Dana Hagstrom – Page 362

Matthew 4:18-22 – Follow Me

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” What if he said that to you? Have you ever fished for people? You may recall another translation, becoming “fishers of men.” Still, the notion of fishing for people seems out of the ordinary. What was happening here is Jesus was offering these fishermen an invitation to follow him.

What was their response? “Not today, I’m too busy.” “I can’t follow you right now, I can’t leave my father.” No! They dropped everything and followed Jesus. That may seem a little crazy to us. For me, I would want to tie up some loose ends or at least know where I was going. But these men did not hesitate.

Matthew 4:12-17 – Darkness and Light

Read Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus has been baptized and taken into the wilderness to be tempted. He is now ready to begin his mission, the reason he came to earth. Again, we see Scripture fulfilled from a geographical standpoint. It seems Jesus goes in response to the news of John’s arrest.

God’s word has placed Jesus in a territory populated by Gentiles as well as Jews. The Gentiles were living in darkness but probably didn’t realize it. They hadn’t been brought up with the same beliefs, law, or expectations as the Jews had. They would not be looking for a savior. If anything, they were enamored with false gods with empty promises. Many in our society today are also lost in the darkness.

Matthew 4:1-11 – Temptation

Read Matthew 4:1-11

Temptation is all around us. What tempts me may not tempt you. For an alcoholic, a drink is a temptation to sin. But for a non-drinker, a drink is just a drink. For a gossiper, a bit of juicy news is a temptation to gossip and share it with everyone, but for another, it would just be news. What can we take from today’s passage to help us with our own temptations?

First of all, note how the reading says that Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted. I’ve read those words before, but today it really struck a chord. God allowed the temptation. His Spirit even led Jesus right into the thick of it. There was a lesson to be had, a teachable moment. Isn’t there some comfort knowing that even Jesus was tempted. God even allowed his own Son to be enticed by the evil one.

Matthew 3:13-17 – Baptism of Jesus

Read Matthew 3:13-17

Each of the gospels has an account of Jesus’ baptism. Have you ever wondered why Jesus would need to be baptized? Wasn’t that for sinners who needed to repent? What had Jesus done? Even John was surprised and tried to talk him out of it.

Jesus is the perfect One. Note what he says, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” In other translations, it was to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus didn’t mean that baptism was necessary for salvation or that he needed to repent. The intent was more the readiness to follow the will of God. Jesus was saying he was ready to start his ministry and to do that he had to fully trust God the Father. He was also engaging in the practice of his people and connecting with them.

Matthew 3:1-12 – Preach It, John!

Read Matthew 3:1-12

John, known as the baptizer, was preaching in the wilderness. He was called by God to make a way for Jesus. He was using his message to prepare people’s hearts to hear Jesus’ words of love and salvation. It’s all about getting the mindset right first. We know that to be in the case in business, too. You can’t have a successful business without the right thought patterns and beliefs. Much more importantly, you won’t be ready to accept Jesus without the Holy Spirit’s preparation. In this case, John was being used.

John was attracting quite a crowd. Word was traveling around the area about John’s ministry. People were realizing their sinfulness and wanted to be cleansed. John was setting the stage with a sense of urgency. “The Kingdom of Heaven is near,” he was telling people. What would you have thought when you saw John?