Today’s passage: Matthew 4:12-17
Helpful thoughts:
- The prophecy fulfilled by Jesus in this passage is from Isaiah 9:1-2ff (This is the 7th prophecy fulfilled so far in Matthew).
- In John 3:30, John the Baptist declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This transition is happening in this passage. John the baptist was arrested, he no longer had a public ministry alerting people to the coming kingdom. Now Jesus begins preaching, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Questions to consider:
- How did Jesus bring light to those living in darkness and in the shadow of death?
- Read Isaiah 9:1-7. Who is Matthew telling us Jesus is? What time is this prophecy teaching about?
- With the answer to question 2 in mind: What all was Jesus referring to when he said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”? How does this give you confidence as a Christ-follower?