Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
17. For Metanoia (Repentance) and the Basileia (Kingdom), which are the key-notes of our Saviour’s preaching, see note, ch. Mat 3:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
17 22. The Call of Peter and Andrew and of the sons of Zebedee. See Mar 1:16-20
In Luke Simon is mentioned without any introduction, ch. Luk 4:38. The narrative of Luk 5:3-11 must be referred to a different occasion, though Luk 5:11 corresponds with Mat 4:22 of this chapter. St Luke adds that the sons of Zebedee were partners with Simon. John, Luk 1:35-42, refers to a previous summons. We learn there that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, and that Bethsaida was the city of Andrew and Peter.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
See the notes at Mat 3:2.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mat 4:17
Jesus began to preach.
The scientific art of preaching
I. I would insist upon the prominence given to preaching in the Church of God: the text marks the introduction of A new science.
1. Our Lord might have instituted this agency without preaching Himself. He might have sent an angel; but He set us the copy of this new science Himself. Three Greek words are used in the New Testament, and translated preach in connection with our Lords ministry. One is evangelize, which means to declare good tidings; the next word means to declare as a herald; a third word implies argumentation. Here, then, we have the science of preaching defined.
2. From these historical facts, in the description of which we gain these words, it will not be difficult to deduce the underlying principles of this Divine science of preaching, that it is the announcement of glad tidings, the presence of an ambassador as the one announcing and pressing upon men by arguments which address the conscience, will, affections, and understanding.
II. The text gives us the inauguration of A new art. Preaching was original with Jesus Christ.
1. Show that this is a new science. Preaching did not exist in patriarchal times: it was not a Jewish institution: it was not practised among the Gentiles.
2. It was original, because until Jesus lived and died there was no good news to be told.
III. This was a new responsibility.
1. That preaching is the sole agency for mans salvation.
2. It is the unlimited privilege of all believers. (S. H. Tyng.)
Repent.
Repentance
I. Its origin.
1. It is of gospel parentage.
2. It is of gracious origin.
II. Its essentials.
1. Illumination.
2. Humiliation.
3. Detestation.
4. Transformations.
III. Its companions.
1. Faith.
2. Confession.
3. Holiness.
4. Peace.
IV. Its excellencies.
1. Pleasantness.
2. It is sweet to God as well as to men. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Repentance and the kingdom of God
I. Repentance signifies a change of mind.
1. There is conviction of sin.
2. Sorrow for sin.
3. Confession of sin.
4. Amendment of life.
II. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The phrase, kingdom of heaven, is used only by St. Matthew. Jews did not want a spiritual kingdom. National quiet brings ruin. Our Lord gave Jews an opportunity to repent. (A. Jones.)
Repentance
I. The meaning of repentance.
1. The commencement of repentance is a deep sorrow for sin.
2. The utter forsaking of sin.
3. A continuation of the good work begun.
4. The adding on to the whole train of Christian virtues.
II. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven. The glorious gospel was to be preached.
III. The necessity of repenting. (E. Thompsom, M. A.)
Repent
I. Repentance is a necessary qualification to fit us for glory.
1. Be it never so troublesome and painful a work, it is richly worth our while.
2. Reward is the life of action.
3. The encouragement of industry.
II. Repentance does not only give us a future evidence for heaven, but puts us into actual possession.
1. It instates us into our happiness.
2. Is an earnest of future glory. Thus grace is the incohation of glory, and glory is the consummation of grace.
III. What content must this needs be, to enjoy the morning of our eternity, even in this life; and through the crannies of our mortality to have a glimpse of that broad day of glory, which, unlike our longest days, will never have an end.
IV. If every penitential tear were a diamond, and thou didst nothing all thy lifetime but shed tears of liquid pearl, the kingdom of heaven would still be a cheap practise. Thou shouldst never have cause to complain of thy bargain. (Adam Littleton, D. D.)
Repentance
This definition may be divided into three parts.
I. A sorrowing for our sins.
1. This only is the penance whereto all the Scripture calleth us.
2. This penance do I now call you all unto.
3. This must be continually in us, and not merely for a Lent-season.
4. This must increase daily more and more in us.
5. Without this we cannot be saved.
II. Examining our sins.
1. Outward evil springs out of inward corruption. This must be perfectly and spiritually understood if we will come to the true knowledge of our sins.
2. Therefore let us get Gods law as a glass to look in, and that not only literally, outwardly, or partly, but also spiritually, inwardly, and thoroughly. For, as St. Austin saith, it is a, glass which feareth nobody; but even look what a one thou art, so it painteth thee out.
III. A trust of pardon.
IV. A purpose to amend, or a conversion to a new life. Let your sorrowing for your evils demonstrate itself by departing from the evils you have used. Let your certainty of pardon of your sins through Christ, and your joy in Him, be demonstrated by pursuing the good things which Gods Word teacheth you.
1. Repent your sins.
2. Believe in Gods mercy for pardon.
3. Earnestly pursue a new life, bringing forth worthy and true fruits of repentance. (John Bradford.)
All who sincerely obey, and do what He hath commanded, may be properly said to serve Him
(1) By acknowledging the justice and goodness of His laws, and
(2) His power and authority over them;
(3) By loving, fearing, trusting, and believing on Him;
(4) By being sober, temperate, for the honour of His image enstamped on you;
(5) By being meek, patient, and thankful in all conditions, in whatsoever happens to you;
(6) By being humble and lowly in your own eyes;
(7) By being bountiful, kind, and merciful to others;
(8) By being just and righteous in all your dealings. (William Beveridge, D. D.)
Kingdom of heaven is at hand.–
The kingdom of heaven is at hand
1. Daily. Somebody dies every day; folks are travelling in and out of this great Inn, the world, continually.
2. Death may suddenly come to your door. Though he hath passed by often without calling, he will knock at last, and when he summons, thou must away. As the angels did with Lot, while thou lingerest he will lay hold upon thy hand, and hasten thee away even against thy will. Therefore-L Think often of thy own end, which is to thee the end of all things. When thou art gone, all is gone.
II. Then it will be found that the best pillow to lay a dying head on will be a good conscience.
III. Thou must then bid adieu to earths spangled glories. Honours and estates will prove but weak cordials.
IV. A thousand worlds will then be bid for one hours respite; and it cannot be bought so, if thou hadst them to give. (Adam Littleton, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent] See on Mt 3:1; Mt 3:2. Every preacher commissioned by God to proclaim salvation to a lost world, begins his work with preaching the doctrine of repentance. This was the case with all the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, all the apostles, and all their genuine successors in the Christian ministry. The reasons are evident in the notes already referred to; and for the explanation of the word , preaching or proclaiming as a herald, see at the end of chap. 3.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
From the time of Christs baptism, or from the time that he heard that John was committed to prison, he, who before had preached and taught privately, and more rarely, began to preach more ordinarily and publicly, and the sum of his doctrine was the same with that of John the Baptist, confirming his doctrine, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. See the sense of those words, Mat 3:2; Mar 1:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. From that time Jesus began topreach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at handThusdid our Lord not only take up the strain, but give forth theidentical summons of His honored forerunner. Our Lord sometimesspeaks of the new kingdom as already comein His own Person andministry; but the economy of it was only “at hand”until the blood of the cross was shed, and the Spirit on the day ofPentecost opened the fountain for sin and for uncleanness to theworld at large.
Calling of Peter and AndrewJames and John (Mt4:18-22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,…. Not from the time he dwelt in Capernaum; for he had preached in Nazareth before he came there, Lu 4:16 nor from the time of John’s being cast into prison; for he had preached, and made disciples, who were baptized by his orders, before John’s imprisonment, Joh 3:22 Joh 4:1 but from the time that Satan left tempting him; as soon as that combat was over, immediately he went into Galilee, began to preach, and called his disciples. The words with which he began his ministry are the same with which John begun his; which shows the entire agreement between them, in that they not only preached the same doctrine, but in the same words; [See comments on Mt 3:2]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Began Jesus to preach ( ). In Galilee. He had been preaching for over a year already elsewhere. His message carries on the words of the Baptist about “repentance” and the “kingdom of heaven” (Mt 3:2) being at hand. The same word for “preaching” () from , herald, is used of Jesus as of John. Both proclaimed the good news of the kingdom. Jesus is more usually described as the Teacher, ( ) who taught () the people. He was both herald and teacher as every preacher should be.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
To preach [] . Originally, to dischard the duty of a herald [] ; hence to cry out, proclaim (see on 2Pe 2:5). The standing expression in the New Testament for the proclamation of the Gospel; but confined to the primary announcement of the message and facts of salvation, and not including continuous instruction in the contents and connections of the message, which is expressed by didaskein (to teach). (Both words are used in Mt 4:23; Mt 9:35; Mt 11:1).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “From that time Jesus began to preach,” (apo tote erksato ho lesous kerusoein) “Then from that time Jesus began to proclaim, preach, or herald publicly and forcefully;” Rom 10:14. From the time that He established His residence in Capernaum, to fulfill in a definitive, historical and geographical way the prophecy of old, Isa 8:26; 9:1,2; 48:6; Isa 42:1-4.
2) “And to say, Repent:” (kai legein metanoeite) “And to say repeatedly, you all repent,” all of you must repent,’ change directions in your natural moral and ethical desires, acknowledge your sins and seek for pardon from the guilty consequences of them, the same message that John the Baptist had preached, Mr 1:14,15; Mat 3:1-7; Mat 3:11; Luk 13:3; Luk 13:5.
3) “For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (engiken gar he Basileia ton ouranon) “Because the kingdom of the heavens has (now) drawn near,” is confronting you. The phrase “kingdom of heaven” has been corrupted by protestantism, and prostituted to mean, first, the sum total of the saved, and second, to refer to a far distant Davidic kingdom which Jesus offered (as they purport) to the Jews who rejected it, leaving Him no alternative but to defer its beginning until His return to earth.
The phrase “kingdom of heaven” as used exclusively, restrictedly, and definitively by Matthew refers, not to the sum total of the saved, which is the family of God, but to the ‘ Now Covenant fellowship of baptized -believers that John the Baptist prepared, whom Jesus chose and taught, to whom He committed the execution of His work, till He comes again. The term, used by Matthew, more than thirty times, always refers to the same chosen followers whom He called His flock, the church, the house of God, which Jesus built. From this baptized, called, chosen, commissioned, and empowered institution He promised that the twelve apostles would, in His Davidic throne age, sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Zec 13:7; Mat 26:31-32; Luk 12:32; Act 20:28; 1Pe 5:2-3; Mat 16:18; Mr 13:34; 1Ti 3:15-16; Heb 3:5-6; Luk 21:28-31.
THE CALL OF PETER AND ANDREW TO FULL TIME
SERVICE
V. 18-20
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(17) From that time Jesus began to preach.We have in these words St. Matthews record of the commencement of our Lords Galilean ministry. It is important to remember that it had been preceded by a ministry of some months in Juda; that that ministry had been outwardly like that of the Baptist (Joh. 4:1); and that He had withdrawn from it upon Johns imprisonment because He knew that His own growing fame had attracted the notice of the Pharisees. Taking the data given by Joh. 2:13; Joh. 2:23; Joh. 5:1; and Joh. 6:4, we are able to fix the time of His first appearance as a prophet in His own country in the autumn or winter of the interval between the Passover of A.D. 26 and that of A.D. 27.
Of the usual method of our Lords synagogue-preaching, Luk. 4:17-21 gives us a representative example. To read the prophetic lesson for the day, to make that His text, to proclaim the necessity of repentance and the good news of forgiveness following on repentance, to bear His witness that the kingdom of heaven was not in the far-off future, but nigh at hand, in the midst of themthis we must believe was, at this time, as ever, the substance of His teaching and preaching. (See Notes on Mat. 4:23.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. From that time From the time of John’s imprisonment and the Saviour’s settlement in Capernaum.
Began to say, Repent As the preaching of the Baptist had ceased, the Saviour took up the Baptist’s theme. That theme was repentance, as preparatory to the founding of Messiah’s kingdom. Repent Repentance includes two elements, renunciation of our past sin, and the adoption of a future better course. This renunciation is founded upon a sorrow more or less emotional, and an abhorrence, more or less earnest, of our past misdoing. But the genuineness of our repentance depends less upon the emotional excitement, than upon the strength of the volition by which we have renounced the past, and the reality of the reformation in the future. The repentance that produces no reformation may have some sincerity, but little soundness, and no happy result.
Kingdom of heaven See note on Mat 3:2.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, “Repent you, for the Kingly Rule of heaven is at hand.” ’
From that time.’ That is from the time of John’s imprisonment, which provided Jesus with the opportunity and necessity of establishing His own ministry. What must have seemed a disaster for the true people of God was in fact to be the beginning of an even greater work of God, as so often happens in God’s planning.
Jesus’ preaching is deliberately given by Matthew in the same words as John’s. Matthew thus makes clear that Jesus has not supplanted John, but is carrying on where he had left off. For while we are not as much aware of it as they were in those days, we should recognise that John’s ministry had had a huge impact, affecting many people in Judaea, Peraea and Galilee (among them some of those who would now be Jesus’ disciples) and reaching out far into the Dispersion. Thus when the Gospel eventually did go out among the nations there would be many disciples of John who would gladly receive it (and, such is the perversity of human nature, some who would even consider John, in spite of what he himself had said, superior to Jesus).
But while the words are the same the content of their messages is in fact to be seen as very different, for John could only look to the future, while for Jesus it had become the present. In Him ‘the last days’ were here. And we can see quite clearly the way in which Jesus’ message expanded by considering His discourses, especially chapter 13. The Sermon on the Mount, for example, backs up His calls for awakening and repentance, and bases those calls on a new interpretation of the Law that John would never have dreamed of. The parables of the Kingly Rule of Heaven proclaim the Kingly Rule of Heaven in more depth, and greatly expand on the idea. What a contrast Jesus’ teaching and ministry is with John’s message. John spoke with the authority of the Old Testament prophets, and with the authority of his calling, but Jesus speaks on His own authority, an authority that is beyond that of the prophets. He alone can declare, ‘I say to you’. John proclaims the Kingly Rule of Heaven that is coming, without expanding the idea very much further, although we must recognise that in his preaching of the way of righteousness many entered into it (Mat 21:31-32). Yet that Kingly Rule is still to him, as a prophet, something to come in the future, even though near at hand, for ‘he who is least in the Kingly Rule of Heaven is greater than he’ (Mat 11:11), and this is true even though the tax-collectors and prostitutes under his ministry have entered it (Mat 21:31-32, compare Mat 23:13). But we may see it as probable that as a humble sinner responding to his own preaching, on the same terms as the tax-collectors, he was able to enter it without necessarily realising it, for after all the King was now present.
Jesus proclaims the Kingly Rule of Heaven and expands on it and explains it in great detail and reveals that it is now present. John does no miracle (Joh 10:41), for the Kingly Rule was not yet manifested. But once Jesus arrives in Galilee He is constantly doing miracles (seemingly He would not do so while John was preaching, out of deference to John). Thus it is revealed that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was now not just promised, but was definitely present in power! Consider Mat 4:23-25; Mat 11:4-5; and the expectancy that He would heal as ‘the Son of David’ (Mat 9:27-31; Mat 12:22-23; Mat 20:29-34; Mat 21:14-15).
‘Repent and believe the Good News.’ What Matthew is saying is that this was, as with John, the essence of His message. But it must be quite obvious to anyone who thinks at all that Jesus must have said much more than this at the time. He was not just a one verse preacher. Prior to the Sermon on the Mount He must clearly have had a considerable preaching ministry. He must therefore have said many things. But in essence, says Matthew, basic to His message (as with John) was that He was calling on men to repent, to turn to God from sin, to find forgiveness (this is the assumption from the requirement to repent, and is assumed in, for example, Mat 6:12; Mat 9:2) and to respond to the Kingly Rule of Heaven now present among them, (which they could not have done without forgiveness). What the fuller content was we must gather by reading on in Matthew’s Gospel. But it was sufficient to gain Him a good following of ‘disciples’, that is, of those who followed Him because they had responded to His words and in order to learn more.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The form of Christ’s message was familiar to the people:
v. 17. 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 preach repentance in order to prepare the way for the proclamation of salvation. He acted, not as a guide to a distant and coming salvation, but as the herald of the kingdom of grace now at hand in Himself. His plea was for a change from the old to the new, from the prophecy and type to the fulfillment. In this way the day-star arose in Christ and His Gospel, and had now begun to shine upon those that were covered with darkness, in order that they might see this light and rejoice in its merciful illumination and warmth.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 4:17. From that time, &c. Namely of his departure into Galilee. Jesus had already preached at Jerusalem and in other parts of Judaea: see Joh 4:3 and the note on Mat 4:12. But St. Matthew, having omitted this part of the evangelical history, dates the beginning of Christ’s ministry from his preaching in Galilee. John the Baptist gave notice that the coming of the Messiah was at hand: the Lord Jesus Christ declares that he is come; and orders his apostles to publish the same great truth to the world. See Beausobre and Lenfant. Though Christ, as legislator and Lord, could have commanded his subjects, yet he chose rather, by the milder methods of persuasion, to teach and instruct them. See Mat 4:23 and on chap. Mat 5:11-12. It is the peculiar business of Christ to establish the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men. Yet he himself begins his preaching in thesame words with John the Baptist, because the repentance whichJohn taught, still was and ever will be the necessary preparation for that inward kingdom. But that phrase is not only used with regard to the individuals in whom this kingdom is to be established, but also with regard to the Christian church,the whole body of believers. In the former sense, it is opposed to repentance; in the latter, to the Mosaic dispensation. See more in Heylin, p. 42
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 4:17 . ] from that time onwards that is, after this return to Nazareth and Capernaum. It determines the commencement of the preaching not merely from Capernaum onwards. In the N. T. stands only here, Mat 16:21 , Mat 26:16 ; Luk 16:16 . More frequently in the writers of the , LXX. Psa 93:2 ; Wetstein in loc . Not in classical writers. Phrynichus, ed. Lobeck, p. 461.
. ] See on Mat 3:2 . Jesus in the presence of the people does not yet designate Himself as the Messiah, but announces in quite a general way the nearness of the Messianic kingdom, the divinely-ordained bearer of which He knew Himself to be; this is quite in keeping with the humility and wisdom of His first appearance, when He resumed the preaching of John. The view, that at the beginning He did not regard Himself as the Messiah, but only as a forerunner like John, and only at a later time appropriated to Himself the Messianic idea (Strauss, Schenkel), is in contradiction to all the four Gospels. But in His self-attestation as the Messiah He proceeded to work, according to the Synoptics, in a more gradual manner than He did according to John. Comp. Gess, Christi Person u. Werk , I. p. 247 ff.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It is observable that Mark records the same words of CHRIST’S Sermon!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
XXVI
OUR LORD’S GREAT MINISTRY IN GALILEE
Part I
Harmony pages 85-39 and Mat 4:17-25
We now come to our Lord’s great ministry m Galilee. We will take a sort of preview of this whole division and then follow it up with more detailed discussions. The general theme of this division of the Harmony is “The kingdom of heaven.” We are prone at times to fall into errors of interpretation concerning the kingdom similar to those which led ancient Israel so far and so harmfully astray concerning the advent of the Messiah. Either we so fill our minds with the sublimity of world redemption, as applied to the race, in the outcome, so satisfy our hearts with rhetorical splendor in the glowing description of universal dominion that we lose sight of its application to individuals in our day, and the responsibilities arising from the salvation of one man, or we so concentrate our fancy upon the consummation that we forget the progressive element in the development of the kingdom and the required use of means in carrying on that progress. The former error breeds unprofitable dreamers the latter promotes skeptics. The preacher is more liable to be led astray by the one, the average church member by the other.
Perhaps the most unprofitable of all sermons is the one full of human eloquence and glowing description excited by the great generalities of salvation, and perhaps the most stubborn of all skepticism is that resulting from disappointment as not witnessing and receiving at once the very climax of salvation, both as to the individual and the race.
Such a spirit of disappointment finds expression in words like these: “The prophecies here of the kingdom are about 1,900 years old. Nineteen centuries have elapsed since the Child was born. Wars have not ceased. The poor are still oppressed. Justice, equity, and righteousness do not prevail. Sorrow, sin, and death still reign. And I am worried and burdened and perplexed. My soul is cast down and disquieted within me.” In such case we need to consider the false principles of interpretation which have misled us, and inquire: Have we been fair to the Book and its promise?
Here I submit certain carefully considered statements: (1) The consummation of the Messiah’s kingdom was never promised as an instantaneous result of the birth of the Child. (2) The era of universal peace must follow the utter and eternal removal of things and persons that offend. This will be the harvest of the world. (3) Again, this consummation was never promised as an immediate result, i.e., without the use of means to be employed by Christ’s people. (4) Yet again, this aggregate consummation approaches only by individual reception of the kingdom and individual progress in sanctification. (5) It is safe to say that the promises have been faithfully fulfilled to just the extent that individuals have received the light, walked in the light and discharged the obligations imposed by the gift of the light. These receptive and obedient ones in every age have experienced life, liberty, peace, and joy, and have contributed their part to the ultimate glorious outcome. (6) And this experience in individuals reliably forecasts the ultimate race and world result, and inspires rational hope of its coming. This is a common sense interpretation. In the light of it our duty is obvious. Our concern should be with our day and our lot and our own case as at present environed. The instances of fulfilment cited by the New Testament illustrate and verify this interpretation, particularly that recorded by Matthew as a fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah 4-13 inclusive, of his gospel. What dispassionate mind can read these ten chapters of Matthew, with the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, without conceding fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecies uttered seven centuries before?
Here is the shining of a great light, brighter than all of the material luminaries in the heavens which declare the glory of God and show his handiwork. This is, indeed, the clean, sure and perfect law of the Lord, converting the soul, making wise the simple, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, enduring forever, more desirable than gold and sweet “r than honey in the honeycomb. Here are judgments true and righteous altogether.
Here in sermon and similitude the incomparable Teacher discloses the principles and characteristics of a kingdom that, unlike anything earth-born, must be from heaven. Here is a fixed, faultless, supreme, and universal standard of morality. The Teacher not only speaks with authority and wisdom, but evidences divinity by supernatural miracles, signs, and wonders. But there is here more than a teacher and wonder worker. He is a Saviour, a Liberator, a Healer, conferring life, liberty, health, peace, and joy. To John’s question John in prison and in doubt the answer was conclusive that this, indeed, was the one foreshown by the prophets and there was no need to look for another: “Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And whosoever shall find no occasion for stumbling in me, blessed is he” (Mat 11:1-4 ).
The special matter here most worthy of our consideration is that the kingdom of heaven was not expanded by instantaneous diffusion over a community, a nation, or the world, regardless of human personality, activity, and responsibility ill receiving and propagating it, but it took hold of each receptive individual’s heart and worked out on that line toward the consummation.
To as many as received him to them he gave the power to become the sons of God. Those only who walked in the light realized the blessings of progressive sanctification. To the sons of peace, peace came as a thrilling reality. From those who preferred darkness to light) who judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, the proffered peace departed, returning to the evangelists who offered it.
The poor woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years experienced no imaginary or figurative release from her bonds (Luk 11:10-16 ). That other woman, who had sinned much, and who, in grateful humility, washed his feet with her tears was not forgiveness real and sweet to her? That blind Bartimeus who kept crying, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me” did he not receive real sight? That publican, who stood afar off and beat upon his breast, crying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner” was he not justified?
And when the Galilean disciples went forth in poverty and weakness preaching his gospel, did they not experience the Joy of the harvest on beholding the ingathering of souls? And when they saw even demons subject to them through the name of Jesus, was not that the joy of victory as when conquerors divide the spoil?
When the stronger than the strong man armed came upon him and bound him, might not our Lord justly say, “As lightning falls from heaven, I saw Satan fall before you”? And just so in our own time.
Every conversion brings life, liberty, peace, and joy to the redeemed soul. Every advance in a higher and better life attests that rest is found at every upward step in the growth of grace. Every talent or pound rightly employed gains 100 per cent for the capital invested, and so the individual Christian who looks persistently into the perfect law of liberty, being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word, is blessed in every deed. Willing to do the will of God, and following on to know the Lord, he not only knows the doctrine to be of God, but experimentally goes on from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and is changed into the divine image from glory to glory.
In the light of these personal experiences he understands how the kingdom of God is invincible, and doubts not the certain coming of the glorious consummation foreshown in prophecy and graciously extended, in the hand of promise. His faith, staggering not through unbelief, takes hold of the invisible, and his hope leaps forward to the final recompense of the reward.
The opening incident of the Galilean ministry is the healing of the nobleman’s son, the second miracle of our Lord in Galilee, and a most remarkable one. The nobleman was Herod’s steward, maybe Chuza, as many suppose, but that is uncertain. The nobleman manifested great faith and it was amply rewarded. This is an illustration of the tenderness with which Jesus ministered to the temporal needs of the people, thus reaching their souls through their bodies. The effect of this miracle was like that of the first: “He himself believed, and his whole house.”
The next section (Luk 4:16-31 ) gives the incident of his rejection at Nazareth. The account runs thus: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.” How solemn, how sad in its immediate result how pathetic that scene in Nazareth when the Redeemer announced his mission and issued his proclamation of deliverance: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to publish good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To send crushed ones away free, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Oh! what a day when this scripture was fulfilled in the hearing of the captives I But the Spirit on him was not on them.
As Jewish widows in Elijah’s day, perished of famine, through unbelief, and left to Sarepta’s far-off widow in a foreign land to believe and be blessed with unfailing meal and oil, as Jewish lepers, through unbelief, in Elisha’s day died in uncleanness and loathsomeness while touching elbows with One having power to heal, leaving to a Syrian stranger to wash in Jordan and be clean, so here where Jesus “had been brought up,” the people of Nazareth shut their eyes, bugged their chains and died in darkness and under the power of Satan died unabsolved from sin, died unsanctified and disinherited, and so yet are dying and shall forever die.
The Year of Jubilee came to them in vain. In vain its silver trumpets pealed forth the notes of liberty. They had no ear to hear, and so by consent became slaves of the Terrible One forever.
This brings us to church responsibility and ministerial agency in the perpetuation of this proclamation of mercy. As Paul went forth to far-off shores, announcing in tears, yet with faith and hope and courage, the terms of eternal redemption, so now the churches find in the same mission their warrant for existence, and so now are we sent forth as witnesses to stand before every prison house where souls are immured, commissioned “to open the eyes of the prisoners that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ.” Ours to blow the silver trumpets and proclaim to captives the year of jubilee. Ours is the evangel of liberty ours to make known that “if the Son of God make men free, they shall be free indeed.”
Leaving Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum, where he made his residence from which he radiates in his ministry in Galilee, teaching and healing on a large scale. His work here in Zebulun and Naphtali is a distinct fulfilment of Isa 9:1-2 , in which he is represented as a great light shining in the darkness. By the sea of Galilee near Capernaum he calls four fishermen to be his partners Peter, Andrew, James, and John, two sets of brothers. Here he announces his purpose for their lives to be fishers of men. What a lesson! These men were skilled in their occupation and now Jesus takes that skill and turns it into another direction, toward a greater end, “fishers of men.” Here he gives them a sign of his authority and messiahship in the incident of the great draught of fishes. The effect on Peter was marvelous. He was conscious of Christ’s divinity and of his own sinfulness. Thus he makes his confession, Luk 5:8 : “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” But our Lord replied to Peter: “Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Later (Joh 21 ), when Peter and his comrades went back to their old occupation, the risen Lord appeared to them and renewed their call, performing a miracle of a similar draught of fishes.
In Section 28 (Mar 1:21-28 ; Luk 4:31-37 😉 we have his first case of healing a demoniac. What is the meaning of the word “demoniac”? It means demon-possessed, and illustrates the fact of the impact of spirit on spirit, many instances of which we have in the Bible. Here the demons recognized him, which accords with Paul’s statement that he was seen of angels. They believed and trembled as James says, but they knew no conversion. The lesson there is one of faith. The effect of this miracle was amazement at his authority over the demons.
In Section 29 (Mat 8:14-17 ; Mar 1:29-34 ; Luk 4:38-41 ) we have an account of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, which incident gives us light on the social relations of the disciples. Peter was married, the Romanist position to the contrary notwithstanding. Further scriptural evidence of his marriage is found in 2Co 8:5 . It is interesting to compare the parallel accounts of this incident in the Harmony and see how much more graphic is Mark’s account than those of Matthew and Luke. There is a fine lesson here on the relation between the mother-in-law and the son-in-law. Peter is a fine example of such relation. Immediately following the healing of Peter’s wife’s mother those that had sick ones brought them to Jesus and he healed them, thus fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah, that he should take our infirmities and bear our diseases. Our Lord not only healed their sick ones, but he cast out the demons from many, upon which they recognized him. But he would not let them speak because they knew that he was the Christ.
The effect of our Lord’s great work as described in Section 29 was that Peter tried to work a corner on salvation and dam it up in Capernaum. This is indicated in the account of the interview of Peter with our Lord as described in Section 30 (Mat 4:23-25 ; Mar 1:35-39 ; Luk 4:42-44 ). Here it is said that Jesus, a great while before day, went out into a desert place to pray, and while out there Peter came to him and complained that they were wanting him everywhere. To this our Lord responded that it was to this end that he had come into the world. So Jesus at once launched out and made three great journeys about Galilee. His first journey included a great mass of teaching and healing, of which we have a few specimens in Sections 31-36, which apparently occurred at Capernaum, his headquarters. A second journey is recorded by Luke in Section 47 (Luk 8:1-3 ) and a third journey is found in Section 55. (For Broadus’ statement of these tours, see Harmony, p. 31.)
Here we have the occasion of one of the special prayers of Jesus. There are four such occasions in his ministry: (1) At his baptism he prayed for the anointing of the Holy Spirit; (2) here he prayed because of the effort to dam up his work of salvation in Capernaum; (3) the popularity caused by the healing of a leper (Sec. 31 Mat 8:2-4 ; Mar 1:40-45 ; Luk 5:12-16 ) drove him to prayer; (4) the fourth occasion was the ordination of the twelve apostles. The immense labors of Jesus are indicated in Mat 4:23-24 . These labors gave him great popularity beyond the borders of Palestine and caused the multitudes from every quarter to flock to him. Attention has already been called to the popularity caused by the healing of the leper (Sec. 31) and Jesus’ prayer as the result.
In the incident of the healing of the paralytic we have a most graphic account by the synoptics and several lessons: (1) That disease may be the result of sin, as “thy sin be forgiven thee”; (2) that of intelligent cooperation; (3) that of persistent effort; (4) that of conquering faith. These are lessons worthy of emulation upon the part of all Christians today. Out of this incident comes the first issue between our Lord and the Pharisees, respecting the authority to forgive sins. This was only a thought of their hearts, but he perceived their thought and rebuked their sin. From this time on they become more bold in their opposition, which finally culminated in his crucifixion. Let the reader note the development of this hatred from section to section of the Harmony.
In Section 33 (Mat 9:9-13 ; Mar 2:13-17 ; Luk 5:27-32 ) we have the account of the call of Matthew, his instant response and his entertainment of his fellow publicans. Here arose the second issue between Christ and the Pharisees, respecting his receiving publicans and sinners and eating with them. This was contrary to their idea in their self-righteousness, but Jesus replied that his mission was to call sinners rather than the righteous. This issue was greatly enlarged later, in Luk 15 , to which he replied with three parables showing his justification and his mission. In this instance (Mat 9:13 ) he refutes their contention with a quotation from Hosea which aptly fitted this case: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.”
Then came to him the disciples of John and made inquiry about fasting, to which he replied with the parable of the sons of the bride chamber, the interpretation of which is that we should let our joy or sorrow fit the occasion, or set fasting ments and old bottles, the interpretation of which is to let the form fit the life; beware of shrinking and expansion.
In Section 35 (Mat 9:18-25 ; Mar 5:22-43 ; Luk 8:41-56 ) we have the account of his healing of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. Usually in the miracles of Christ, and in all preceding miracles, there was the touch of some kind between the healer and the healed. We are informed that great multitudes of people came to Jesus with this confidence, “If I but touch him I shall be healed.” Accordingly we find that Christ put his fingers on the eyes of the blind, on the ears of the deaf, or took hold of the hand of the dead. In some way usually there was either presence or contact.
We will now consider the special miracle connected with the fringe of the garment of Jesus which the Romanists cite to justify the usage concerning the relics of the saints. In Num 15:38 we have a statute: “Thou shalt put fringes on the wings or ends of the outer garment,” and this fringe had in it a cord or ribbon of blue, and the object of it was to remind the wearer of the commandments of God. The outer garment was an oblong piece of cloth, one solid piece of cloth, say, a foot and a half wide and four feet long. The edge was fringed on all the four sides, and in the fringe was run a blue thread, and the object of the fringe and of the blue thread also was to make them remember the commandments of God. The statute is repeated in Deu 22 . Again in Deu 6 is the additional law of phylacteries, or frontlets little pieces of leather worn between the eyes on which were inscribed the commandments of God. The people were taught to instruct their children in the commandments of God: “And they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes, and thou shalt put them upon thy door posts, and when thou goest out and when thou comest in, and when thou sittest down and when thou gettest up, and when thou liest down, thou shalt at all times teach thy children the Word of God.” Now, because of these statutes a superstitious veneration began to attach to the fringe and to the phylacteries. So we learn in Mat 23 , as stated by our Saviour, that the Pharisees made broad the phylacteries between their eyes and enlarged the fringe of the outer garment. They made the fringe or tassel very large. They did it to be seen of men. The law prescribed that when the wearer should see this fringe on his garment he should remember the commandments of the Lord his God. But these Pharisees put it on that others might see it, and that it might be an external token to outsiders of their peculiar sanctity and piety. What was intended to be a sign to the man himself was converted by superstition into a sign for other people. Hence this woman said within herself, “If I but touch that sacred fringe the border of his garment.” She could not go up and touch the phylactery between his eyes, in case he wore one, but he did wear the Jewish costume with the fringe or border on his outer garment, and she could reach that from behind. She would not have to go in front of him. She argued: “Now, if I can in the throng get up so that I can reach out and just touch that fringe, I shall be saved.” We see how near her thought connected the healing with the fringe of the garment, because by the double statute of God it was required on the Jewish garment to signify their devotion to his Word the matchless Word of Jehovah. Mark tells us that she was not the only woman, not the only person healed by touching the border of his garment (Mar 6:56 ). Her sentiment was not an isolated one. It was shared by the people at large. Multitudes of people came to touch the fringe of his garment that they might be healed.
The question arises, Why should Christ select that through contact with the fringe on his outer garment healing power should be bestowed? He did do it. The question is, why? There shall be no god introduced unless there be a necessity for a god. There shall be no special miracle unless the case demands it. Why? Let us see if we cannot get a reason. I do not announce the reason dogmatically, but as one that seems sufficient to my own mind. Christ was among the people speaking as never man spake, doing works that no man had done. He was awakening public attention. He was the cynosure of every eye. They came to him from every direction. They thronged him. And right here at this juncture Jairus had said, “Master, my little girl, twelve years old, is even now dead. Go and lay thy hand upon her that she may live.” He arose and started, the crowd surging around him and following him, and all at once he stopped and said, “Who touched me?” “Master, behold the crowd presseth thee on every side, and thou sayest, who touched me?” Here was a miracle necessary to discriminate between the touches of the people. “Who touched me?” Hundreds sin sick touched him and were not saved. Hundreds that had diseases touched him and were unhealed. Hundreds that were under the dominion of Satan looked in his face and heard his words and were not healed. It was touch and not touch. They touched, but there was no real contact. They rubbed up against salvation and were not saved. Salvation walked through their streets and talked to them face to face. The stream of life flowed right before their doors and they died of thirst. Health came with rosy color and bright eye and glowing cheek and with buoyant step walked through their plague district) and they died of sickness. But some touched him. Some reached forth the hand and laid hold upon the might of his power. This woman did.
Poor woman! What probably was her thought? “I heard that ruler tell him that he had a little girl twelve years old that was just dead, and he asked him to go and heal her, she twelve years old, and for twelve years I have been dead. For twelve years worse than death has had hold on me and I have spent all my money; have consulted many physicians. I have not been benefited by earthly remedies, but rendered worse. Twelve years has death been on me, and if he can heal that, girl that died at twelve years of age, maybe he can heal me twelve years dead. If that ruler says, ‘If you will but go and lay your hand upon her even now she will revive,’ what can I do? In my timidity, in the ceremonial uncleanness of my condition, in my shame, I dare not speak. I cannot in this crowd, for if they knew that I were here they would cast me out; for if any of them touch me they are unclean in the eyes of the law. I cannot go and kneel down before him, and say, ‘Master, have mercy on me.’ The ceremonial law of uncleanness forbids my showing my face, and if I come in contact with his power it must be with a touch upon the garment. And I beg for that. I say within myself, that if I but touch the fringe with its blue thread in it that reminds him of God’s commands, I shall be healed.”
There was the association of her healing with the memento of the Word of God. There was the touch of her faith, that came into contact with that Word of God and with him. So her faith reasoned, and virtue going out from him responded to her faith. And she felt in herself that she was healed. Well, he healed her and there it stands out one of the most beautiful lessons in the Word of God. Oh, what a lesson! Some will say at the judgment, “Lord Jesus, thou hast taught in our streets and we have done many wonders in thy name,” and he will say, “I never knew you.” “You were close to the Saviour. You did not touch him. You were his neighbor. You did not touch him.” There were many lepers in Israel in the days of Elisha, the prophet lepers that could have been healed of leprosy by an appeal to the power of God in Elisha. They died in leprosy, but Naaman came from afar and touched the healing power of the prophet and was healed. There were many widows in Israel whose staff of life was gone, whose barrel of meal was empty, whose cruse of oil had failed, and here was the prophet of God, who by a word could supply that empty barrel, that failing cruse, but they did not touch him. They did not reach out in faith and come in contact with that power. The widow of Sarepta did, and her barrel of meal never failed, and her cruse of oil never wasted. Now, the special miracle: It was designed to show that if there be a putting forth of faith, even one finger of faith, and that one finger of faith touches but the fringe, the outskirts of salvation only let there be a touch, though that touch covers no more space than the point of a cambric needle “let there be the touch of faith and thou art saved.”
In the midst of this stir about the woman the news of the death of Jairus’ daughter burst forth upon them with the request to trouble not the Master any further. But that did not stop our Lord. He proceeded immediately to the house to find a tumult and many weeping and wailing, for which he gently rebuked them. This brought forth their scorn, but taking Peter, James, and John, he went in and raised the child to life and his praise went forth into all that land.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the general theme of this division of the Harmony?
2. What common errors of interpretation of the kingdom? Illustrate.
3. What was the offspring of these errors respectively and who the most liable to each?
4. What, perhaps, was the most unprofitable sermon and what was the most stubborn skepticism?
5. How does such disappointment find expression?
6. Give the author’s statements relative to the kingdom,
7. Where do we find the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecies relative to the kingdom?
8. What specific prophecy in Isaiah fulfilled in Matthew?
9. Where do we find the principles of the kingdom disclosed?
10. What great office did our Lord fill besides teacher and wonder worker and what proof did he submit to John the Baptist?
11. What thing most worthy of special consideration in connection with the kingdom?
12. What the opening incident of the Galilean ministry, what its importance, what its great lesson and what its effect?
13. Give an account of our Lord’s rejection at Nazareth.
14. Why was he thus rejected?
15. By what incidents in the lives of the prophets does he illustrate the folly of their unbelief?
16. What is the church responsibility and ministerial agency in the proclamation of mercy?
17. Where does Jesus make his home after his rejection at Nazareth and what his first work in this region?
18. Recite the incident of the call of the four fishermen and its lessons.
19. What was Christ’s first case of healing a demoniac and what the meaning of the term “demoniac”? Illustrate.
20. What was the lesson of this miracle and what was its effect?
21. Recite the incident of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and give its lessons.
22. What were the great results of this miracle and why would not Christ allow the demons to speak?
23. How did Peter try to work a “corner” on salvation and how did our Lord defeat the plan?
24. How many and what journeys did Jesus make about Galilee?
25. Give the four special prayers of Jesus here cited and the occasion of each.
26. Describe the incident of the healing of the paralytic and its les sons.
27. What issue arises here between our Lord and the Pharisees and what was the final culmination?
28. Give an account of the call of Matthew, his entertainment, the second issue between our Lord and the Pharisees and how Jesus met it.
29. What question here arises, how was it brought up, how did our Lord reply and what the meaning of his parables here?
30. What double miracle follows and what was the usual method of miracles?
31. What was the law of fringes and phylacteries and what were their real purpose?
32. Why should Christ select that through contact with the fringe on his outer garment healing power should be bestowed?
33. What, probably, was the thought of this woman as she contemplated this venture of faith?
34. What was the great lesson of this incident of her healing?
35. Describe the miracle of raising Jairus’ daughter and its effect.
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Ver. 17. From that time Jesus began to preach ] So he had done before John was imprisoned, Joh 2:13-25 ; Joh 3:1 ; Joh 3:22-24 , but now more freely, and frequently more manifestly, and all abroad, as when the daystar hath done his devoir, the sun shines out to the perfect day, Pro 4:18 .
And to say, Repent ] Both for sin by contrition, and from sin by conversion. Change your minds and manners, your constitution and conversation, from worse to better ( ); recover your lost wits with the prodigal (who repenting is said to come to himself), and become wiser after your folly (from , dementia, and , after Luk 15:17 ) Pull down the very frame of the old man, unmake yourselves, as St Peter hath it, , 1Pe 2:24 . Undo what you had done before, and be ye transmentated and metamorphosed “by the renewing of your minds,”Rom 12:2Rom 12:2 ; for, “except a man be born again,” not desuper only, but denuo, from above, but a second time, ’ , Joh 3:3 , as Nicodemus understood our Saviour except he go over all again that is past, rejecting it as unprofitable, and begin anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God: where old things are past, all things are become new, 2Co 5:17 , a whole new creation.
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand ] See what is said of this whole verse, Mat 3:2 . For this was the sum and substance of the Baptist’s, our Saviour’s, and his apostles’ sermons; and had need to be daily pressed and preached, since it is our pensum diurnum, the first and continual work of God’s Spirit in the faithful, who because they cannot wash their hands in innocence, wash them in tears; and by renewing their repentance, work and wear out all brackish and sinful dispositions, as sweet water will do the salt sea coming into it; as wine or honey casteth out the scum, as fast as it ariseth. Christ biddeth us as often to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses,” as we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He not only waits for repentance from the wicked, 2Pe 3:9 , but would also have his dearest children daily meet him, condemning themselves, Luk 13:5 ; “If ye repent not” also more and more, when ye see the examples of God’s wrath upon others, “ye shall likewise perish.” Besides, some sins are past in time that are not past in deed, if we dwell not in the undoing and reversing of them, Ezr 10:11-12 ; Ezr 9:15 . They were to begin anew their repentance, because they had not considered their marrying of strange wives.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] That is, began His ministry in Galilee . The account of Matthew, being that of an eye-witness, begins where his own experience began. It is not correct to suppose, as some of the German Commentators have done, (De Wette, Strauss,) that this preaching of repentance was of a different character from the after-teaching of our Lord; we recognize the same formula, though only partly cited, in ch. Mat 10:7 : Luk 10:10 , and find our Lord still preaching repentance , Luk 13:3 , after repeated declarations of His Messiahship.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 4:17 . . After settling in Capernaum Jesus began to preach. The phrase offends in two ways, first as redundant, being implied in (De Wette); next as not classic, being one of the degeneracies of the . Phrynichus forbids , and instructs to say rather (Lobeck’s ed., p. 45). , the same word as in describing the ministry of the Baptist (Mat 3:1 ). And the message is the same , etc. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The same in word but not in thought , as will appear soon. It may seem as if the evangelist meant to represent Jesus as simply taking up and continuing the arrested ministry of the Baptist. So He was in form and to outward appearance, but not in spirit. From the very first, as has been seen even in connection with the baptism, there was a deep-seated difference between the two preachers. Even Euthy. Zig. understood this, monk though he was. Repent, he says, with John meant “in so far as ye have erred” = amendment; with Jesus, “from the old to the new” ( ) =a change from within. For the evangelist this was the absolute beginning of Christ’s ministry. He knows nothing of an earlier activity.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
From. Gk. apo. App-104.
From that time. Each portion of the Lord’s fourfold ministry had a distinct beginning or ending. See the Structure (above).
preach = proclaim. See App-121.
Repent. Greek. metanoeo. App-111.
the kingdom of heaven. See App-114.
heaven = the heavens. See notes on Mat 6:9, Mat 6:10.
is at hand = is drawn nigh.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17. ] That is, began His ministry in Galilee. The account of Matthew, being that of an eye-witness, begins where his own experience began. It is not correct to suppose, as some of the German Commentators have done, (De Wette, Strauss,) that this preaching of repentance was of a different character from the after-teaching of our Lord; we recognize the same formula, though only partly cited, in ch. Mat 10:7 : Luk 10:10, and find our Lord still preaching repentance, Luk 13:3, after repeated declarations of His Messiahship.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 4:17. , began)[157] A word of frequent occurrence. It indicates the commencement of an action to be often repeated, or of one deliberate and ample, or even of long continuance.- , the kingdom) It is an example of elegance in the Divine style, that first the kingdom should be said to have come in the abstract, then the King or Messiah in the concrete. The former mode of expression suits the hidden beginnings, the latter the triumphant consummation, [of the Gospel Dispensation].-Cf. Gnomon on Luk 1:35, and 2Th 2:3.- , the kingdom of the Heavens) i.e., the kingdom of God (cf. ch. Mat 5:3, with Luk 6:20); for it is called also thus by St Matthew, sometimes, as his book proceeds, and is always thus denominated in the other books of the New Testament,[158] e.g. Act 1:3; Act 28:31, and Rom 14:17. The Metonomy by which Heaven is substituted for God, is of frequent occurrence, and very suitable to the first times of the Gospel.-See ch. Mat 3:2. By the expression, The Kingdom of the Heavens, which is almost peculiar to the books of the New Testament, the hope of an earthly kingdom was cut away,[159] and all were invited to Heavenly things. It is thus called with a regard to its final consummation.-See Luk 21:31, and Act 1:3.
[157] Jesus had indeed begun to teach in the schools at Nazareth before He had come thence to Capernaum (see Luk 4:16), but now raising His voice, He betook Himself to also, or proclaiming the kingdom of GOD. The King Himself acted as His own herald.-B. H. E., p. 190.
[158] The Kingdom of the heavens, Repentance, and the Gospel, are three terms which are found most frequently, not only in St Matthew, but also in SS. Mark and Luke; but never in the Gospel of John. But the latter propounds the same truths substantially by very graceful modes of expression. He no doubt uses the phrase, the Kingdom of God, in accordance with the custom of the rest of the Evangelists, but only in the conference with Nicodemus; indicating that same truth by implication, when Jesus is described as the Son of God. as the Life, as the Light, as the Bridegroom, as He into whose hands the Father hath given all things, to whom He hath committed power over all flesh, as also all judgment; who, in fine, is to draw all men to Himself, and such like declarations. John intimates Repentance, when he urges on us the birth from above, the need of coming to Jesus, and having faith in Him, etc. That which he delights in terming the Testimony, is the same thing as the Gospel. These his variations of phraseology are calculated to edify the attentive reader, provided only that we do not fasten wholly on the mere words, but admit their power to pervade the inmost recesses of the heart.-Harm., p. 190, 191.
[159] Prcidebatur.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
at hand
“At hand” is never a positive affirmation that the person or thing said to be “at hand” will immediately appear, but only that no known or predicted event must intervene. When Christ appeared to the Jewish people, the next thing in the order of revelation as it then stood, should have been the setting up of the Davidic kingdom. In the knowledge of God, not yet disclosed, lay the rejection of the kingdom (and King), the long period of the mystery-form of the kingdom, the world-wide preaching of the cross, and the out-calling of the Church. But this was as yet locked up in the secret counsels of God. Mat 13:11; Mat 13:17; Eph 3:3-10.
kingdom See note 2, (See Scofield “Mat 5:2”).
is at hand (See Scofield “Mat 3:2”). For Another Point of View: See Topic 301207
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
that: Mar 1:14
Repent: Mat 3:2, Mat 9:13, Mat 10:7, Mar 1:15, Luk 5:32, Luk 9:2, Luk 10:11-14, Luk 15:7, Luk 15:10, Luk 24:47, Act 2:38, Act 3:19, Act 11:18, Act 17:30, Act 20:21, Act 26:20, 2Ti 2:25, 2Ti 2:26, Heb 6:1
kingdom: Mat 11:12, Mat 13:9, Mat 13:11, Mat 13:24, Mat 13:47, Mat 25:1
Reciprocal: Pro 8:1 – General Isa 56:1 – for Mat 6:10 – Thy kingdom Mat 6:33 – the kingdom Mar 4:26 – So Mar 6:12 – preached Luk 10:9 – The kingdom Luk 16:16 – the kingdom Luk 21:8 – and the time Act 20:25 – preaching Heb 2:3 – began
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
CHRISTS FIRST SERMON
Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent.
Mat 4:17
It is interesting to note that our blessed Lord began to preach immediately the voice of the Baptist was silent (Mat 4:12).
I. Christ the Preacher.He was not a teacher only, He was a herald, a proclaimer of a Divine message. As a model Christian preacher, we notice that
(a) Our Lord had a Divine message, and the full conviction of its truth. He had something to say for God, and He knew that He had. This is essential for all true preachers.
(b) Our Lord had a Divine ordination. Such we regard the solemn scene as being which succeeded His baptism by John. And still the true preacher waits for the inward Divine call and disappointment.
(c) Preaching became His entire life-work. Unhindered by earthly claims, He devoted Himself wholly to it.
(d) His own character gave force to His message. Never man spake like this Man. The man in the words made the words powerful.
II. The subject of Christs preaching.The same as the Baptists, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But observe
(a) The oneness of the message God sends to men, whoever may be His instrument. This is really the messageGod is become your Redeemer; return then, in penitence and trustreturn unto Him. Estimate the differences in the tones of the message as it came from the lips of John and of Jesus. John was a voice crying aloud in the wilderness; Jesus would not break a bruised reed. So to us the sound and the form may vary, but we know the truth is one in Christ Jesus.
(b) The different standpoints the speakers may make. The Baptist laid stress on Repent, and enforced by references to the kingdom. Christ laid stress on the kingdom of privilege, and thereby sought to win men to repentance and faith as the means of entrance into it.
What then is the Gospel message on the lips of preachers still? It is this, Repent! God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
Illustrations
(1) Picture to yourselves a teacher who is not merely under the official obligation to say something, but who is morally convinced that he has something to say. Imagine one who believes alike in the truth of his message and in the reality of his mission to deliver it.
(2) The fact that Christ was a preacher has dignified preaching-work for ever. The modern notion is that education and literature are supplanting the pulpit, but the power of the living voice, proclaiming Divine messages and personal convictions, will never fail while the world lasts. It is still true that by the foolishness of preaching God saves them that believe; and there is no higher, no more gracious power for the persuasion and the blessing of mankind, than that put forth by the preachers of truth and righteousness.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
4:17
From that time denotes that Jesus began his public teaching after his baptism and not before. Likewise, men are not regarded as the Lord’s workers today until they have been baptized. It indicates also that they are expected to begin working for Him as soon as they are baptized. In most respects the preaching of Jesus was like that of John in that its main subject was to require men to repent in view of the nearness of the king dom of heaven. Each of them taught that the kingdom was at hand which would mean that it did not exist in fact in their lifetime. Moreover, it also shows that it was soon to appear which disproves the teaching of the present day by some that the kingdom is still in the future.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 4:17. From that time. Either, of this settlement in Capernaum, or the imprisonment of John the Baptist.
Jesus began to preach. The beginning of the ministry in Galilee, to an account of which Matthew confines himself. During most of the time he was probably an eyewitness.
Repent: for the kingdom, etc. Comp. chap. Mat 3:2. Jesus began with the message of His forerunner. The expression at hand, indicates that Jesus had not yet publicly declared Himself to be the Messiah. But John had announced Him; He had been accepted as such by Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael (Joh 1:41; Joh 1:45; Joh 1:49),and by many others (Joh 4:1; Joh 4:39; Joh 4:41). As He afterwards sent out His disciples with the same formula (Mat 10:7), His preaching at this period was not of a different character from His subsequent teachings.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here our Savior begins to enter upon his prophetic office, and by preaching to make known the will of God to mankind; and observe, the doctrine which he preached is the same that John the Baptist did preach, namely, the doctrine of repentance, Repent ye: and the argument is the same also, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: that is, now is the so much expected time of the appearing of the promised Messiah.
Learn hence, That the doctrine of Christ and his ambassadors is alike, and the same in substance: they both teach the doctrine of repentance to a lost world, as most suitable to the time and dispensation of the gospel.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 4:17. From that time Jesus began to preach He had preached before, both to Jews and Samaritans, Joh 4:41; Joh 4:45, but from this time he began to preach publicly and statedly, and to insist on the same doctrine that John had done: and with good reason, for the repentance which John taught, still was and ever will be, the necessary preparation for that inward kingdom of heaven, or, of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The phrase, however, is not only used with regard to individuals, in whom that kingdom is to be established, but also with regard to the Christian Church, the whole body of believers. In the former sense, it is opposed to repentance, by which it is preceded; in the latter, to the Mosaic dispensation. Our Lord now properly and fully entered upon his prophetic office; which consisted of three things: preaching, or making known the will of God; gathering disciples; and working miracles. The first of these he does here, and more largely chap. 5., 6., 7., and in his many parables and other discourses. The second, Mat 4:18-22. The third, as being necessary to confirm his doctrine, on all occasions, from time to time, till his departure hence.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
XXVII.
GENERAL ACCOUNT OF JESUS’ TEACHING.
aMATT. IV. 17; bMARK I. 14, 15; cLUKE IV. 14, 15.
a17 From that time Jesus began to preach [The time here indicated is that of John the Baptist’s imprisonment and Jesus’ return to Galilee. This time marked a new period in the public ministry of Jesus. Hitherto he had taught, but he now began to preach. When the voice of his messenger, John, was silenced, the King became his own herald. Paul quoted the Greeks as saying that preaching was “foolishness,” but following the example here set by Christ, he used it as the appointed means for saving souls. While Matthew gives us many of the earlier incidents of Christ’s life, he enters upon the account of his ministry at the time when Jesus returned to Galilee. From that time forward he was probably an eye-witness of the events which he records], bpreaching the gospel of God, 15 And saying, {aand to say,} Repent ye; for bthe time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God {aof Heaven} bis at hand. [Jesus preached the gospel or good news of his own advent and of the setting up of the unending kingdom which should convert the world to righteousness and save the souls of men. We should note that Jesus himself declares that the prophesied time for the setting up of his kingdom was at hand. There were many general prophecies as to this kingdom, but one which especially fixed the time of its coming; viz.: Dan 9:24-27. This prophecy tells of seventy weeks in which each day is reckoned as a year, so that the seventy weeks equal four hundred and ninety years. They are to be counted from the date of the decree which ordered the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The Messiah, or Prince, was to come at the beginning of the seventieth week, or four hundred and eighty-three years from the date of the decree. Some take the decree referred to as to be that mentioned in Neh 2:7, Neh 2:8. Jahn and Hales fix the date [155] of this decree in the year 444 B.C. According to this, Jesus would have begun his ministry in the year A.D. 39. Others take the decree to be mentioned in Ezr 7:12-26., which was thirteen years earlier, and which would bring the beginning of the ministry of Jesus to the year A.D. 26. But there is much uncertainty about all ancient chronology. Suffice it to say that Daniel told in round numbers how long it would be until Messiah should come, and that Jesus said that this time had been fulfilled. It would have been easy to ascertain the correct chronology at the time when Jesus spoke, and we have no record that any presumed to dispute his statement. Jesus announced the coming of a new dispensation. The King had already come, but the kingdom in its organization and administration was as yet only “at hand.” Until the crucifixion of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the kingdom could not be fully organized, for the blood shed upon the cross furnished the means for purification which precedes a proper entrance into the kingdom, and the coming of the Holy Spirit afforded that indwelling strength by which those entering are enabled to abide therein]: repent ye, and believe in the gospel. [That is, prepare for the kingdom by repenting of sin, and by believing the glad news that the kingdom was approaching, for the King had come ( Joh 1:49). The preaching of Jesus at this time did not differ materially from that of John the Baptist, for John preached repentance and the approaching kingdom ( Mat 3:2), and the gospel ( Luk 3:18), and belief in the King ( Joh 1:29, Joh 1:36, Joh 3:36). The fact that repentance comes before belief in this passage is by some taken as an indication that repentance precedes faith in the process of conversion, but it should be remembered that the preaching here is addressed to the Jewish people, who already believed in God, and in the Scripture as the revelation of God. They were, therefore, required to bring forth fruit worthy of the old faith and the old revelation as preparatory to their reception of the new faith and the new revelation. Thus repentance and faith appears to be the established order for Hebrews ( Heb 6:1), and their [156] proselytes ( Act 20:21), because of the spiritual standpoint or condition in which the gospel found them. But those who have no faith in God can surely have no repentance toward him, for belief precedes every call upon God, whether for mercy, pardon, or any other blessing– Rom 10:13, Rom 10:14], cand a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about. [The miracles of Jesus and the manner in which he taught caused the people to glorify his name.] 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. [If we may trust later tradition (and the New Testament corroborates it), synagogues were very plentiful in that day, there being at least one in each town. In the synagogue the people met on Sabbath and feast days. The temple at Jerusalem was used for ceremonial worship, but the services in the synagogue were of far different order, the study and application of the Scripture being the principal feature.]
[FFG 155-157]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
CHAPTER 11
JESUS PREACHING IN GALILEE
Joh 4:43-45; Mat 4:17; Mar 1:14-15; & Luk 4:14-15. And after two days He went out from thence, and departed into Galilee. For Jesus Himself witnessed that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Now what is the force of this affirmation of Jesus? You must remember that Nazareth, where He was brought up and spent the first thirty years of His life, is in Galilee. So He was denominated a Galilean. Having entered upon His ministry in Jerusalem by purifying the temple, and spent the eight days of the Passover preaching to the thronging multitudes, and perhaps a month following in the populous regions of Judea, His fame spreading abroad, and attracting vast multitudes to His ministry; John the Baptist, who had been the sensation about eight months, somewhat waning, while the trend of the multitude is to Jesus. The tendency of His rapidly increasing popularity is to arouse the Jews to crown Him King, which would have interfered with His ministry; whereas it was transcendently important that He should be permitted to finish His work. Consequently He leaves the populous regions of Judea, and goes away into the comparatively thinly populated country of Galilee, where they will not make so much ado over His ministry, nor be so likely to interrupt His work by precipitating His royal coronation. In addition to this fact, His nativity and residence in Galilee had conduced somewhat to render Him common, and would militate against the probability of that great popular excitement which would be likely to result in crowning Him King.
Mark: He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, That the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draweth nigh; repent and believe in the gospel. Luke: The fame went throughout all the surrounding country concerning Him, and He was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all. The seventy weeks of Daniel i.e., the four hundred and ninety years, according to the year-day system peculiar to prophetical interpretation had already expired. The scepter had already departed from Judah; besides, there was a general fulfillment of the prophecies pointing to the coming Messiah about that time, John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, having not only preached Him, but pointed Him out, introducing Him to the people by baptism; while the Holy Ghost from heaven had descended on Him, and the Divine voice, from God the Father, had rung in the ears of the multitude, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Of course, the kingdom of heaven (Matthew all the time says, Kingdom of heaven, and Mark, Kingdom of God, they being precisely synonymous) is at hand in very truth, because the King is here, and of course having the kingdom with Him; as a kingdom means a government. Hence, all the true disciples of Jesus come under His government, and become citizens of the kingdom.
While repentance was the constant, burning appeal of John the Baptist, we see that when Jesus comes, preaching the gospel, He not only preaches repentance, thus fully endorsing and corroborating John, but He preaches faith, commanding all to repent and believe the gospel. Repentance breaks the yoke of Satan, an indispensable prerequisite to their reception of Christ, as they could not serve two masters. As Luke says, Glorified by all. Hence we see that, as His fame went abroad into all lands, a wonderful tide of popular excitement immediately sprang up in all directions, concentrating on this wonderful Prophet of Galilee.
Joh 4:45. Then, when He came into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all things which He did in Jerusalem during the feast; for they also came to the feast. The Jews, from all parts of the world, were accustomed to gather at Jerusalem at the time of the great national festivals; e.g., the Passover in April, Pentecost fifty days afterward, and the Feast of Tabernacles in September. These Galileans, who had witnessed His miracles during the Passover (of which there is no record, this being the only allusion to them), and heard His preaching, now rally to Him from all parts of the country, stirring all the people, telling them that a wonderful Prophet, like unto Elijah and Elisha, had risen in Israel.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 17
Kingdom of heaven; that spiritual kingdom of which Christ is the head, the establishment of which is commended in this world, and is to be perfected in the world to come.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at {g} hand.
(g) Is come to you.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. Jesus’ essential message 4:17 (cf. Mar 1:14-15; Luk 4:14-15)
The clause "From that time Jesus" (Gr. apo tote epxato Iesous) is very significant in Matthew’s Gospel. The writer used it only twice, here and in Mat 16:21, and in both instances it indicates a major change in Jesus’ ministry. [Note: See ibid., p. 40; and Tasker, p. 57.] Here it signals the beginning of Jesus’ public preaching that the kingdom was "at hand." Until now, His ministry had been to selected individuals and groups, which John’s Gospel records. Jesus "went public" after John had ended his ministry of preparing Israel for her Messiah. Here Jesus took up exactly the same message that John had been preaching (cf. Mat 3:2). It is exactly the same statement in the Greek text. The better translations have also rendered these sentences identically. In Mat 16:21, having been rejected by Israel, Jesus announced His approaching passion and resurrection. The verb "to begin" (erxato) indicates the beginning of an action that continues, or it describes a new phase in the narrative, wherever it occurs. [Note: M’Neile, p. 45.]
Jesus used the same words as John, and He, too, offered no explanation of their meaning. Clearly Jesus’ concept of the kingdom was the same as that of the prophets and John. Some commentators claim that John’s concept of the kingdom was eschatological but Jesus’ was soteriological. [Note: E.g., Shepard, pp. 62, 123.] However there is no basis for this distinction in the text. Both John and Jesus viewed the kingdom as having both soteriological and eschatological elements. Now the King began announcing the nearness of the earthly kingdom of Messiah and urged His subjects to prepare themselves spiritually.
"The kingdom being at hand meant that it was being offered in the person of the prophesied King, but it did not mean that it would be immediately fulfilled." [Note: Walvoord, Matthew: . . ., p. 38. See also Stanley D. Toussaint, "The Contingency of the Coming of the Kingdom," in Integrity of Heart, Skillfulness of Hands, pp. 222-37; and The New Scofield . . ., p. 996. (]
"Christ came to found a Kingdom, not a School; to institute a fellowship, not to propound a system." [Note: Edersheim, 1:528.]
Normative (traditional) dispensationalists-such as Walvoord, Pentecost, Toussaint, Barbieri, Bailey, and myself-believe that the kingdom was postponed due to Jewish rejection of the Messiah. Progressive dispensationalists believe that it began with Jesus’ earthly ministry and continues through the church but that it will also have a future manifestation in the Millennium. [Note: E.g., Robert L. Saucy, "The Presence of the Kingdom and the Life of the Church," Bibliotheca Sacra 145:577 (January-March 1988):30-46.]
Matthew wrote "kingdom of heaven" whereas Mark and Luke usually wrote "kingdom of God" in the parallel passages. This was probably because Matthew wrote to Jews who used the word "heaven" instead of "God" to avoid unduly familiarizing the ear with the sacred name. [Note: Edersheim, 1:267.]