Behold the Light!

GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH


TEXT: Matthew 4:12-17
THEME: The Message of the King
TITLE: Behold the Light!
PROPOSTIONAL STATEMENT: What Will be My Response to the Light?

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Review of the Book
• Matthew Presents Jesus as the Promised King
o Ancestry – Royal Genealogy (1:1-17)
o Arrival – Virgin Birth (1:18-25)
o Adoration - Visit of the Magi (2:1-2 , 9-12)
o Antagonist – Hatred of Herod (2:3-17)
o Anticipations – Prophecies (2:6,15, 18, 23)
o Announcer – John the Baptist (3:1-12)
o Affirmation – Baptism (3:12-17)
o Authenticity – Temptatation (4:1-11)
o Action – Ministry Begins with chapter 4:12

B. Ancient Thinking about Darkness and Light
• During the creation, darkness and light were mentioned (Genesis 1:2 – 5)
• They are two contradicting ideas but one is superior over the other.
• Darkness means sin, evil, wickedness, and its effect like destruction and death
• Light means truth, wisdom, illumination and its effect is life

Note: Jesus was in the treasury of the temple (The outer court of the temple – Court of the Women) – John 8:20
It was the Feast of the Tabernacle
o Commemoration of what the Lord did from exodus to the promised land
o Cloud of Light by day and Pillars of Fire by night
o During the feast of tabernacles they lit the candelabras all night long.
o When Jesus went to the treasury of the temple the candelabras were unlit and He stand in the midst and claimed “I am the Light”

II. BODY

TIME GAP BETWEEN THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS AND HIS PUBLIC PREACHING
• More or less a year.
• He went back to John the Baptizer
o First Day – (John 1:26)
o Second Day – (John 1:29)
o Third Day – (John 1:35)
o Fourth Day – (John 1:43) – Leaving for Galilee



A. PREACHING IN THE RIGHT TIME
• When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison
• TIME GAP BETWEEN THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS AND HIS PUBLIC PREACHING
o More or less one year.
o He went back to John the Baptizer
• First Day – (John 1:26)
• Second Day – (John 1:29)
• Third Day – (John 1:35)
• Fourth Day – (John 1:43) – Leaving for Galilee
o He went back to Jerusalem
• Before they went to Jerusalem they attended a wedding in Cana (Miracle in Cana (Chapter 2)
• Jewish Passover – Jesus cleansed the Temple (John 2:12-13)
• Conversation of Nicodemus (Chapter 3)
• He went back to Judean countryside baptizing while John was baptizing in Aenon (John 3:23-26)
o He went back to Galilee – Stop Over in Samaria
• The popularity of Jesus made Him kept distant from the Pharisees (John 4:1-3)
• Jesus met the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-42)
• They continued their travel from Samaria to Galilee (John 4:23)
• He visited Cana (John 4:46)
• He healed the son of a royal official (John 4:46-54)

Note : Jesus heard that John was in prison when He was staying in Nazareth and went to Capernaum (v.13) – (Luke 4:31)
Capernaum means Village of Nahum (Compassion) – Village of Compassion

B. PREACHING WITH THE RIGHT TARGET

• The Prophecy Fulfilled – Isaiah 9:1-2
o Description of the Places – Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali (v.15)
• The Land was fertile, Rose Sharon,
• Populated Area
• With 204 villages
• Way of the Sea – the famous route from North, South, West and East
• Galilee of the Gentiles – the mockery
• Intermarried with Canaanites
• Open place, there were lots of gentiles who used that route
•
o Despair of the People – Living in Darkness/ Shadow of Death (v.16)
• They were in darkness (Isaiah 8:22)
• They were living in sins
• They were living in the philosophy of men
• Open to various religions

o Dawn of the Promise – Seeing the Light (v.16)

John the Beloved was the one who introduced Jesus Christ as Lignt- - one of JESUS I AM’s
• JOHN 1 – Testimony about the Light
4 In him was life; and the life was the LIGHT of men.
5 And the LIGHT shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the LIGHT, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that LIGHT, but was sent to bear witness of that LIGHT.
9 That was the true LIGHT, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

• JOHN 3 – People of Darkness Hate Light
19 And this is the condemnation, that LIGHT is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than LIGHT, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the LIGHT, neither cometh to the LIGHT, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the LIGHT, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

• JOHN 8 – The Claim of Jesus Christ
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the LIGHT of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the LIGHT of life.
JOHN 9
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the LIGHT of the world.

• JOHN 12 – The Benefits of Light
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the LIGHT with you. Walk while ye have the LIGHT, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have LIGHT, believe in the LIGHT, that ye may be the children of LIGHT. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
46 I am come a LIGHT into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

• The Light (Jesus Christ) ministered in the place
o Preaching - Synagogues
o Teaching – Sermon on the Mount
o Healing
o Feeding

C. PREACHING THE RIGHT TENET
• Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is Near
o The same message of John the Baptizer because it was His message
o Matthew used the same phrase twice. (John, Jesus)
o Necessity of Repentance – Kingdom (From Governing to Judgment)
• There is a blessings that awaits to those who will repent
• There is a condemnation to those who will not repent



• We Find the Consistency of the Message of the King
o Many preachers today remove the call to repent
o Most leaders of the churches nowadays invent some strategies on how to evangelize
• Music for youth because they love music ( no call of repentance in Christian music)


III. CONCLUSION

Like Galileans we are once living in darkness, in despair, in the condition of hopelessness and fear. But like them also, the Light (Jesus Christ) is preached to us. How will I respond to Light? Will I reject the Light by not living with the Light or I will accept the Light by living with the Light.

On that day, when we are about to give accountability to Him, at the Final Judgment all the excuses we use that rejected His invitation several times for us, you will remember them all. All the things you love more than Him (the Light of the World), you will hate those things. And you will see them without value but a waste of time and hindrance on responding to His call.

For those who are still in darkness there is a hope for you. Respond to the call. Live with Him. Seek Him while He may found.























For God’s Glory
01/23/11