Matthew 4:11-16
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Matthew 4:11-16
“Angels came and ministered to Him.” This is a statement we pass over very easily. In what way did they minister to Him? Did they provide Him the bread He so desperately needed after a forty day fast? We are not told, but we do get a glimpse into the work of angels. Later in Hebrews 1:13-14, we are told that angels are sent forth to “minister for those who will inherit eternal salvation.” Again, we are not told what they do to minister to the saved, but it is nice to know that they do.Verse 12 signals the beginning of the “Galilean Ministry.” This period in Jesus’ life lasts about a year and a half and covers the bulk of Matthew’s account. It is not until 19:1 that Matthew follows Jesus back into Judea. This is a different pattern from Luke who mostly covers the “Perean Ministry” (six months on the eastern side of the Jordan River as Jesus travels from Galilee to Judea, Luke 9:51 - 19:57).
The passage quoted by Matthew concerning Jesus arrival in the region of Capernaum is Isaiah 9:1-2. Isaiah had foretold of the coming Assyrian invasion by Tiglath-pileser (734-732 B.C.). These were dark days for Israel both in regard to the invasions and in regard to their idolatry. The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were hardest hit as invading armies attacked from the north. But Isaiah gives hope as he tells them a “light” that would one day dispel the day of doom.
The entire context of the quote goes through verse 7. It is a great chapter foretelling the coming Messiah. He would be “born” (vs. 6), be given names such as “the Mighty God, the Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace” (vs. 6), and become King over His kingdom (vs. 7). The verses quoted by Matthew are especially significant because they show that the Messiah would come as a “light to the Gentiles.” This is the fourth time in four chapters that Matthew mentions the Gentiles and suggests their acceptance into the kingdom. What a wake-up call this would be for the Jewish readers!
Berry Kercheville
