Stay Tuned for an Important Announcement – Matthew 4:12-17

What do you think are the most important announcements the world has ever heard? What about Satan’s announcement to Adam and Eve, “You will not surely die”? Or what about the announcement by God that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent? Or His announcement that the inhabitants of earth would be confounded in their speech and separate by language?  Or, of more recent note, the announcement of the several planes that were commandeered by terrorists to destroy the Twin Towers and the Pentagon?

But surely, one of the most important, if not the most important announcement ever made was from the lips of John and Jesus: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

   “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:12-17 ESV)

You would think that the Messiah would do most of his ministry near Jerusalem, but instead he chose to minister in Galilee, considered by the Jewish religious leaders as a place of darkness and Gentile influence.  And so it was since the captivity under Assyria 700 years before.  There were strong believers like Mary and Joseph from Nazareth, but Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 9, which ends with a glorious description of Messiah as “wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” began with a prediction that this area of Israel would see a great light, the Messiah himself.

Jesus made Capernaum, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee and the hometown of Peter and Andrew, his Galilean base of operation.  He would travel from here to all the villages of Galilee and even on the eastern shore of the lake.  His message, now that John the Baptist had been arrested by Herod Antipas, was still basically the same as John’s, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Only he was the king warning his realm of their need to repent so as to enter the kingdom rather than be trod down by its coming.

If we have been born again, if we have “seen” this great light, we have entered this kingdom, waiting for its fullest manifestation to arrive at Jesus’ second coming.  And we are preaching the same message. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming. We are warning all to escape the judgment by submitting their lives to the King, Jesus, and embracing his salvation purchased at the cross.

May He come soon.