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Matthew Chapter
Four
I.
Content of the Chapter
I. The King was Tempted
A. The motivation of the temptations
------the guidance of the Holy Spirit (v.1).
B. The
first temptation ------to command that stones become bread (v.2-4).
C. The
second temptation ------to throw down on the pinnacle of the temple (v.5-7).
D. The
third temptation ------to worship the devil to obtain all the kingdoms of the
world and their glory (v.8-10).
E. The
consequence of the temptations ------the devil left Him and angels came and
minister Him (v.11).
II. The King Started
His Ministry
A. He preached in
B. He called four disciples
(v.17-22).
C. He taught, preached the gospel
of kingdom, healed sickness and cast out demons (v.23-25).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Matt. 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by
the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
YLT: “Then Jesus was led up to
the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil,”
Meaning of Words: “devil”: the
plunderer, false accuser and slanderer; “tempt”: test.
Literal Meaning: “then” was the time
Jesus departed from the
“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness.” The Spirit firstly descended upon Him and filled Him, and then led
him (Luke. 3:22, 4:1).
“To be tempted by the devil.” The Lord
was tempted by the guidance of the Spirit. Therefore, it could be explained
that God, on His initiative, proved the overcoming of Jesus who is worthy to be
the king of heaven through the temptations of the devil.
Spiritual Meaning: After the Israel had
left Egypt, they had been humbled and proved by Jehovah their God forty years
in the wilderness, declaring that they were God’s elect and they would keep
God’s commandments (Deut. 8:1-5). The Lord Jesus was baptized as
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When we achieve our spiritual peak, the valley
of test is always waiting for us. Take heed that the present success could not
assure the success all the time.
2) The guidance of the Spirit shows that Christ was
not tested passively. He took the initiative to consume all the power and
doings of the enemy firstly and then followed up the victory.
3) The Spirit took the initiative to lead Jesus to
be tempted of the devil, showing that the Lord first bound the strong and then
plunder the goods (Matt. 12:29). By this way the Lord could save the world that
lied in the devil originally.
4) The Lord was full of the Spirit at first (Luke.
4:1) and then fought against the devil. Only being full of the Holy Spirit and
guided by the Holy Spirit, can one win in spiritual battles.
5) The Lord was tempted by the guidance of the Spirit.
It showed that the temptation was from God. Usually, God puts us in temptations
to test our hearts towards God.
6) If we live by the Spirit, let us walk also by
the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).
7) For, in that himself has suffered, being
tempted, the Lord is able to help those that are being tempted (Her. 2:17-18).
His reaction towards temptations is an example to believers being tempted.
8) The Lord was
tempted in the wilderness. In difficult and helpless condition without any
enjoyment, the devil comes to induce us to compromise with him for
enjoyment.
9) What the devil does is just like what his name
means: he on one hand accuses us before God (Rev. 12:9-10), on the other hand
he slanders us before men.
Matt. 4:2 “And when He had fasted
forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”
YLT: “and having fasted forty
days and forty nights, afterwards he did hunger.”
Meaning of Words: “fast”: to abstain
from food; “afterwards”: at a later time.
The Background: Moses and Elijah had
abstained from food and water for forty days (Exod. 34:28, 1Kings. 19:8). They
were the type of the Lord to show that the Lord is God’s servant and prophet
(Heb. 3:5, Matt. 16:14).
Literal
Meaning: “fast”: give up the
reasonable enjoyment of the flesh.
“Forty days and nights” shows that the fasting had lasted forty days and
nights.
“He was hungry.” It shows that the flesh was in need of food.
Note that this verse shows that Jesus was hungry after the fasting
instead of during the fasting. From this we could see the meaning of fasting.
One fasts because he is full of burden in his heart so that he neglects the
need of his body. During this period, he stays in the spiritual state and his
spirit concentrates on spiritual things, neglecting the need of food and drink,
until the burden is unloaded. Prayer and fasting often goes together. (Luke.
2:37, Acts. 14:23)
Spiritual Meaning: in the Holy Bible,
the number “forty” represents sufferings and trials.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Fasting has connection with pray. Prayer and
fasting always enable us to overcome the temptations of the devil (Matt.
17:21).
2) Fasting is to afflict the soul (see Is.
58:3) and to overlook the need of the flesh. Those who truly work with the Lord
should mind the things of the Lord and put down the needs of the flesh.
3) No matter how spiritually
great one is, he unavoidably has the needs of the flesh. What matters is how we
react to the needs. Do we regard the will of God important? Or our needs?
Matt. 4:3 “Now when the tempter came
to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God,
command that these stones become bread.’”
YLT: “And the Tempter having
come to him said, `If Son thou art of God -- speak that these stones may become
loaves.'”
Meaning of Words: “If”: forasmuch as
(showing the real situation instead of the hypothetical one)
Literal Meaning: “the tempter”:
another name of the devil (v.1)
“Came to Him” shows that the devil had
already watched him around and waited for an appropriate opportunity to come to
Him.
“If You are the Son of God.” The devil
did not question whether the Lord Jesus is the Son of God. He intended to tempt
Him to stand in the position of Son of God instead of the son of man.
“Command that these stones become
bread.” It means to use God’s mighty power to satisfy needs of the flesh. In
this way, He would not experience the suffering as a man. The evil intention of
the devil is to make Jesus only be concerned about His needs instead of the
will of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When the Lord was hungry, the tempter came.
When we are in difficulty or in need, the temptations of the devil always come
to induce us to turn away from God and solve the problem by ourselves.
2) The kingdom of heaven brings men back to
the reign of God and enables men to obey God. The authority of darkness makes
men abandon God and satisfy himself rather than God.
3) The temptations of the devil induce Christians
to use the adoption (the Son of God) and power that are received from God to
work for them ------to hold gain to be piety (1Tim. 6:5).
4) “If…” The devil always makes us doubt spiritual
things.
5) We, when in difficulty, are often tempted by the
devil to doubt God, faith and the adoption, holding that if it is not true, how
should we suffer so many afflictions?
6) The artifice of the devil is to tempt us to
compromise with the world, to change the difficult situations (“stones”) into
satisfied and comfortable ones for needs of the flesh (“bread”).
7) “Stones become bread” is to change the
circumstances. The circumstance is very difficult because there are stones all
around. Once the circumstances are changed, there will be enjoyment. If someone
gives up serving the Lord and returns to serve the world, he will own worldly
enjoyment.
8) “Stones become bread.” The believers are living
stones (1Pet. 2:5) to build God’s temple. However, if they seek for the world,
they will become earthly man and may be devoured by the devil (see Gen. 3:14.
1Pet. 5:8).
9) The devil often tempts to draw all our concern
to the material needs of the flesh so that we may neglect the spiritual needs.
That’s the reason why many believers fail.
Matt. 4:4 “‘But
He answered and said,’ It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
YLT: “But he answering said, `It
hath been written, Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word
coming forth from the mouth of God.'”
Meaning of Words: “word”: seasonable word, word in need (rhema in the
original is different from logos which means objective words).
Literal Meaning: “Man shall not live
by bread alone” The Lord did not say that “man shall not need bread” but “not
live by bread alone”. He held the importance of bread to men’s living.
“But by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God.” Just like the
Spiritual Meaning: on one hand, the
word of God means spiritual food (Jer. 15:16). Man shall live concerning not
only the needs of the flesh but also spiritual needs. On other hand, the word
of God means the will of God (2Tim. 3:16). Man shall not live for the needs of
life. Man shall live for the will of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Satan wanted the Lord Jesus to do His work,
standing in the position of Son of God (v.3). But the Lord coped with Satan,
standing in the position of Son of Man all the time (“man shall live…”), and
completely conquered him.
2) The Lord used God’s word (“it is written”)
to withstand Satan. God’s word is the useful weapon in spiritual warfare (Eph.
6:17). In order to conquer the enemy we have to use God’s word.
3) Anyone who lives by bread alone rather than by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God does not live in the reality of
the kingdom of heaven.
4) A man serving the Lord should live by the word
of God in the needs of living. Only in this way can’t he serve the mammon.
5) The words printed in the Holy Bible are to
common people and objective (logos). Only when they become subjective and
seasonable words (rhema) to us, they will work operatively in us.
6) The Lord Jesus did not command the stones to
become bread because he was unwilling to do it instead that he was unable to do
it. What’s important to those who serve the Lord is that: if they do not have
the word of God, they are unwilling to do anything though they are able to do
it. And what they can do is not important.
7) The first Adam failed in bread (Gen. 3:11-12)
and the second Adam conquered in the food.
8) The demarcation between overcoming and failure
of believers is that whether the spirit dominates the flesh.
Matt. 4:5 “Then the devil took Him
up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,”
YLT: “Then doth the Devil take
him to the city, and doth set him on the pinnacle of the temple,”
Meaning of Words: “took Him up into”:
led His way aside; “the pinnacle of the temple”: the wing of the temple.
Literal Meaning: “the holy city”: the
city of
“The pinnacle of the temple”: the corner
extending from the roof of the temple (according to the southeast corner on the
roof of the temple, the pinnacle is about several hundreds of feet high and
below it is the
Spiritual Meaning: “the holy city” is
the place where God’s people worship and serve God (John. 4:20). Therefore the
devil brought Jesus to the holy city to tempt Him in the role of religion.
“Pinnacle of the temple” symbolizes the
high fame and status in the world of religion.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though many people conquer the lust of the
flesh------giving up the enjoyment of food and drink, they can not conquer the
pride of life------the desire to become outstanding.
2) Unexpectedly, the devil had his place in
the holy city and the holy temple where originally men worship God. The devil,
always hiding himself in the assembly (Rev.2:13), dominates the believers to
harm God’s witness and humiliate God’s name.
3) Though many people could
give up their future in the world, they could not give up the status and glory
in the world of religion. The vain glory in the assembly (Pill. 2:3) always
becomes the snare to fervent believers.
Matt. 4:6 “and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is
written: ‘He shall give His angels
charge over you,' and, ‘In their hands they shall
bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone."'
YLT: “and saith to him, `If Son
thou art of God -- cast thyself down, for it hath been written, that, His
messengers He shall charge concerning thee, and on hands they shall bear thee
up, that thou mayest not dash on a stone thy foot.'”
Literal Meaning: “If You are the Son
of God, throw Yourself down.” The evil intention of the devil was to tempt
Jesus to test God’s faithfulness (whether God would protect Him) and show off
His outstanding power (to draw men’s attention).
“For it is written.” In the first
temptation, the Lord had emphasized the importance of relying on God’s word
(v.4). Therefore, the devil attempted to use God’s word to deal with the Lord.
He garbled the Bible (see Ps. 91:11-12), not expressing the original meaning of
the Bible.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today, many people in heresies who profess
to be Christians, have learned the tricks of the devil, using the Bible to go
along with their own views to confuse the ignorant.
2) While reading the Bible, we should pay
attention to the context and consider the quintessence of the whole Bible,
cutting in a straight line the word of truth (2Tim. 2:15). If not, one may be
easily misled.
3) God will protect us when we walk in normal way.
If we purposely throw down (for example, we intentionally enter into sinful
places), God would not protect us.
4) The devil always induces men to throw down such
as: committing suicide by jumping from the building, into the sea and from the
train, falling down, depressed in spirit, in reading the Bible and in meetings.
5) If a believer in the assembly wants to show off
his abilities (such as eloquence, the ability to solve problems and spiritual
gifts) to gain others’ admiration, he is duped by the devil.
Matt. 4:7 “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, ‘You
shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
YLT: “Jesus said to him again,
`It hath been written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'”
Literal Meaning: “it is written
again.” It shows that the meaning of the Bible should not be interpreted only
by one sentence of the Bible. The meaning should also accord with other
sentences in the Bible.
“You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”
“Tempting the God”: one purposely puts himself in a situation to see whether
God helps him. This behavior, with the intention of forcing God to protect us,
is a challenge to God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Facing those who use the Bible incorrectly,
we should learn from the Lord Jesus to discern what they have said with other
sentences of the Bible. Therefore, we should let the word of Christ dwell in us
richly in all wisdom, lest we are deceived (Col. 3:16).
2) The reason why the Lord did not throw down
is that He stood in the position of obedience and did nothing until God had
commanded Him, not that He was unable to do it.
3) We should trust and obey God and never tempt
Him. Tempting God shows our doubt on His love and power.
4) In verse three Satan used God’s word to ask the
Lord to do it. Satan thought it was trusting God, however, the Lord said it was
tempting the Lord. Trusting God is that God had spoken at first and then we do
it upon what He had spoken. Tempting God is that God had not spoken and we use
the word of the Bible to force God to be responsible for it.
Matt. 4:8 “Again, the devil took Him
up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the
world and their glory.”
YLT: “Again doth the Devil take
him to a very high mount, and doth shew to him all the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them,”
Literal Meaning: Actually, none of
the mountains in the world is so high that standing upon which one could see
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Therefore, there are two
explanations about this verse. One is that: the devil took Him up on a high
mountain. Looking far around, the Lord could see the cities and villages at the
foot of the mountain. Thus, the Lord could have a taste of all the kingdoms of
the world and their glory (Gen. 13:10). The other is that the devil used its
supernatural power to show Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The glory of the world is of earth and it
will make men look down from higher levels and fall down.
2) Believers should life up their eyes unto
God (Ps. 121:1-2), i.e. look steadfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of
our faith (Heb. 12:2).
Matt. 4:9 “And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down
and worship me.’”
YLT: “and saith to him, ‘All these to thee I will give, if falling down thou
mayest bow to me.’”
Literal Meaning: “You will fall down
and worship me” It means to submit to someone as common people to the king.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The ultimate purpose of the devil’s
temptation is to usurp God’s status in men’s hearts and steal the worship to
God.
2) In the universe, only the Lord and God
deserve worship. The worship to anyone else, even to angels (Col. 2:18) or
God’s servants (Acts. 14:11-18) is lawless and ultimately belongs to the devil
for it is made by the cheat of the devil.
3) All the kingdoms of the world and their glory
belong to the devil (Luke. 4:6) and are the weapons used by the devil to deceive
men. If our hearts turn to the vain glories of the world, we are unconsciously
worshiping the devil.
4) Satan is willing to give up all the kingdoms of
the world and their glory to gain men’s worship. Today, many leaders in the
assembly share their status and wealth with the aim of gaining others’
allegiance.
Matt. 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you
shall serve.’”
YLT: “Then saith Jesus to him,
`Go -- Adversary, for it hath been written, The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to,
and Him only thou shalt serve.'”
Meaning of Words: “Satan”: to
withstand, the enemy, the opponent.
Literal Meaning: “Away with you,
Satan!” means “Go away! Stop your futility!”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Away with you, Satan!” The temptation of
Satan only works with deceit. The moment we notice that it is of Satan, point
it out and rebuke Satan, the temptation will be of no effect.
2) The temptation of the devil is using the
glory of the kingdoms of the world to tempt men’s hearts to seek and serve the
things besides God. By this Satan withstands (the meaning of Satan) God.
3) The Lord used the word of God (“it is written”)
three times to conquer the temptations of the devil. The word of God is the
sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17) and all-conquering.
4) “You shall worship the LORD your God.” God is so
jealous that He could not bear any other worship besides Him. God is jealous.
5) Worship is the central point that Satan tries
its best to usurp from God. If our worship is not only to God, we have already
fallen into the principle of Satan. Be attentive!
6) Looking upon God only, regarding God the most
precious and worshiping Him only will enable us to conquer the blindness and
deceit of the lust to the world.
7) “Him only you shall serve.” One can not serve
two masters. If one wants to serve God, first he should devote himself to God
completely. When we preserve ourselves in devotion, we are probably serving two
masters------God and mammon (Matt. 6:24).
Matt. 4:11 “Then the devil left Him,
and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
YLT: “Then doth the Devil leave
him, and lo, messengers came and were ministering to him.”
Literal Meaning: “angels came and
ministered to Him” Angels are all ministering spirits, sent out for service on
account of those who shall inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) No matter what kind of temptations the
devil used to tempt the Lord, He had conquered ultimately. He is king of
victory. We can conquer the temptations of the devil only when we abide in
Christ.
2) If we want to conquer the earthly
temptations, we should live in heavenly sphere and accept the heavenly care,
support and supply (“angels came and ministered…”).
3) Every saint can enjoy angels’
ministry. When we are in trouble, we should pray God to open our eyes to see
that angels have encamped round us and protect us (Ps. 34:7, 2Kings. 6:17).
Matt. 4:12
“Now when
Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to
YLT: “And Jesus having heard
that John was delivered up, did withdraw to
Meaning of Words: “departed to”: go to, return to.
The
Background: John the Baptist was
put in prison because he criticized that Herod the king should not marry
Herodias the wife of Philip his brother (Matt. 14:3-4).
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus heard that…,
He departed to…” Jesus preached and baptized originally at the
Spiritual Meaning: “He departed to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) John the Baptist was the introducer of the
Lord Jesus. When the one being introduced started His work publicly, the
introducer should retreat and not compete with Him. Unfortunately, John the
Baptist had not noticed this and therefore God raised a circumstance to put him
in prison.
2) “Been put in prison” means that one is
constrained and has no freedom. The witness of the Lord should give the
priority to the will of God and always has no freedom.
3) We should learn from the example of the Lord
Jesus: wait and look upon God’s guidance, and then we shall be revealed in the
Spirit where to go and how to do.
4) But God has chosen the foolish things, the weak
things, the ignoble things of the word, all the things that are despised and
things that are not (just like Galilee being despised by the Jews), so that no
believers should boast before God (1Cor. 1:27-29).
Matt. 4:13 “And leaving
YLT: “and having left
Literal Meaning: “He came and dwelt
in
“He dwelt in
“Which is by the sea.” It means that
“In the regions of Zebulun and
Naphtali.” Zebulun lies in the southwest and Naphtali lies in the northwest of
the
Matt. 4:14 “that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:”
YLT: “that it might be fulfilled
that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,”
Literal Meaning: the word in verse 15
and 16 is the prophet predicted by Isaiah about the Messiah (Isa. 9:1-7).
Matt. 4:15 “‘The
YLT: “`
Meaning of Words: “Gentiles”: nations besides the Jews.
The
Background: “the
Literal
Meaning: “Beyond the
Matt. 4:16 “The people who sat in
darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and
shadow of death Light has dawned.’”
YLT: “the people that is sitting
in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and shadow of
death -- light arose to them.'”
Literal Meaning: “the people who sat
in darkness” are those whose thoughts were blinded by Satan (2Cor. 4:4) so that
they did not know God and did not know themselves.
“Those who sat in the region and shadow
of death” were people living under the shadow of death.
“Seen a great light…Light has dawned.”
The Light is Christ Himself (John. 1:4, 9; 9:5). The Lord had come, i.e. the
Light had come and He is the glad tidings to those who are in darkness. The
Lord had come, as the dayspring on high had visited us, to shine upon them who
were sitting in darkness and in shadow of death, to guide our feet into way of
peace (Luke. 1:79).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Anyone does not know the will of God and
his own state, his heart is laid over by the veil. Until his heart turns to the
Lord, the veil will be taken away (2Cor. 3:16).
2) Satan not only makes men in darkness but
also makes men feel dead and depressed (shadow of death).
3) We are the light of the world. We should let our
light shine before men, so that they may glorify your Father who is in the
heavens (Matt. 5: 14-16).
4) The light is the fountain of the life and the
light brings the life. Where there is no light, it is filled with death.
Matt. 4:17 “From that time Jesus
began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.’”
YLT: “From that time began Jesus
to proclaim and to say, `Reform ye, for come nigh hath the reign of the
heavens.'”
Literal Meaning: before that time,
Jesus had already started his preaching in the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) John who preached the glad tidings of the
kingdom of heave was put in prison. But the Lord departed to
2) If the information we preach is truly from
the Lord, we may pass away but the information remains.
Matt. 4:18 “And Jesus, walking by the
Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.”
YLT: “And Jesus, walking by the
sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon named Peter and Andrew his brother,
casting a drag into the sea -- for they were fishers –”
Meaning of Words: “Peter”: rock; “Simon”: listener; “Andrew”: strong,
masculine.
Spiritual Meaning: “casting a net into
the sea.” “sea” symbolizes the world; “casting a net” symbolizes preaching the
glad tidings cooperatively in the assembly.
Matt. 4:19 “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”
YLT: “and he sith to them, `Come
ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men,'”
Literal Meaning: Peter and Andrew had
already followed the Lord Jesus long ago (John. 1:40-42) and returned to make a
living by fishing. Now the Lord called them the second time to give up their
career and preach as fishers of men.
“Follow Me”: come and become my
disciples. In ancient times, rabbi received disciples and taught them
doctrines. Wherever the rabbi went, his disciples would follow him and live
with him to learn from rabbi’s life.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If there are no citizens, there will be no
kingdom. “Men” are the key elements of the kingdom of heaven. The object of the
work of the Lord is people and He will make men the citizens of the kingdom of
heaven.
2) What men want is fishes------the earthly
wealth and what God wants is men------to whom God shows His grace. Those who
follow the Lord should give up fishes to gain men for the Lord and at first he
should be gained by the Lord.
3) If we hold fast Christ and follow in His steps
(“follow me”), we will draw more people to follow Him (as “fishers of men”).
4) After the four fishermen were called, they did
not change their profession and kept what they did before. However, their nets
and aims were changed and they became fishers of men. What one had learnt
before he was called was of effect. After he was called he should bring them to
the Lord and the Lord would use them anew.
5) It is the second time that the Lord called them.
They were saved by the first calling of the Lord (John. 1:35-42). They were
called to be fishers of men by the second one. One should be saved at first and
then he can be called to gain men.
Matt. 4:20 “They immediately left
their nets and followed Him.”
YLT: “and they, immediately,
having left the nets, did follow him.”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Himself draws men to follow Him
(John. 12:33). The moment the Lord calls men, they give up everything and
follow Him.
2) Draw me, we will run after Him! (S. of Sol
1:4)
3) We have to give up
at first and then follow the Lord. Anyone who is not willing to give up for the
Lord is not worthy to be His disciples.
Matt. 4:21 “Going on from there, He
saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the
boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,”
YLT: “And having advanced
thence, he saw other two brothers, James of Zebedee, and John his brother, in
the boat with Zebedee their father, refitting their nets, and he called them,”
The
Background: Salome, mother of
Jacob and John, was the sister of Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus (Mark.
15:40, John. 19:25). Therefore, they were cousins of the Lord Jesus. Their
father Zebedee may be very rich and have high social position. Therefore they
were affordable to hire servants (Mark. 1:20) and his son John was familiar the
high priest (John. 18:15).
Literal Meaning: “mending the nets”
includes washing and mending the nets, and hanging the nets up to dry it for
the fishing next day.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord kept “going on” and kept doing.
How urgent He is to gain men!
2) When being called, John was mending nets.
Then his main work in the assembly (“boat”) was mending the breaches and leaks
to guard against the invasion of heresy (see 1John, 2John, 3John).
Matt. 4:22 “and immediately they left
the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
YLT: “and they, immediately,
having left the boat and their father, did follow him.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A Christian should have absolute attitude
to follow the Lord at any price. But only when the Lord calls us personally, we
could follow Him at any price.
2) If the Lord indeed calls us, we should not
hold the former status (“boat”) and relationship (“father”).
3) The one who does not know
the Lord refuses the Lord. The one who knows the Lord is unable to refuse the
Lord------if we indeed know the preciousness of the Lord, the color of the
world will fade.
Matt. 4:23 “And Jesus went about all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
YLT: “And Jesus was going about
all
Meaning of Words: “gospel”: glad tidings.
Literal Meaning: “teaching in their
synagogues”. “Synagogue” came into being after the Jews were carried away
captive to
Spiritual Meaning: it is seen from the words said by the Lord Jesus
towards many sick people that many diseases are caused by sins (Matt. 9:2,
John. 5:14, etc.). Therefore, healing diseases symbolizes forgiving sins and
dealing with sin.
Matt. 4:24 “Then His fame went throughout all Syria;
and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various
diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and
paralytics; and He healed them.”
YLT: “and his fame went forth to
all
Literal Meaning: “
“All
sick people” Here it is to sum up “all kinds of sickness” below (v.23):
1) “Various
diseases”------mainly internal diseases;
2)
“Torments”------mainly surgical diseases;
3) “Those who were
demon-possessed”------spiritual diseases;
4)
“Epileptics”------disease caused by uncontrollable nervous system;
5)
“Paralytics”------disease that one is unable to move with numb limbs.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord conquered the devil at first
(v.1-11) and therefore He could cast out demons and healed diseases (diseases
caused by demons). The Lord conquered the leader first and then the gang would
collapse.
2) The world lies in the wicked (1John. 5:19)
and is manipulated by the wicked. Thank the Lord! He has saved us from the hand
of the wicked and took away various kinds of sufferings of our life.
Matt. 4:25 “Great multitudes followed Him--from
Galilee, and from Decapolis,
YLT: “And there followed him
many multitudes from Galilee, and Decapolis, and
Meaning of Words: “
Literal Meaning: “Decapolis”: the
vast land in the east of the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Once Christ shows His abundance (teachings,
preaching, healing diseases and casting out demons), He will draw all to follow
Him.
2) Though many people followed the Lord, few
of them truly know the Lord (John. 6:66).
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The
Comparison of Two
I. The first Adam failed in bread and the
last Adam succeeded in hunger.
II. God’s word was negligent to the first
Adam but precious to the last Adam.
III. The first Adam sinned against God
because of bread and the last Adam enjoyed spiritual food by God’s word.
IV. The first Adam ate to “be as God” (Gen.
3:5) and the last Adam did not eat to keep the position of Son of Man.
Christ
Had Overcome the Temptations of the Devil
I. The cause of His overcoming (v.1)
------He was guided by the Holy Spirit.
II. The first overcoming (v.2-4) ------He
lived by the heavenly provision (by God’s word) which exceeds the earthly
principle (by bread).
III. The second overcoming (v.5-7) ------He
fully trusted in God and never tempt God.
IV. The third overcoming (v.8-10) ------He
absolutely hold God as the one to worship and serve.
V. The consequence of His overcoming (v.11)
------the enemy left and heavenly favor came (angels came and ministered Him).
The
Spiritual Principle of Three Temptations of the Devil (see 1John. 2:16)
I. Inciting the lust of the flesh------the
enjoyment of food and drink (v.2-4)
II. Stirring up the pride of life------the
outstanding performance (v.5-7)
III. Inducing the lust of the
eyes------appreciation of earthly glory (v.8-10)
The
Aspects concerned in the Three Temptations of the Devil
II. Concerning the status and power in the
role of religion ------what throwing down on the pinnacle of the temple stands
for (v.5-7)
III. Concerning the possession in the world
------what all the kingdoms of the world and their glory stand for (v.8-10)
The
Motivates behind the Three Temptations of the Devil
I. Inducing men to be concerned about the
need of the flesh and ignore spiritual needs (v.2-4)
II. Inducing men to seek for fame and status
in the role of religion and ignore the spiritual reality (v.5-7)
III. Inducing men to worship the devil
unconsciously and ignore the worship and service to God (v.8-10)
Three
Trials Believers are facing
I. The trial of living ------stressing on
material or spiritual life (v.2-4)
II. The trial of way ------of men’s judgment
or God’s commandment (v.5-7)
III. The trial of aim ------glorifying
oneself or God (v.8-10)
Three
Temptations
I. Temptation of faith------living by God’s
word or by bread (v.2-4)
II. Temptation of hope------for God’s
delight or men’s praise (v.5-7)
III. Temptation of love------loving God or
things besides God (v.8-10)
The
Example of the Ministry of the Lord
I. The aim of His ministry:
A. establishing the
kingdom of heaven on earth (v.17)
B. gaining a group
people to follow Him as citizens of the kingdom of heaven (v.19)
II. The content of His ministry:
A. preaching (v.17,
23)
B. healing diseases
(v.23-24) ------dealing with sin
C. casting out
demons (v.24) ------deal with Satan
III. The effect of His ministry:
A. shining as a
great light (v.16)
B. drawing others as
a magnet (v.20, 22, 25)
The
Order of Serving the Lord Effectively
I. Being called
II. Giving up
III. Following the Lord
IV. Bearing abundant fruits (fishers of men)
How
to Work the Works of the Lord Well
II. Simon (v.18) ------“listen to” (the
meaning of Simon) the Lord
III. Andrew (v.18) ------“strong” (the
meaning of Andrew) in Spirit
IV. Casting a net into the sea (v.18)
------preaching glad tidings among flocks of men
V. Fishers of men (v.19) ------devoting
skills which we used before to make a living to the Lord for His use
VI. Left their nets and followed Him (v.20)
------giving up living reliance and rely on God fully
VII. Left their father and followed Him
(v.22) ------cut off worldly concern
VIII. Jacob (v.21) ------“closely follow”
(the meaning of Jacob) the Lord
IX. John (v.21) ------use “God’s gifts” (the
meaning of John) well
X. Mending their nets (v.21) ------mending
tools of gaining men: improving the ways, words, attitudes and etc. to preach
glad tidings.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren