Chapter Iv: 12–25

Chapter 4:1–11

Theme: The Work Which Thou Gavest Him to Do

The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness

4:1–11 The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness

Cf. Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1–13

4 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. 2 After going without food for forty days and forty nights he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.” 4 But he answered and said, “It is written,

‘It is not by bread alone that man shall live,

But by every word that comes out through the

mouth of God.’ ”

5 Then the devil took him along to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will give his angels instructions concerning you,’

and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,

Lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

7 Jesus said to him, “It is also written,

‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

8 Again, the devil took him along to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor, 9 and said to him, “All these I will give you if you will prostrate yourself before me and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan, for it is written,

‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

And him only shall you serve.’ ”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were rendering service to him.

Its Link with the Preceding and the Following

It was the kingship of Christ that was emphasized in 1:1–3:12. At 3:13, however, there is a shift: the king becomes the sin-bearer. By means of his baptism he reaffirms his resolution to offer himself as a ransom for many. Accordingly, this king is also a priest. He is “priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4; Heb. 6:20).

Offering himself implies suffering. He suffers vicariously. One of the forms assumed by this suffering is temptation (4:1–11): “He suffered being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).

It should be stressed, however, that though the emphasis shifts from the royal to the priestly office, that royal office is by no means ignored or forgotten. In the present paragraph Jesus appears not only as the priest who “suffers being tempted,” but also very definitely as the king who gives battle to his chief opponent and overcomes him.

Even the prophetic office is not ignored; for, by his entire reaction and specifically by thrice quoting Scripture, Jesus also functions in this respect. In fact, in this very chapter the emphasis gradually shifts to Christ as not only a healer but also a teacher and preacher (verse 23); and The Sermon on the Mount immediately follows (chaps. 5–7). It has already been pointed out that Matthew’s Gospel, more than any other, places stress on Christ as prophet (p. 82). It is impossible, therefore, to separate the three offices in which the Lord functions. They can be viewed as constituting one threefold Messianic office.

1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. The very wording of the present paragraph shows its close connection with the preceding one:

John “saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him” (3:16).	“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit” (4:1).
“And lo, a voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved …’ ” (3:17).	“If you are the Son of God …” (4:3).

Jesus was led up from the Jordan in which he was baptized, to the adjacent highland. It was by the guidance of the Spirit that he was led up, that very Spirit who not only knew that this temptation experience was necessary but whose plenary and active presence also qualified Jesus to triumph over it. He was led “into the wilderness” (see on 3:1), where he was “with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13). It was here that he was tempted by the diabolos; that is, the devil, meaning slanderer, accuser (Job 1:9; Zech. 3:1, 2; cf. Rev. 12:9, 10), and (through the influence of the Septuagint which offers diabolos as its translation of Satan) also adversary (I Peter 5:8).

It is clear that Matthew believed in the existence of a personal “prince of evil.” So did the other apostles and inspired writers, and so also did Jesus himself. Besides the references in Matt. 4:1, 5, 8; 13:39; 25:41; and the others just mentioned, see also John 8:44; 13:2; Acts 10:38; Eph. 4:27; 6:11; James 4:7; I John 3:8, 10; Jude 9; Rev. 2:10; and 20:2.

Having been cast out of heaven, the devil is filled with fury and envy. His hatred is directed against God and his people; especially against God as he is about to reveal himself in Jesus Christ unto salvation. His purpose, accordingly, is to deceive and seduce his great Enemy, the Messiah, in order that, along with the latter, his kingdom (see 4:23) may also be doomed. The devil’s methods are very crafty (Eph. 6:11). On this subject see N.T.C. on Ephesians, p. 72.

Its Character

In connection with Christ’s temptation certain rather philosophical questions are constantly being asked:

First, “Was it possible for the Savior to succumb to temptation?”

The answer is, “Definitely not.” He was without sin, not even able to sin (Isa. 53:9; John 8:46; II Cor. 5:21). In fact, he was filled to overflowing with positive goodness; such as holiness, pardoning love, a yearning to heal and to impart the true knowledge of God; etc. (Isa. 53:5; Matt. 5:43–48; 14:14; 15:2, 3; Luke 23:34; Acts 10:38).

Secondly, “If he was unable to sin, was his temptation real?”

Yes, “he was tempted in all points (or in every respect) as we are, yet without sin”; that is, without falling into sin (Heb. 4:15). He experienced the various temptations to which men in general, including even believers, are subjected. In all these experiences he was by Satan urged to believe that he could receive a good thing by committing a bad act.

Heb. 4:15 cannot mean, however, that the psychological process involved in being tempted was exactly the same for Jesus as it is for men in general. For the latter, including believers, there is first, the tempting voice or inner whispering of Satan, urging them to sin. But there is also the inner desire (“lust”) goading the tempted one to give heed to the devil’s prompting. Thus man, being “drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire” (James 1:14) sins. With Christ the case was different. The outward stimulus—outward in the sense that it did not originate in the Lord’s own soul but was the voice of another—was there, but the inner evil incentive or desire to co-operate with this voice from without was not. Nevertheless the temptation—that is, the sense of need, the consciousness of being urged by Satan to satisfy this need, the knowledge of having to resist the tempter, and the struggle to which this gave rise—was real even for Christ.

The soul of our Lord was not hard as a flint or cold as an icicle. It was a thoroughly human, deeply sensitive soul, affected and afflicted by suffering of every description. It was Christ who said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I agonize until it be accomplished” (Luke 12:50). Jesus was able to express affection (Matt. 19:13, 14), sympathy (23:37; John 11:35), compassion (Matt. 12:32), anger (17:17), gratitude (11:25), and a yearning for the salvation of sinners (11:28; 23:37; Luke 15; 19:10; John 7:37) to the glory of the Father (John 17:1–5). Being not only God but also man, he knew what it was to be weary (John 4:6) and thirsty (4:7; 19:28). Therefore, it should not really surprise us that, after a fast of forty days, he was very hungry, and that the proposal to turn stones into bread was a real temptation to him.

The question will be asked, however, “But did not this very sensitive and searching mind of Christ immediately discern that the three proposals (verses 3, 6, and 9), as coming from Satan, were evil?” One author asks, “How could evil be attractive to him? And if it was not attractive, where was the temptation?” (A. Plummer). It must be admitted that it is impossible to answer this question in such a manner that everything will now be entirely clear. The subject of the temptation of the perfect Savior is shrouded in mystery. But is not this true of doctrine in general? In fact, “Mystery is the vital element of Dogmatics. The truth which God has revealed concerning himself in nature and in Scripture far surpasses human conception and comprehension.”²²⁸

We are unable to analyze minutely what occurred in the heart of Christ when he was tempted. But neither do we know how sin originated in the sinless heart of Adam, how guilt can be “imputed” from the sinner to the Savior, how the latter’s righteousness can be transferred to his followers, how our Lord can be both omniscient (with respect to his divine nature) and not omniscient (according to his human nature), etc. It ought not to surprise us, therefore, that Christ’s temptation, whether here in the wilderness or later, surpasses our understanding. On the basis of the inspired record we believe that it was a real and intense experience. And as to the fact that the deep truths contained in Scripture transcend our comprehension, is not that exactly what can be expected if the Bible is, indeed, the Word of God?

Its Progress Step by Step

First Temptation

2. After going without food for forty days and forty nights he was famished. The experiences of Moses on Mount Horeb (Exod. 34:2, 28; Deut. 9:9, 18) and of Elijah on his way to the same mountain (I Kings 19:8) occur to the mind immediately. Luke 4:2 shows that Christ’s fast was complete, not partial. Is it not reasonable to believe that the Lord used these forty days to prepare himself, by means of prayer and meditation, for the work which the Father had given him to do, and which he, Jesus himself, had voluntarily taken upon himself? Says Calvin, commenting on 4:1, 2, “There were two reasons why Christ withdrew into the wilderness. First, that, after a fast of forty days he might come forth as a new man, or rather a heavenly man, to the discharge of his office. Secondly, that he might be tried by temptation and undergo an apprenticeship before he undertook an office so arduous and so exalted.” One is reminded of Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:1–4:17) and of Paul’s retreat to Arabia. See N.T.C. on Galatians, p. 56.²²⁹

Since Jesus, besides being divine, is also thoroughly human, it is certainly not surprising that at the end of these forty days he is famished. The devil naturally selects this moment as his golden opportunity. So the story continues: 3. The tempter came and said to him, Since you are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.²³⁰

It is clear that the temptation came from the outside: “the tempter came to him.” As has been pointed out, only in this way are we even permitted to think of Christ as being tempted. In I Thess. 3:5, too, the prince of evil is called “the tempter,” and so, by implication, also in Matt. 4:1; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2; and I Cor. 7:5. His meanness consists especially in this, that he first tempts a man into sin. Then, when the tempted one follows his advice, the tempter becomes the accuser! Moreover, he will even continue to accuse the fallen one after the latter’s sin has already been forgiven (Zech. 3:1–5; Rev. 12:10).

It must have been in the spirit of derision that the tempter uttered the words, “Since²³¹ you are God’s Son.…” He probably meant, “Since that is what the Father told you at your baptism (3:17), and what you believe, make use of your majestic dignity, and no longer be tortured by hunger.”—Son of God … hungry. How ridiculous! If, then, you are God’s Son,²³² tell these stones to turn into bread.²³³

It was, of course, a wicked attempt a. to cause “the last Adam” (I Cor. 15:45) to fail even as the first Adam had failed, in both cases in connection with food consumption. Was not one of the reasons why the Holy Spirit caused Jesus to be tested exactly this, that, as the Representative and Savior of all his people, he must in their stead triumph over temptation instead of succumbing to it as the first Adam had done? Moreover, on the part of the tempter this was a sinister endeavor b. to destroy the Son’s confidence in his Father’s will and power to sustain him. What the tempter was asking Jesus to do was to distrust his Father, and to take matters entirely into his own hands.

Though, as has been pointed out, there are depths that we cannot fathom, it cannot be denied that this temptation was a very real one for Jesus. He knew that he was clothed with power to perform miracles. Also, here was an opportunity to use that power in his own behalf. He must have been very hungry by this time. The reality of the temptation and the severity of the trial may perhaps become even more clearly evident when the last Adam’s situation is compared with that of the first one. Both were tempted by Satan. But the difference in the gravity of the test appears from the following threefold contrast:

a. Nowhere in Gen. 3:1–7 do we read that the Old Testament Adam had gone without food for any length of time. Jesus, on the contrary, had been fasting for forty days. He was famished.

b. Even had the father of the human race been hungry, he could have easily satisfied that hunger, for he had been told, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” (Gen. 2:17). No such provision had been made for Christ.

c. Eve’s husband, when tempted, had, as it were, everything in his favor, for he was living in paradise. Jesus, at the time of his temptation, was staying in this horrible wilderness!

Nevertheless, he withstood the temptation: 4. But he answered and said, It is written,

It is not by bread alone that man shall live,

But by every word that comes out through the mouth of God.

Note the expression, “It is written,” not only here in verse 4 but also in verses 7 and 10, every time with a reference to the same book, Deuteronomy, which, as is clear, Jesus regarded not as “a pious fraud” but as the very Word of God. Other passages that give expression to Christ’s exalted view of Scripture are Luke 24:25–27, 44–47; John 5:39; and 10:35. For him the Old Testament Scriptures, as interpreted by himself, were evidently the ultimate touchstone of the truth for life and doctrine, the final court of appeal for the reason.

The first quotation is from Deut. 8:3. It pictures Moses reminding Israel of God’s tender care for his people during the forty years of the wilderness journey. Particularly, it shows how the Lord had fed them with manna, heretofore completely unknown to them and their fathers, that he might teach them “that not by bread alone does man live but by everything proceeding out of the mouth of Jehovah does man live.”

What Jesus means, therefore, may be paraphrased as follows: “Tempter, you are proceeding upon the false assumption that for a man, in order to appease hunger and keep alive, bread is absolutely necessary. Over against this erroneous idea I now declare that not bread but the creative, energizing, and sustaining power of my Father is the only indispensable source of my, and of man’s, life and well-being.”

The expression “every word that comes out through the mouth of God”²³⁴ refers to the word of his power. It is God’s omnipotence exercised in creation and preservation. It is his word of effective command; for example, “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” (Gen. 1:3); “By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made” (Ps. 33:6).

On the part of Jesus this reply to Satan’s advice was an expression of filial confidence in the Father’s care. Certainly the One who, when there was no bread, had provided manna, and who just a moment ago had said, “This is my Son … with whom I am well pleased,” would not fail his Beloved in this hour of trial!

Second Temptation

5, 6. “So, you trust your Father?” says the tempter, as it were. “Well, then prove it”: Then the devil took him along to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written,

He will give his angels instructions concerning you,

and

On their hands they will bear you up,

Lest you strike your foot against a stone.

There are those who see a discrepancy between Matthew and Luke, since the order in which Matt. 4:5–10 records the last two temptations is reversed in Luke 4:5–12. The answer is that, while Matthew indeed appears to present a certain historical sequence, as is clear not only from his use of the word “then” (verse 5), and from verse 11, “Then the devil left him,” but also, as already noted, from the inner connection between the first and second temptations; Luke, on the contrary, does not even hint such a sequence. He simply connects the three temptations by means of the conjunction “and” (4:5, 9), but neither states nor in any way implies that they followed each other in that historical order. So, there is no discrepancy.

The words, “The devil takes him along,” are found also in verse 8, where the question how this must be understood will be considered. We are not surprised that Matthew, the Jew, calls Jerusalem “the holy city” (cf. 27:53). It was intended to be just that (Ps. 46:4; 48:1–3, 9–14; 122; 137; Matt. 5:35). Many cherished memories are associated with Jerusalem or Zion. Was it not the city where David, Christ’s great ancestor, had established his throne? Had God not promised to dwell here? Here stood the temple with its “holy place” and “holy of holies.” This was the city to which the tribes went up to give thanks to the name of Jehovah.

To this city the devil by God’s sufference has brought Jesus, and has set him on the very pinnacle (literally wing) of the outer wall of the entire temple complex. The exact spot is not given. It may have been the roof-edge of Herod’s royal portico, overhanging the Kedron Valley, and looking down some four hundred fifty feet, a “dizzy height,” as Josephus points out (Antiq. XV.412). This spot was located southeast of the temple court, perhaps at or near the place from which, according to tradition, James, the Lord’s brother, was hurled down. See the very interesting account in Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., II.xxiii.²³⁵

“Since you are the Son of God,” says the tempter (exactly as in verse 3), “throw yourself down.” His reasoning was probably along this line, “You will thus be able to prove your confidence in the Father’s protection, a confidence which, by implication, you have just now confessed (verse 4). Besides, if Scripture, which you so readily quote, is true, no harm can befall you, for it is written, ‘He will give his angels instructions concerning you.’ They will not merely arrest your fall. No, they will do more. Very tenderly they will bear you up on their hands, lest you, wearing only sandals, should hurt yourself by striking your foot against one of those sharp-edged stones present in abundance in the abyss below.”

The passage quoted is from Ps. 91:11, 12. As rendered here in Matt. 4:6, it follows the Septuagint (Ps. 90:11, 12). As quoted by the devil, there is, however, an omission, which some regard as being important, others not. According to the Hebrew, Ps. 91:11 ends with the words “to guard you in all your ways.” Matt. 4:6 contains nothing that corresponds to this. Luke 4:10 merely has “to guard you.” Hence, in both of these Gospels the words “in all your ways” are left out. When these words are included, God promises to protect the righteous man in all his righteous ways; for these are the ways of the man who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty and has found his refuge in Jehovah, upon whom he has set his love. They are, accordingly, the ways of the saint (Prov. 2:8), the good man (Prov. 2:20). It is to such a one that the words apply, “He will give his angels instructions concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” When these words “in all your ways” are omitted, does it not become easier to interpret the passage as if it were a promise of Jehovah to protect the righteous no matter what he does? So read, the passage would seem to correspond more closely with what the devil wants Jesus to do.

Nevertheless, this point is probably of minor importance, since what Satan omits amounts to far more than a few words in a quotation. He omits any reference to the Scriptural truth that God does not condone but condemns and punishes rashness, a trifling with providence, an impetuous rushing into totally unwarranted danger (Gen. 13:10, 11; Ps. 19:13; Esther 5:14; 7:9, 10; Dan. 4:28–33; 5:22, 23; Rom. 1:30; II Peter 2:10).

Obedience to Satan’s proposal was tempting, for what man is there who, when asked to prove a point he has made, does not feel as if he should immediately comply, instead of first asking himself, “What right has my prompter to ask me to prove it?” Jesus, however, does not fall into this trap. He realizes that for him to do what Satan is urging upon him would amount to substituting presumption for faith, effrontery for submission to God’s guidance. It would have meant nothing less than to risk self-destruction. The false trust in the Father, which the devil demanded of Jesus in this second temptation was not any better than the distrust he had proposed in the first.²³⁶ It would have amounted to experimenting on the Father.

A rabbinical tradition reads, “When the king, Messiah, reveals himself, then he comes and stands on the roof of the holy place.”²³⁷ On the basis of this tradition some commentators are of the opinion that the tempter was trying to suggest that Jesus, by casting himself from the temple’s pinnacle, would establish himself as being indeed the Messiah, for, after a miraculous and safe landing, the crowd, having watched the descent with bated breath, would exclaim, “Look, he is unhurt. He must be the Messiah!” For Jesus, thus the argument continues, this would then be an easy way to success. The cross would be avoided, the crown obtained without struggle or agony.

It is an interesting theory. Nevertheless, there is nothing that would lend any further support to it. No spectators are even mentioned in the Gospel accounts. Moreover, Jesus, in his reply, does not refer to anything of the kind. I believe, therefore, that the entire idea should be dismissed. Luke 16:31 also argues against it.

The reason why Jesus peremptorily rejects the devil’s proposal has already been given. It is clearly stated in verse 7. Jesus said to him, It is also written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.²³⁸ This is a quotation from Deut. 6:16, which reflects the situation of the Israelites described in Exod. 17:1–7, how at a place called Massah and Meribah they made trial of Jehovah and rebelled against Moses because of lack of water. They accused Moses of having cruelly brought them, their children, and their cattle, out of Egypt and into the desert, to destroy them all. They were almost ready to stone him and, instead of in a childlike manner, “making all their wants and wishes known at the Father’s throne,” they insolently and provocatively challenged God, saying, “Is Jehovah among us or not?” Jesus knows that similar ill behavior on his part, by unnecessarily exposing himself to danger just to see what his Father’s reaction might be, whether the latter would be with him or not, would amount to grievous transgression. He knows that it has nothing whatever to do with humbly trusting in the protecting care promised in Ps. 91. He therefore very appropriately answers the tempter by quoting Deut. 6:16.

Daily life all around us affords abundant illustrations of false confidence, similar to that which the devil urged Jesus to exercise. A person will earnestly beseech the Lord to bestow upon him the blessing of health; however, he neglects to observe the rules of health. Or, he will ask God to save his soul; however, he neglects to use the means of grace, such as the study of Scripture, church attendance, the sacraments, living a life for the benefit of others to the glory of God. Again, someone will plead with the Lord for the spiritual as well as physical welfare of his children, but he himself neglects to bring them up in the way of the Lord. A church member, admonished because at a circus he had eagerly rushed into a corrupt side show, defended himself by saying, “I cannot deny that I went there, but while I was there I was constantly praying, ‘Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (Ps. 119:37 A.V.).’ ”—“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” is the answer to all of this.

Third Temptation

And now the devil drops his mask and, having failed miserably in the first two attempts to conquer his enemy, stakes everything on one final, brutal, desperate attempt to achieve his purpose: 8, 9. Again, the devil took him along to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor, and said to him, All these I will give you if you will prostrate yourself before me and worship me.

How is it to be understood that, in the second temptation, the devil takes Jesus along to the holy city, and sets him on the pinnacle of the temple, and that now, in the third temptation, Satan takes him along to a very high mountain? Some insist that this must all be taken literally: “The transfer of Jesus to the temple was physical … ‘takes him with himself’ and ‘placed him’ makes the devil provide the motive power.”²³⁹ Just how we must conceive of this is not explained. Did the devil assume a physical body (Gen. 3:1; cf. John 8:44), and did the two—Jesus and the devil—walk side by side through the wilderness, enter Jerusalem, and climb to the pinnacle of the temple? How did they reach a mountain from which the devil could show Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor”? In the vicinity of the Judean Wilderness or of Jerusalem, which mountain would that be? Did they glide smoothly through the sky, the devil functioning as a kind of engine? Did they sail along together all the way to Mount Everest? But even then, would not some kind of miracle have been required to enable the devil from there to show Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and this not just in dim outline, but very distinctly, so that “all their splendor (or glory)” would be plainly visible; and again, not little by little during a lengthy period of time, but, as Luke adds, “in a moment”?

This is not at all a question of believing Scripture or not believing it. It is simply a question of how best to interpret what we fully accept. The writer of this commentary has not been able anywhere to find a solution that satisfies him better than that of Calvin. In his Commentary, reflecting first on the second, then on the third, temptation, he remarks:

“It is asked, was he [Jesus] actually carried to this elevated spot, or was it done in a vision? … What is added, that all the kingdoms of the world were exposed to Christ’s view … in one moment … agrees better with the idea of a vision than with any other theory. In a matter that is doubtful, and where ignorance brings no risk, I choose rather to suspend my judgment than to furnish contentious people with an excuse for a debate.”

Calvin is being very careful. It is clear that he favors the vision idea. On the other hand, he does not wish to press it, leaving room for any other reasonable interpretation anyone might be able to offer. I only wish to add that Scripture contains two comparable passages in which we are told that someone is “set on” or “carried to” a high mountain. These two are Ezek. 40:2 and Rev. 21:10.²⁴⁰ Ezekiel plainly states that this happened “in the visions of God.” To the seer of Patmos visions were shown while he was “in the Spirit” (Rev. 1:10). It was “in the Spirit” that he was carried away to a mountain great and high. Calvin’s view, accordingly, is worthy of very serious consideration.²⁴¹ The objection that if the temptations (whether only the second and the third, or, perhaps better, all three) occurred to Jesus during visions they were not real, is groundless. Was not Ezekiel’s experience real, even though it occurred in a vision? Is John’s description of Jerusalem the Golden bereft of value because it, too, came to him in a vision? Besides, if even a dream can be so vivid that there are said to be cases on record according to which people died as a result, shall we then say that the reality of Christ’s temptation experiences is diminished in any way because it was in visions that the tempter came to him and addressed him?

This view must not be confused with that according to which the temptations were of a merely subjective nature. No, even if it was in a vision that the devil came to Jesus, the great adversary was very real, and it was he, not the Lord, who said, “Tell these stones to turn into bread,” “throw yourself down,” and “prostrate yourself before me.” If it was in a vision that the Lord was urged to do these things, we may be sure that what occurred in the vision was as real to his mind as if there had been no vision at all, and everything had taken place with strict literality.

From the top of the very high mountain (whether or not it was in a vision makes no difference) the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and (or in) their splendor. All this is vividly displayed to Jesus; according to Luke (as we have already seen) in just one very significant moment! To gain some conception of what must have been included in the panorama that was spread out before the Lord, would it not be wise to read carefully the following three paragraphs: II Chron. 9:9–28; Eccl. 2:1–11; and Rev. 18:12, 13? All this wealth is by Satan offered to Christ, all for the price of just one genuflection! If Jesus will but cast himself to the ground and worship (see on 2:11; cf. 2:2, 8) the devil, he can have it all. He can have it in his possession and under his authority (cf. Luke 4:6).

The question has been asked whether Satan was really the possessor of all these things, and whether he was actually in control of all of them, to such an extent that he could offer them to anyone he wished. Often this question is answered in the affirmative, with an appeal: to Eph. 2:2, where Satan is called “the prince of the domain of the air”; to 6:12, which speaks about “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”; to I John 5:19, which states that “the whole world lies in (the power of) the evil one”; and even to Luke 4:6, in which the great adversary pictures himself as the rightful owner of, and ruler over, all. Further substantiation is by such interpreters found in the fact that Jesus in his answer (Matt. 4:10) did not in so many words dispute Satan’s claim.

Do these passages really prove what those who appeal to them are trying to prove? I do not believe they do. The first three merely prove that Satan exercises a very powerful influence for evil over the lives of all those wicked people and spirits that acknowledge him as their master. But such references certainly do not prove that the devil is the ultimate owner and ruler of the nations, with the right and the might to dispose of them and of their wealth as he pleases, so that Christ himself, at least during the present dispensation, would have to take a back seat to him. The contrary is the truth, as is proved abundantly by such passages as Gen. 3:15; Ps. 2; Matt. 11:27; 28:18; Rom. 16:20; Eph. 1:20–23; Col. 2:15; and Rev. 12; 20:3, 4, 10. If it be argued that some of these passages refer to the power given to Christ in his exaltation, the answer is that even during the latter’s humiliation Satan was able to do no more than Christ suffered him to do, as both Matt. 4:11 and also the Gospels in general testify (demon expulsions; Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31). And as to Satan’s boast (Luke 4:6), it is too absurd to merit an answer. But if an answer of a sort be demanded, let it be John 8:44.

On the surface it may therefore seem as if the third temptation was for Christ no temptation at all. Jesus knew that the devil was lying; that is, that the prince of evil had no enchanting kingdoms to give away. No doubt the Lord also knew that even if Satan had possessed them, he would not have fulfilled his promise. In what sense then can we say that also Satan’s third attempt was a real temptation for Christ? As I see it, only in this way that, although the particular form in which the proposal was made contained nothing that would recommend it to the mind and heart of the Savior, nevertheless the implied suggestion to try to obtain the crown without enduring the cross was able to foment a bitter struggle within him. To be sure, it was not a struggle that involved him in sin or could bring him to the point of committing sin, but it was a state of agony, nevertheless. How else can we explain the words uttered in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39)? Or, how can we explain Luke 12:50? It is clear, therefore, that for Christ this temptation, too, was very real.

Satan received the answer he deserved: 10. Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan, for it is written,

You shall worship the Lord your God,

And him only shall you serve.

The expression, “Be gone, Satan,” a command which was obeyed (see verse 11), not only shows Christ’s abhorrence of the devil’s proposal, but also his supremacy over him. The answer reflects Deut. 6:3.²⁴² It also reveals the sharp contrast between Christ, who is ever doing what his Father wants him to do (John 5:30; 6:38), and Satan, whose purpose is the exact opposite (Gen. 2:17, cf. 3:4; Zech. 3:1, 2; John 8:44; I Thess. 2:18; I Peter 5:8; I John 3:8; Rev. 12; 20:8, 9); and who is true to the meaning of the name whereby Jesus here addresses him, adversary.

At Christ’s command Satan, thoroughly vanquished, leaves him, as is stated in verse 11. Then the devil left him. He withheld any further attacks for the time being, waiting until another opportunity would present itself (Luke 4:13). That he did, indeed, resume his attacks afterward is clear from such passages as Matt. 16:23; Luke 22:28. In the light of Heb. 2:18 see also Matt. 26:36–46; Mark 3:21, 31; 8:32, 33.

The visions—if such they were—vanish. Jesus is conscious of being in the wilderness. Continued: and behold, angels came and were rendering service to him. Just what this service implied is not stated. Those commentators who reject the vision idea say that, among other things, the angels now assist Jesus in his descent from the very high mountain where the third temptation had just been completed.²⁴³ The general statement that angels were sent by the Father to provide for the Son’s needs, whatever these may have been, is perhaps the best. That this also included providing bodily nourishment would seem to be a reasonable inference.

Its Lessons

1. Resist the devil by appealing to Scripture, as Jesus did three times in succession.

2. Rest assured that Jesus, as his people’s Representative, has vicariously rendered the obedience which Adam, as mankind’s representative, failed to render.

3. Derive comfort from the fact that we have a Highpriest who, having himself been tempted, is able to help us in our temptations (Heb. 4:14–16).

4. Note that by not giving heed to the devil, Jesus receives the very blessings which Satan had held out to him. However, it is in a far more glorious sense and with the Father’s favor resting upon him that he receives the strength to endure physically, the ministry of the angels, and authority over the kingdoms of the world.

Summary of Chapter 4:1–11

Adam, when tempted, failed. So Christ, too, must now be tempted, in order that by his victory over temptation and over the tempter he may, for all those who believe in him, undo the results of Adam’s failure. So the Spirit, who when Jesus was baptized had descended upon him never to leave again, leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

The three temptations took place at the end of a forty day fast, so that Jesus was very hungry. “Since you are God’s Son,” says Satan to him, probably meaning, “Since that is what the Father told you at your baptism, and what you believe,” “tell these (desert) stones to turn into bread.” Why should he trust the Father any longer? Why not, as God’s Son, endowed with power, should he not take matters into his own hand? Quoting Deut. 8:3 Jesus answers, “It is not by bread alone that man shall live, but by every word that comes out through the mouth of God.” Life does not depend primarily on bread but on the sustaining power and love of God. Jesus is God’s own Son; hence, the Father will provide for him and sustain him.

“Prove that you trust him,” says Satan, as it were, “by casting yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple.” In order to encourage him to do so the devil quotes from Ps. 91:11, 12, as if that passage justified rashness, the substitution of presumption for faith. With an appeal to Deut. 6:16—“It is also written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test,’ ”—Jesus parries that assault.

Finally, what may well have been the greatest temptation of all: Satan is willing to relinquish his dominion, his powerful influence, over all the kingdoms of the world, and to hand over all these realms together with all their glorious wealth, to Jesus, for him to possess and to control; so, at least, he says. He will do this on one condition, namely, that “you will prostrate yourself before me and worship me.” The Messiah will not need to suffer at all: no crown of thorns, no shame, no cross.—Like an arrow the answer flies back, “Be gone, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Then, for the time being, the devil leaves Jesus. Angels came and were rendering service to the Victor.

The lessons to be derived from this temptation account are summarized on p. 235.

The Work Which Thou Gavest Him to Do

Its Progress

or

Continuation

Chapters 4:12–20:34

Outline of Chapter 4:12–25

Theme: The Work Which Thou Gavest Him to Do

A. The Great Galilean Ministry

4:12–17 Its Beginning

4:18–22 The Calling of Four Fishermen

4:23–25 Christ’s Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

4:12–17 The Beginning of the Great Galilean Ministry

4 12 Now when he heard that John had been taken into custody, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

16 The people sitting in darkness

Have seen a great light;

And upon those sitting in the land of the shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Be converted, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Verses 13–16 are peculiar to Matthew; see above, p. 17. For verses 12 and 17 see also Matt. 11:2; 14:3–5; Mark 1:14, 15; 6:17–20; Luke 3:19, 20; 4:14, 15; and cf. John 4:1–3, 43, 44.

12. Now when he [Jesus] heard that John had been taken into custody, he withdrew into Galilee. A new section of Matthew’s Gospel begins here. Therefore, a chapter division at this point would have been very proper. Matthew does not indicate any chronological connection between this verse and the preceding material (the account of the baptism and the temptation). There may well have been a time interval of about a year, during which the events related in John 1:19–4:42 occurred.²⁴⁴ If so, the date when Jesus set out for Galilee to begin the Great Galilean Ministry was probably about December of the year a.d. 27 or a little later.

But though thus separated in time from the preceding events, yet what Matthew is about to tell us is in material substance closely connected with that which precedes. The preparation for, and inauguration of, the work which the Father gave Jesus to do is ended. The beginning has been accomplished. The identity of Jesus as David’s Son who is at the same time David’s Lord has been established (chap. 1). From the wise men he has received the honor due to the One who is King of kings and Lord of lords (chap. 2). He has been heralded as sovereign, and by means of his baptism has confirmed his decision to take upon himself the sin of the world (chap. 3). He has proved himself worthy, for in the wilderness he has triumphed over the devil, as our representative succeeding where Adam had failed. Therefore, nothing now prevents him from carrying forward the task assigned to, and voluntarily assumed by, him.

Accordingly, the time has now arrived for Jesus to withdraw from Judea to go to Galilee. This was in fulfilment of prophecy, as Matthew is about to record (verses 14–16). But, as verse 12 shows, it also had something to do with the imprisonment of John the Baptist. The latter, as has been shown, had made his first public appearance in the summer of the year a.d. 26. And now, about eighteen months later, he has been imprisoned for the reason stated in 14:3, 4. The Jewish leaders, especially those in Jerusalem, who in the days of John’s great popularity had been filled with jealousy, and about whom John had made some very uncomplimentary remarks (3:7), must have rejoiced. But this joy was of short duration, for other tidings reached the ears of the leaders; namely, that the multitudes surrounding Jesus were more numerous than those which had followed the herald. In fact, even before John’s imprisonment Jesus had forged ahead of John in popular favor (John 3:22–26). Hence, from the point of view of the leaders matters were becoming worse instead of better. Now when the Lord knew that John had been imprisoned (Matt. 4:12) and that the Pharisees, with headquarters in Jerusalem, had heard that Jesus was gaining and (through his disciples) was baptizing more disciples than John (John 4:1), he left Judea and started on his way to Galilee. Why did he do this? Was not Galilee ruled by Herod Antipas, the very tetrarch who had imprisoned John the Baptist? Indeed, but it must be borne in mind that this miscarriage of justice was for a very special reason: we do not read that Jesus had personally rebuked Herod, as John had done. When, after John’s cruel death, Herod becomes convinced that Jesus is “John the Baptist, raised from the dead,” Jesus, too, will withdraw himself to some extent from that king’s immediate attention (Matt. 14:1, 2, 13).

At the time indicated in 4:12 it was not Herod Antipas from whom Jesus needed to withdraw himself, but the Jewish religious leaders in Judea. The question may well be asked, however, “But why did Jesus have to withdraw himself at all? Was he afraid? Did he lack courage?” Perish the very thought! The real reason was this, that he was well aware of the fact that his own great “popularity” in the country region of Judea would bring about such keen resentment on the part of the Judean religious leaders that this resentment, in the natural course of events, would lead to a premature crisis. The Lord knew that for every event in his life there was an appointed time in God’s decree. And he also knew that the appropriate moment for his death had not yet arrived. As soon as that moment arrived, he would voluntarily lay down his life (John 10:18; 13:1; 14:31). He would do so then, but not before then. Hence, he must now leave Judea.

Just where did Jesus go when he arrived in Galilee? Did he wend his way directly to what had heretofore been his home in Nazareth? Matthew knows that this is what the readers of his Gospel would expect Jesus to do (2:23). Nevertheless, the Lord does the very opposite. Though, to be sure, he has not forgotten Nazareth, and will make a visit to that place when the time is ripe (13:53–58; Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30), Nazareth will not be his headquarters. It has ceased to be his place of residence. This is indicated in verse 13. Leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. Capernaum can mean village of Nahum. Even so, it is not at all certain that the place was named for the Old Testament prophet who predicted Ninevah’s overthrow. Originally the reference may have been to some other Nahum. Or, since Nahum, in turn, means compassionate, the name may also be interpreted as “village of compassion” or “of consolation.” No one knows. What is established, however, is that at one time Matthew, the author of this Gospel, had his office at this place. As has been indicated (Matt. 9:9), he was a “publican,” that is, a tax-collector or revenue officer.

It was in the vicinity of this village that Jesus had called his first disciples (John 1:35–42). It was here also that Peter and Andrew, James and John were subsequently invited to become “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:18–22). Capernaum became the center of Christ’s activities, his headquarters during the great Galilean Ministry. It was here that Jesus performed many miracles (11:23; cf. 8:5–17; 9:1–8, 18–34; 12:9–13; 17:24–27; Luke 4:23, 31–37; 7:1–10), customarily attended the synagogue, and delivered several messages, including the address on The Bread of Life (John 6:24–65). Matthew even called Capernaum Christ’s “own city” (9:1).

The ruins of a Capernaum synagogue have been unearthed. It has been partly restored. That structure dates back to the second or third century a.d. It is thought that an older house of worship, probably the very one that had been provided by the centurion who loved the Jewish nation (Matt. 8:5, 6; Luke 7:5, 6), and where Jesus taught, lies buried beneath the foundation of the one uncovered. It is evident that a detachment of soldiers was garrisoned at Capernaum. The story about the royal officer whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46–54) may indicate that Capernaum was also a center of political administration.

In the year 1905 excavations were started at Tell Hum on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They were completed by the Franciscans, who supplied evidence to show that Tell Hum is the site of ancient Capernaum, situated about 2½ miles west of the place where the Jordan River, coming from the north, enters the sea.

For Jesus and his disciples the location was strategic, for from this point in (what used to be) the Zebulun-Naphtali territory, most of the towns and villages of Galilee and surroundings were easily accessible. They could be reached either by land—for Capernaum was situated on the rather thickly populated shore and on the trade route that connected Damascus and the Mediterranean—or else by sea.

Because of the fact that, in spite of all the works of mercy and power that Jesus performed here, and all the gracious words that fell from his lips, the inhabitants of Capernaum on the whole remained impenitent, Jesus predicted their doom, as will be explained (see on Matt. 11:23, 24). As to the destruction of the city itself, what occurred here was so shocking that for centuries even Capernaum’s site was a matter of dispute.²⁴⁵

By the Spirit’s guidance Matthew, giving us his own version of Isa. 9:1, 2, views Christ’s settlement in Capernaum as another fulfilment of prophecy; this time 14–16 … that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

The people sitting in darkness

Have seen a great light,

And upon those sitting in the land of the shadow of death

Light has dawned.²⁴⁶

In his sovereign grace God did the wholly unexpected. Not mainly to the Jerusalem aristocracy, but especially to the despised, sorely afflicted, and largely ignorant masses of Galilee, a mixed Gentile-Jewish population, did he send his Son. It was in and around Galilee that Jesus spent most of his incarnate life on earth. It was here that he grew up; here also that he subsequently traveled from village to village on his errands of mercy, imparting comfort and healing, and above all else seeking to save the lost. It was here that he walked the shores and addressed the crowds. It was in this general region that he gathered around him a band of disciples. It was from this northern portion of Palestine that his words of life and beauty, of admonition and consolation, were carried far and wide and from father to son.

In all probability the five items mentioned here in verse 15 refer to five different sections of Greater Galilee. See Bible map showing these areas. The land of Zebulun was west of the Sea of Galilee, and was bounded on the north by the land of Naphtali. The region toward the sea was to the west of these, and extended from north to south along the Mediterranean. Beyond the Jordan indicates the territory east of the Jordan. The region which because of the strong pagan element in its population is called Galilee of the Gentiles (Galîl in the Old Testament) was the northernmost stretch of what used to be called Naphtali. One of its chief cities during Old Testament times was Kedesh (Josh. 20:7; 21:32). The name of Galîl (Isa. 9:1) was changed to Galilee, and thus altered, became the designation of the entire large province ruled by Herod Antipas.

It is evident that the term “land” in verse 5 refers primarily to the people who inhabited it. Cf. Jer. 22:29, “Land, land, land, hear the word of Jehovah.” This applies also to the other three designations, “toward the sea.…” The entire population of this quintuple northern part of Palestine is described as “the people sitting in darkness,” and as “those sitting in the land of death’s shadow.” For centuries those living in this large territory had been exposed to political and military aggression from the north (Syria, Assyria, etc.) and to the corrosive moral and religious influences of a pagan environment. They had been overrun and imperiled on a scale much larger than had been the case with respect to the people of Jerusalem and surroundings (see II Kings 15:29; Isa. 8:4). No doubt to many of the inhabitants of Galilee the words recorded in II Kings 17:33 with specific reference to the Samaritans would also be applicable: “They feared Jehovah, and served their own gods.”

Sitting in darkness and in the land of the shadow of death indicates a condition of danger, fear, and hopelessness, a pining away, with no human help in sight. In Scripture the designation darkness, when used figuratively, refers to one or more of the following features: delusion (blindness of mind and heart; cf. II Cor. 4:4, 6; Eph. 4:18); depravity (Acts 26:18); and despondency (Isa. 9:2; see its context, verse 3). Though all three qualities are probably in the picture here, yet the emphasis may well be on the last of the three (despondency, hopelessness), as has already been explained.

The antonym of darkness is light, which, accordingly, refers to genuine learning (the true knowledge of God, Ps. 36:9), life to the glory of God (Eph. 4:15, 24; 5:14), and laughter (gladness, Ps. 97:11). All three may well be included, but here too the emphasis is perhaps on the last of the three.

The real meaning of the quotation, accordingly, is this, that Jesus Christ, by his presence, words, deeds of mercy and power, would fill the hearts of all his Galilean followers with the joy of salvation. No longer would they be pining away in gloom and despair. When Jesus comes into Galilee and begins his great ministry there, the words of a popular hymn go into effect,

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,

The light of the world is Jesus.

Matthew concludes this paragraph by stating 17. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Be converted, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The following points should be noted:

a. In essence, though not in detail, Christ’s message is the same as that of John the Baptist, witness the fact that in 3:2 the herald’s proclamation was summarized in identical words. It is unnecessary therefore to repeat the explanation that has already been given; but see also on 4:23.

b. In connection with the preceding context (4:13–16) the meaning here in verse 17 is that Jesus now begins to bring this gospel of the kingdom into regions which the Baptist had not penetrated to any great extent. The good news is beginning to be spread over a wider territory. The demand that men be converted resounds in regions where it had not been heard before.

c. The fact that the coming of Christ has indeed brought about a tremendous change on earth, so that millions of people have been translated from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of light, shows that the proclamation, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” was fully justified.

d. Not immediately or all at once was this message proclaimed throughout the world. From the beginning its spread was intended to be progressive: it was to reach first the Jew (10:5, 6), then also, step by step, all the nations (24:14; 28:19; Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16). It is not surprising, therefore, that the announcement “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” found first on the lips of the Baptist, then confirmed by Jesus, is at Christ’s command repeated by the disciples (Matt. 10:7), with the intention that it shall at last reach the entire world: every nation. Then shall the end come.

4:18–22 The Calling of Four Fishermen

Cf. Mark 1:16–20; and for Matt. 4:19b and Mark 1:17b cf. Luke 5:10b

18 While he was walking along the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, throwing a casting-net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 And 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; and he called them. 22 And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

18–20. While he was walking along the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, throwing a casting-net into the sea, for they were fishermen. He said to them, Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.

As stated in the explanation of verse 17 (see especially d above), the wonderful gospel of the kingdom was not intended only for the men living during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry. It was intended for the ages. It is not at all surprising, therefore, that at the very beginning of his ministry Jesus chose men who, by means of their testimony both oral and written, would perpetuate his work and proclaim his message. For a teacher to have not only a general audience but also a band of close companions or disciples was nothing new. Did not Socrates have disciples? Did not John the Baptist? The Pharisees? The rabbis? Christ’s disciples were to become the links between himself and his church. They were to be the precious foundation stones for Jerusalem the Golden (Rev. 21:19, 20). Think, for example, of the importance of such men as Matthew, John, and Peter in the formation of the Gospels, which are our chief sources of information about Jesus Christ. Accordingly, while he was walking along the Sea of Galilee Jesus invites certain men to come to him.

There were several calls to discipleship and to closely related apostleship:

a. The one mentioned in John 1:35–51. See N.T.C. on those verses.

b. The one mentioned here (Matt. 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20).

c. The one mentioned in Luke 5:1–11.

d. The one mentioned in Matt. 9:9–13; Mark 2:13–17; Luke 5:27–32.

e. The one mentioned in Matt. 10:1–4; Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16.

The five invitations differed; probably as follows (explaining a to e as listed above):

a. About February of the year a.d. 27 this call was extended to Andrew and an unnamed disciple, in all likelihood John, inviting them to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, and to become his spiritual followers. Andrew brought his brother Simon (Peter) to Jesus. John probably rendered the same service to his own brother James. Almost immediately afterward Philip and (through him) Nathaniel were added to the list. Although occasionally accompanying Jesus on his trips, the disciples continued to pursue their secular occupations.

b. This occurred about a year later; hence, about February of the year a.d. 28. The four disciples referred to in John 1:35–41 (Peter, Andrew, James, and John) now become the Lord’s more steady companions, and are made more conscious than ever of the fact that they are being trained for apostleship, that is, for becoming “fishers of men.” Even now, however, Matt. 4:20 and 22 can hardly be interpreted to mean that they bade a final farewell to their secular occupation as fishermen. More will be said about b. in a moment.

c. This takes place a little later. It comprises the story of the miraculous catch of fishes. Luke 5:10b resembles Matt. 4:19b and Mark 1:17b; that is, “catch men” and “become fishers of men,” are similar, though perhaps not identical, the Matthew and Mark passages emphasizing the effort, the Luke passage the success. Aside from this resemblance, however, the two accounts are entirely different. In the Matthew-Mark account Jesus is walking along the sea; in Luke he is standing. In the former Simon and Andrew, James and John are all mentioned by name. All are also addressed by Jesus. In the beloved physician’s account Jesus directs his words to Peter alone. Andrew is not even mentioned, though he may have been present. In the earlier account Simon and Andrew are casting a net into the sea; i.e., they are fishing; James and John are mending their nets. In Luke the fishermen are washing their nets. In the former, Peter and Andrew leave their nets and follow Jesus; similarly, James and John leave the boat and their father and follow the Master. But in Luke the disciples leave all, during the entire precrucifixion period of Christ’s earthly ministry saying farewell to their occupation as fishermen, and following Jesus permanently.

d. This was the call of Matthew (=Levi) the publican, the writer of this Gospel. It probably occurred very shortly after c. Proof: see Luke 5:11, 27. Matthew, too, in following Jesus, “forsook all.”

e. This concerns the entire group of twelve. For all of them it is the formal call to discipleship-apostleship. There was probably a brief interval between Mark 3:13–19 (cf. Luke 5:27–32) and Matt. 10:1 ff.

The men who were chosen by Jesus to be his immediate companions needed to be trained for apostleship. Simon the fickle must become Peter the rock. Something similar was true with respect to all. When we first meet these men, and to a certain extent even much later, they manifest lack of deep spiritual penetration (Matt. 13:6; 15:33; 16:7–12, 22, 23; 17:10–13; 19:10–12, 23–30; 24:3); of fervent sympathy (14:15, 16, 23; 19:13–15); of profound humility (18:1–4); of the gladly forgiving spirit (18:21, 22); of persevering prayerfulness (17:16–21); and of unflinching courage (26:56, 69–75). Nevertheless, on their part it required a degree of courage to become Christ’s followers and thereby face the opposition of many, including the religious leaders. For further details on The Twleve see on 10:1–4.

In this connection one fact must not be ignored. Their decision to side with Jesus exhibits his greatness: the impelling force of his influence over the minds and hearts of men, so that when he calls they follow immediately. The breadth of his sympathy and the magnitude of his power are also shown here. Is it not marvelous that he was willing and able to take such common folk, four fishermen, etc., unlettered individuals, and, in spite of all their prejudices and superstitions, to transform them into instruments for the salvation of many; to make them leaders who, by means of their testimonies, would turn the world upside down?

The four mentioned in verses 18–22 are:

Peter, the impetuous (Matt. 14:28–33; 16:22, 23; 26:33–35; John 18:10), who becomes the leader of The Twelve, and is mentioned first in every list of apostles (Matt. 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:14–16; and Acts 1:13).

Peter’s brother Andrew, who is always bringing people to Jesus (John 1:40–42; 6:8, 9, cf. Matt. 14:18; John 12:22).

Zebedee’s son James, the first of The Twelve to wear the martyr’s crown (Acts 12:1, 2).

His brother John, who is called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; etc.). To be sure, the Lord loved all “his own” very intensely (John 13:1, 2), but between Jesus and John the tie of attachment and understanding was the tenderest.²⁴⁷

A few more details now on verses 18–20. Peter and Andrew were throwing a casting-net into the sea. For net Matthew uses three different words. One is diktuon, used in verses 20 and 21. It is the most comprehensive or general word of all, and can refer to any net whatever, even a hunting net or a net for catching birds. In the New Testament, however, it is confined to fishing nets of any and every description. The sagene is the seine or dragnet. Very appropriately it is used in Matt. 13:47; see on that verse. The third is the one used here in 4:18 (and Mark 1:16), the amphiblestron, i.e., casting-net. When skillfully cast over the shoulder it will spread out, forming a circle as it falls into the water, and then, because of the pieces of lead attached to it, will quickly sink into the water, capturing the fish underneath.²⁴⁸ That was the kind of net with which Peter and Andrew were fishing when Jesus, walking along the sea, said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The Lord exercises his sovereignty over these men, not even allowing them to finish their work. They must be ready to follow immediately when he calls them. Cf. 8:21, 22; 10:37.

Peter and Andrew hailed from Bethsaida (John 1:45), but Peter had recently moved to Capernaum (Matt. 4:13; 8:5, 14, 15; Mark 1:21, 29, 30; Luke 4:31, 33, 38). By this time these men had come to know Jesus, because a year had elapsed since the unforgettable event recorded in John 1:35–42. Hence, when he now (Matt. 4:19) said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” they at once left their nets and followed, encouraged by the promise of their Lord to train them for a task far superior even to the honorable one in which they were now engaged. Instead of catching fish for the table they would recruit men for the kingdom.

It must not escape us that by means of the promise, “I will make you fishers of men” Jesus sets the seal of his approval upon the words of the inspired author of the book of Proverbs, “He who wins souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30); confirms Dan. 12:3: “They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever”; adds his own authority to Paul’s striking statement, “To all I became all, that in one way or another I may save some” (I Cor. 9:22); and anticipates his own glorious invitation, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Two other disciples of Jesus were given the same command and promise: 21, 22. And 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; and he called them. And immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. These two are not fishing like Peter and Andrew, but mending their nets. They receive the same call. They too must be ready at this time to enter into a new relationship (stage b, pp. 245, 246), that is, a transition from a. off-and-on fellowship with Christ (the John 1:39 stage) to c. permanent discipleship with abandonment of secular vocation (the Luke 5:11 stage). They must immediately leave the boat and their father, to follow Jesus. Doing a little fishing now and then as long as Jesus has his headquarters in Capernaum is not excluded, as Luke 5:10 clearly shows. The time is coming, however, when being fishers of men will be their permanent occupation (Luke 5:11). Even now they must start training in earnest for apostleship.

James and John obey at once. They leave the boat and their father. As to Zebedee’s business? It remains intact. Zebedee is not a poor man. He has servants who continue to help him in his business, so that whenever his sons are not able to be with him because of their increasingly closer association with Jesus, these servants can be depended upon to find ways in which to fill the gap (Mark 1:20). Provision has been made for every need.

4:23–25 Christ’s Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

Cf. Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44

23 And he went through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every illness and every infirmity among the people. 24 So the news about him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to him all who were afflicted, distressed by all kinds of illnesses and torments, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. 25 Huge crowds followed him, from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

23. The type of work Jesus did during his Great Galilean Ministry is now briefly summarized. It was not confined to Capernaum, for we read: And he went through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every illness and every infirmity among the people. In several ways Jesus’ activity differed from that of John: a. John preached in the open; Jesus also in the synagogue; b. John preached; Jesus also taught; c. in his preaching John emphasized the need of repentance in view of the imminent judgment; Jesus, though not neglecting this placed greater emphasis on the positive message: he proclaimed the kingdom’s gospel (see N.T.C. on Philippians, pp. 81–85); d. “John came neither eating nor drinking; the Son of man came eating and drinking” (11:18, 19); and finally, e. John preached and baptized; Jesus preached and performed miracles of healing.

Between preaching and teaching there is a difference, though it is true that good preaching is also teaching. The emphasis, nevertheless, is not the same. The word used in the original for preaching means heralding, announcing, proclaiming (see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, p. 310). Teaching, on the other hand, indicates imparting more detailed information regarding the announcement that was made. Jesus made full use of his opportunity to preach and to teach in the synagogue (13:53–58; Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–31).

In the phrase “the gospel of the kingdom,” what is meant by “the kingdom”? What has already been said concerning this need not be repeated (see p. 87, also see on 3:2 and on 4:17). In its broadest connotation the terms “the kingdom of heaven,” “the kingdom of God,” or simply “the kingdom” (when the context makes clear that what is mean is “the kingdom of heaven or of God”) indicate God’s kingship, rule or sovereignty, recognized in the hearts and operative in the lives of his people, and effecting their complete salvation, their constitution as a church, and finally a redeemed universe. Note especially the four concepts:

a. God’s kingship, rule, or recognized sovereignty. That may be the meaning in Luke 17:21, “The kingdom of God is within you,” and is the meaning in Matt. 6:10, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.…”

b. Complete salvation, i.e., all the spiritual and material blessings—that is, blessings for soul and body—which result when God is King in our hearts, recognized and obeyed as such. That is the meaning, according to the context, in Mark 10:25, 26, “It is easier … than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And they … said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ ”

c. The church: the community of men in whose hearts God is recognized as King. Kingdom of God and church when used in this sense are nearly equivalent. This is the meaning in Matt. 16:18, 19. “… and upon this rock will I build my church.… I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

d. The redeemed universe: the new heaven and earth with all their glory; something still future: the final realization of God’s saving power. Thus in Matt. 25:34, “… inherit the kingdom prepared for you.…”

These four meanings are not separate and unrelated. They all proceed from the central idea of the reign of God, his supremacy in the sphere of saving power. The kingdom or kingship (the Greek word has both meanings) of heaven is like a gradually developing mustard seed; hence, both present and future (Mark 4:26–29). It is present; study Matt. 5:3; 12:28; 19:14; Mark 10:15; 12:34; Luke 7:28; 17:20, 21; John 3:3–5; 18:36. It is future; study Matt. 7:21, 22; 25:34; 26:29.

Jesus spoke of the work of salvation as the kingdom or reign of heaven in order to indicate the supernatural character, origin, and purpose of our salvation. Our salvation begins in heaven and should redound to the glory of the Father in heaven. Hence, by using this term Christ defended the truth, so precious to all believers, that everything is subservient to God’s glory.

Not only did Jesus preach and teach; he also healed. No sickness was too hard for him to cure, no infirmity too difficult to relieve; hence, “every (kind of) illness and every (kind of) infirmity.”

Christ’s healing miracles had a threefold significance: a. they confirmed his message (John 14:11); b. they showed that he was indeed the Messiah of prophecy (Isa. 35:5; 53:4, 5; 61:1; Matt. 11:2–6); and c. they proved that in a sense the kingdom had even now arrived, for, as has already been indicated, the concept “kingdom” includes blessings for the body as well as for the soul. The Gospels everywhere establish a very close connection between the concepts kingdom and miracles (Matt. 9:35; 10:7, 8; 12:28; Luke 9:1, 2; and cf. also Acts 8:6, 7, 12).

The universal character of the healings is also brought out by the fact that since Jesus was going through all Galilee, the Galilee with its mixture of Jew and Gentile, and healed “every illness and every infirmity among the people,” hence he never even asked a sick person, “Are you a Jew or a Gentile?” He healed all, regardless of race or nationality. Truly he was, and is, “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42; I John 4:14).

The result of all this healing activity in Galilee is indicated in verse 24. So the news about him spread throughout Syria. The news quickly spread, so that Syria heard about it. It is evident that the term “Syria” in this connection cannot mean the entire Roman province, which, until a.d. 70, included Palestine, but rather the region to the north of Galilee toward Antioch and Damascus. Many Jews had settled in these northern cities; some voluntarily, some by forced removal from one region to another. Economic, social, and religious ties bound the hearts of these Jews to those of their relatives and friends in Galilee and Judea. Moreover, there were good road connections between the various cities. We have already seen that Capernaum in Galilee was situated on the highway that came down from Damascus. Antioch and Damascus were similarly connected. And then there was the coast-highway that came down from Antioch and passed through Tyre, Galilee, and Gaza, on its way to Egypt.²⁴⁹

It is therefore not at all surprising that from far and near also these northern regions brought to Jesus their afflicted ones, that he might heal them: and they brought to him all who were afflicted, distressed by all kinds of illnesses and torments, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.

“Illnesses and torments” is the general term, showing that Jesus was able to cure every illness, no matter what it might be. Pains fled at his touch or even simply at his word of power. Particular mention is made of three groups: demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics. For the subject of demon-possession see on 9:32–34. For the present it is only necessary to point out that demoniacs heads the list, and very properly, for demon-possession was considered the cause of various other afflictions (9:33; 12:22; 17:15, 18; Mark 9:25; Luke 13:10–12, 16).

The word which, in line with many translators and commentators, I have rendered epileptics, is etymologically connected with the moon. Accordingly, some prefer the rendering “moon-struck persons” or “lunatics.” However, 17:15, where the same word is used and the affliction is graphically described, would seem to make it clear that the reference is to those who suffered from seizures; hence, epileptics. Though word-derivation is important, it should not prevail over detailed description of an illness. The point is that these, too, were immediately healed by the Master, healed once for all. And this was also the case with paralytics. Striking examples of such healings are reported in 8:5–13 (cf. Luke 7:1–10) and in 9:1–8 (cf. Mark 2:1–12 and Luke 5:17–26).

It is evident, therefore, that the Son of God was going forth to war. He was destroying the works of the devil, teaching and preaching, casting out demons and healing sicknesses by the power of the Spirit, thus healing both soul and body, and more and more establishing the kingdom of God on earth (Matt. 12:28).

End-result: 25. Huge crowds followed him, from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. Naturally, from Galilee. Also, however, from Decapolis, that is, from the region of the ten cities, a federation extending, for the most part, northeast of Samaria, and to some extent even northeast of Galilee, and consisting of the cities: Damascus, Kanata, Dion, Hippos, Gadara, Abila, Scythopolis, Pella, Geresa, and Philadelphia. Jerusalem, too, and in fact all of Judea, heard what was happening in the north. So, also from the south people came to swell the crowds that followed Jesus. They heard his words and saw—and in many cases were benefitted by—his miracles. Even Perea, the region east of the Jordan and, mostly, south of Decapolis sent its representatives. The multitude must have been immense!

Summary of Chapter 4:12–25

4:12–17. This brief paragraph describes the beginning of the Great Galilean Ministry. Perhaps about a year after the happenings recorded in 3:13–4:11 (baptism and temptation) Jesus “withdrew into Galilee.” He bade farewell to Nazareth, which had been his home until about the age of thirty, and settled in Capernaum situated on the Sea of Galilee’s northwestern shore. He did this in fulfilment of Isa. 9:1, 2.

Also, John the Baptist had been taken into custody, and the attention of the Judean population among whom Jesus had been laboring for some time was now wholly concentrated on their great Benefactor whom the Baptist himself had introduced. Jesus, in turn, knew that remaining any longer in the south, with its jealous Pharisees and Sadducees, would lead to a premature crisis. Hence he set out for Galilee. He must not die before the appointed time.

In Galilee he made Capernaum his headquarters, and from there traversed the entire northern territory, teaching, preaching, and healing, so that the light of salvation dawned upon those who were formerly dwelling in the darkness of despair, and the kingdom of heaven began to prosper on earth.

4:18–22. While walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called to himself Peter and Andrew, who were fishing when they heard Jesus say to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they obeyed. So did also James and John who a little later were similarly called as they were mending their nets. These four had already known the Master for perhaps about a year, and had been spending some of their time in his company. Now, however, they start training in earnest for apostleship, that is, for being sent out by themselves to proclaim the good news.

4:23–25. The report of Christ’s teaching, preaching, and healing spread far and wide. Syria to the north, Decapolis and Perea to the east, and even Judea to the south were represented in the huge crowds that followed Jesus during his Galilean journeys. He healed all the afflicted, including even demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics. He cured them at once and completely. No second treatment at some later time was necessary. He restored them because he sympathized with them and loved them.

Among the many art portrayals of Christ’s healing power the following deserve special mention: A. Deitrich’s painting entitled, “Christ, have mercy on us” (print and description in Cynthia P. Maus, Christ and the Fine Arts, New York, 1959, pp. 248–250); J. M. F. H. Hofmann’s drawing, “Christ healing the sick” (copy and interpretation in Albert E. Bailey, The Gospel in Art, Boston, 1946, pp. 188–192); and, last but not least, centering around the same theme, Rembrandt van Rijn’s unforgettably beautiful etching called “the hundred guilder print” (reproduction and explanatory marginal notes in Robert Wallace and the editors of Time-Life Books, The World of Rembrandt, New York, 1968, pp. 154–157).