Matthew
Jesus’ Preparation to Announcing the Kingdom
It wasn’t until the wilderness experience was completed
That Jesus began to announce the Kingdom
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17
Jesus continued the wilderness experiences in His life
Often we read, He left the crowds and His disciples to find a solitary place to pray
Jesus demonstrates the importance of getting away from this life
What that might mean to you
A place where you cast off responsibilities to others and yourself
A place where it is just you and the Holy Spirit
Jesus will point out later that the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17:20-21
And Romans tells us the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy
IN THE HOLY SPIRIT Romans 14:17
Luke tells us, Jesus was full of the Spirit after the wilderness experience
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit Luke 4:14
You and I also need to get recharged with the Spirit of God
As Paul tells us be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
If you and I are going to announce the Kingdom or experience it
We need to be filled with the Spirit
And the solitary place of the wilderness is the place to go
Remember Satan will also try to fill your mind with temptations in that place, too
So, keep the Word of God close to you and praise on your lips
Matthew
Jesus’ Preparation to Announcing the Kingdom
Chapters 3-7 The Kingdom of Heaven is announced.
Jesus, after being led by the Spirit into the wilderness
where He was tempted by the Devil
began to preach the Kingdom.
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Matthew 4:17
John the Baptist preached in the desert.
If you wanted to hear him you had
to leave your home and go to the desert.
John preached…
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Matthew 3:2
He was as the Prophet Isaiah said…
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'"
Matthew 3:3, Isaiah 40:3
Jesus went into the wilderness to meet John,
where he had John baptize Him.
Jesus came up out of the water
and we see God, the Father, endorse Jesus from heaven
as a dove descends upon Him.
The Father’s voice is heard saying…
And a voice from heaven said,
"This is my Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:17
Jesus did not start His earthly ministry at this point…
But took a 40-day journey into the wilderness.
Where He did not eat, it was a cleansing time…
A time alone with the Spirit, who led Him there.
At the end of this purification…
A season of repentance
and turning from the world’s provision…
He was put to the test.
Which Kingdom will Jesus choose to invest His life in?
We see three temptations
Satan sets before Jesus and Jesus’ response.
The first addresses Jesus’ physical needs…
"If you are the Son of God,
tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered,
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:3-4
The second, questions His relationship with God, the Father.
(Is this One you believe in, really there?)…
"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down.
For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written:
'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Matthew 4:6-7
The third was an offer, a kingdom, and Satan’s support
(Imagine not having all the struggles to get ahead in life
because you went with the flow of Satan’s rule)…
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
"All this I will give you," he said,
"if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan!
For it is written:
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'
Matthew 4:8-10
This final kingdom offer…
Jesus turns down.
For Jesus it is a choice of worship.
There are only two choices…
Worship God who is holy, righteous and pure
or the alternative Matthew tells us…
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:11
Luke tells us Jesus has not seen the end of Satan.
When the devil had finished all this tempting,
he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:13
It wasn’t until this wilderness experience was completed
that Jesus began to announce the Kingdom…
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Matthew 4:17
Jesus continued the wilderness experiences in His life.
Often we read…
He left the crowds and His disciples
to find a solitary place to pray.
Jesus demonstrates the importance of
getting away from this life…
Whatever that might mean to you.
A place where you cast off responsibilities
to others and yourself.
A place where it is just you and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus will point out later that
the Kingdom of God is within you
Luke 17:20-21
Romans tells us the Kingdom is…
Righteousness, peace, and joy,
IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Romans 14:17
Luke tells us Jesus was full of the Spirit
after the wilderness experience.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit
Luke 4:14
You and I also need to get recharged
with the Spirit of God as Paul tells us…
Be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
If you and I are going to announce
the Kingdom of Heaven or experience it…
We need to be filled with the Spirit.
And the solitary place of the wilderness
is the place to go.
Just remember Satan will also try to fill your mind
with temptations in that place, too.
So, keep the Word of God close to you
and praise on your lips.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 3:11-4:17 NIV
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
No comments:
Post a Comment