Matthew 4: First Steps (2)
Pray Psalm 98.4-6
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
Sing Psalm 98.4-6.
(Duke Street: Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord)
Raise to the Lord your loudest voice! Break forth and sing! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Praise, praise to You our God and King, with all our hearts and strength we bring!
Read Matthew 4.1-17; meditate on verse 17.
What is the Kingdom of heaven?
Prepare.
1. What did Jesus begin to do when He returned to Galilee?
2. How was the message Jesus preached similar to that which John preached?
Meditate.
Matthew records the first words of public ministry spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. His was a message of repentance and Good News: The Gospel of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God (or “of heaven”) had come to earth in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus, by His life and teaching, was preparing His followers to receive, not just forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but the Kingdom of God.
Jesus will teach and show us what the Kingdom is like, and why it is such Good News. Matthew summarizes the content of Jesus’ message, which reminds us very much of what John the Baptist preached. The Kingdom has come near, and repentance is the key to entering it. Those who are attracted by what Jesus preached and did, and who desire to enter His Kingdom, must repent of all known sins, and maintain the discipline of repentance daily.
For this is the Kingdom of heaven—literally, the Kingdom which has its origins in heaven, which manifests the pure and holy character of heaven, and which extends as far as the heavens extend above and throughout the vast cosmos. The Gospel of the Kingdom comes with the intent of setting things right with God, of restoring the brokenness, corruption, ruin, and desolation of the sin-filled world, and of making all things new by the power of grace and truth. We are not preaching the same Gospel as Jesus preached unless we preach it as He did, announcing the advent of the Kingdom of God and requiring repentance as the entrance requirement and badge of citizenship, and casting a vision of healing and restoration for the world.
We cannot construe the meaning of Jesus’ life and teaching in any other way. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a cosmic Gospel. “He comes to make His blessings flow/far as the curse is found…” And since the curse of the father of lies reaches to all aspects of the groaning creation (Rom. 8.20-22), the Gospel must impel us, following the example of Jesus, to bring the healing power of grace and truth to everything in our lives and world.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
When trying to get people to “pray this prayer” real quick now,
or make a life-altering decision “before the last verse of this hymn is sung”,
or decide to serve a new king, living by a whole new set of laws and standards, “before this meeting is over”
we miss the whole point of Kingdom living and lead persons into a false hope easily gained.
For repentance and life change are the mainstays of new life in Christ.
And much thought needs to be put into this decision; for this new life entails, well, new life.
New loves, new longings, new goals, new rules—a whole slew of new.
But first: repentance.
Repentance that shocks us with what we are repenting from.
Repentance that assures us we desperately need a Savior.
“O LORD, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
because we have sinned against You.
To the LORD our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws,
which He set before us by His servants the prophets” (Dan. 9.8-10).
“For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—
that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Ps. 51.3, 4).
“Those who are attracted by what Jesus preached and did, and who desire to enter His Kingdom, must repent of all known sins, and maintain the discipline of repentance daily.”
With the daily discipline of repentance comes the joy of living in God’s Kingdom—here and now.
And as Kingdom dwellers, we will be a light, “the light of the world” as Jesus said (Matt. 5.14).
Reflecting the glory of the heavens here on earth—just as the shepherds did—when joined by a heavenly host. We have much in common with those shepherds of old, doing our day-to-day work, expectantly waiting, and never doubting when called to do something by, and for, the LORD. (Many thanks to granddaughter Reagan for pointing that out this Christmas).
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…” (Lk. 2.8, 9). In so much of the artwork depicting this scene the angel is the one glowing; but as it turns out, the shepherds were exuding the light. Just like we will in our Personal Mission Field, fully repented, and ready for the day ahead. Ready to reflect the light of our blessed Savior.
Kingdom living, as Jesus taught— “Repent, the Kingdom of God is here!”—Immanuel. God-With-Us.
Reflect.
1. Why is repentance so important to life in the Kingdom of God
2. How does practicing repentance make us ready vessels for showing the glory of God to our world?
3. What can keep us from being a source of grace to our world?
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This refers to the blessedness of the heavenly kingdom, which God has prepared for the faithful. The message is to prepare yourselves by penance and by patience to receive the blessedness of the heavenly kingdom. Anonymous (no date), Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 6
Pray Psalm 98.1-3, 7-9.
Rejoice in the salvation of the Lord, and commit this day for seeking and advancing His Kingdom. Encourage your fellow believers, and talk with your unbelieving friends, keeping in mind that the Lord is coming one day to judge the earth and gather into His eternal Kingdom all who love and serve Him.
Sing Psalm 98.1-3, 7-9.
Psalm 98.1-3, 7-9 (Duke Street: Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord)
Come, let us sing unto the Lord new songs of praise with one accord!
Wonderful things our God has done: Jesus has our salvation won!
Now let the whole creation ’round burst into song with joyous sound!
Jesus will come to judge the earth; let all proclaim His matchless worth!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from If Men Will Pray. Our Crosfigell teaching letter has begun a new series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is studying the Church and why we need it. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
