What Did Jesus Preach in His First Sermon? Matthew 4:12-17

 Jesus Begins to Preach
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 

Since there is a lot that happens between Matthew 4:11 and 4:12, we need to review the first chapters in John to fill the gap.  

"When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee: John 3:22 and 4:1 indicate that the first ministry Jesus did with His disciples was a baptizing ministry at the Jordan. Sometime after that and after the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus went to Galilee to begin His itinerant ministry in that region." (Guzik)

Why did Jesus leave and go to Galilee? 

"Now when Jesus heard of this his imprisonment, he departed into Galilee; not so much on account of safety, or for fear of Herod, but to call his disciples, who lived in that country." (Gill)

13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—  

We know one of the reasons Jesus left Nazareth was that he was rejected by his own people there.  Capernaum was not a town that was mentioned in the Old Testament but it became a place of a lot of Jesus' ministry and activities with his disciples.  

In this place and its neighborhood Jesus spent no small part of the three years of his public ministry. It is hence called his own city, Matthew 9:1. Here he healed the nobleman's son John 4:47; Peter's wife's mother Matthew 8:14; the centurion's servant Matthew 8:5-13; and the ruler's daughter Matthew 9:23-25. (Barnes)

14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond 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.”

As is customary in Matthew's gospel, we see the fulfillment of prophecy once again.  The key piece being that this region was largely populated by Gentiles.  This was prophesied in Isaiah 9:1-2.  Why Capernaum?

"Jesus chose Capernaum as best suited for His work. There He was in the heart of the world, in a busy town, and near others, on the shore of a sea that was full of fish, and on a great international highway." (Expositers Greek Testament)

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

This was Jesus' first sermon.  To preach means to "announce" or "proclaim".  It is the same word used for a herald who brings a message on behalf of the king.  We have heard this language used before in the message John gave when he came to introduce Jesus' ministry.  

Repent means to do a 180 degree turn. A turn from moving away from God to moving toward Him.  Jesus gives his hearers a very specific motivation to repent, "For the kingdom of heaven has come near." Or, "Is at hand!"  Kingdom means "rule" or "authority". When God's kingdom is ruling on earth it is as if God were in charge of everything that happens here.

The kingdom had come near specificially in the person of Jesus, as he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.  This was the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, and from here on out we see what the kingdom of heaven looks like through everything Jesus says and does.

I.e. Blind men see, lepers are healed, dead men rise, those who have been marginalized like prostitutes and tax collectors find love and acceptance.  

Not much has changed in 2,000 years.   At the heart of any good sermon is the idea of turning from what we know is wrong and realizing how we can live in such a wayt that God's kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.  In fact, this is what we already pray in the Lord's Prayer.  "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven."  Like Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit when we came to faith, and the Holy Spirit can transform our ordinary lives by leading us to do the same things Jesus did.  In fact, this is precisely what it means to be a "disciple of Jesus".  I.e. Living my life as if Jesus were me! 

We need to remember that God's kingdom continues to come each and every day.  And it will continue to come until one day it will be consumated fully when Jesus returns.  

Where do you see God's kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven today?  How do you think God might use you to bring his kingdom (where he rules and reigns) on earth as it is in heaven?  

If you have trouble thinking in these terms, just think of where do you see things happening on earth that don't reflect God's ruling or reigning.  Jesus came to bring light in a land where there was much darkness.  He came into an area of the world that was predominantly occupied by Gentiles, because His own people rejected him.  

Let's continue to preach the message that Jesus first preached and live it out.  It's why we are still here and it's what the world needs now!