes.
Why did Jesus say people must repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? What was His meaning?
In the Kingdom of God, we who believe in Jesus for eternal life are now citizens of that Kingdom—a real kingdom with the King of Kings to rule over us.
Why repent? What does that matter?
To repent is to reconsider one’s course and to make a course correction.
We must understand that we were once citizens of the kingdom of darkness, but now we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. To change our outlook, goals, and behavior, we must learn what the King requires of His citizens. We also must understand that while we remain functional exiles in this kingdom of darkness, we are citizens of the Great King and emissaries of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we must learn how to navigate this world full of hostility and evil so that we may bring the good news to captives and set them free as Jesus commanded. He has promised to care for us as the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep so we may walk and work without fear, going wherever He leads.
Now, we continue our story in Matthew 4.
(18) 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. (19) Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (20) They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-20
What a thrilling story! The brothers Simon Peter and Andrew left their nets immediately when Jesus called them.
Background:
Luke chapter five gives us some idea of why Simon and Andrew would go when Jesus called them; Jesus had borrowed Simon’s boat to stand in so that the crowd on the shore could hear Him. Then, He blessed Simon with so many fish that his nets were breaking—a huge haul that doubtless brought in a small fortune for the brothers. By this, Simon became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and did not hesitate to follow Him.
What did Jesus mean when He said to follow Him? Did He mean they should go to His house or favorite public house so they could talk?
In Israel, male children were raised with a basic understanding of the Torah. As young men, they might have attended Beth Midrash—House of Learning—a secondary school for those who wanted to learn more of the Word of God. From there, if a student (disciple) wanted to learn from a particular rabbi, he would drop everything to go with the rabbi and learn from him; this might go on for years. When the rabbi had taught his student all that he could, sometimes the student achieved the status of a rabbi, who then launched out on his own, received his own disciples (students,) and taught those who came to him to learn.
Sometimes, a student would leave one rabbi to follow another, as in the case of John, one of the two disciples of Jesus who had followed John the Baptizer, until he pointed out Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.
From the first recorded act, Jesus did things differently than the religious leaders of His day. He chose His disciples and told them to follow Him. They knew what was expected of them—to drop what they were doing, to get their affairs in order, and to follow Him wherever He would go; this meant they would depend on Him for their work, security, and provision.
So, His first disciples knew they were leaving a life of fishing because Jesus would make them “fishers of men” from this point forward. They would learn how to “catch” new citizens of the Kingdom of God for their King.
(21) Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, (22) and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. (23) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (24) Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. (25) Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Matthew 4:21-25
Now we have Simon and Andrew, James and John—two sets of brothers who would walk alongside Jesus as He worked to bring salvation and reconciliation to the poor and overlooked, the wounded and the captives of this world. Jesus would teach them, and His future disciples, how to love the lost sheep of Israel first. Later, they would learn how to love the Gentiles (pagans, unbelievers, non-Israelites) and invite them into His Kingdom.
As we continue our quest to learn and understand Jesus’s words, let us meditate on His role as our Good Shepherd and how He models Kingdom action for us so that we may walk in His steps. Let us thank Him for His goodness and mercy.
Until next time, shalom shalom.
Pastora Cate Covert