Matthew 4:12-23 Goin’ Fishing with Jesus

Matthew 4:12-23 Goin’ Fishing with Jesus

Brad Paisley has a song called “I’m Gonna Miss Her” also known as the “Fishing Song.” The song is about the fact that Brad wants to go fishing.¹ But doing just that may change his life. He may lose his wife. He uses humor to drive home the point. He’d rather be goin’ fishing than anything else. In the text we read today, Jesus makes the same point. He wants you to go fishing with Him. He wants to change your life.

When you go fishing with Jesus, trouble is going to come your way.

“When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.” (Matthew 4:12, HCSB)

Trouble was coming. This is the reason that Jesus left town. It is not that He did not want to be arrested and hang out with his buddy John. Instead, Jesus knew that the time for His arrest was not yet to be done. There was prophecy to fulfill. There were people to reach. There was miracles to be happening.

Have you gotten into trouble because of Jesus lately?

When you go fishing with Jesus, you gotta to get closer to the darkness where the people are.

“He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.” (Matthew 4:13, HCSB)

Galilee, located in northern Israel, was a province comprised of two hundred four villages and over fifteen thousand people. It was called “Region of Death” by the Jews in Jerusalem because, throughout Israel”s history, the Gentiles would constantly wage war in this area. Consequently, there were many mixed marriages and a great deal of Gentile influence within Galilee. The “cool” Jews went to Jerusalem. Jesus said, “I’m going to Galilee where all the outcasts are—the people who are looked down on, the people who have funny accents—that’s where I’ll be.”²

In context, this was a specific prophecy which Jesus was destined to fulfill.

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles! The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadowland of death, light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:14–16, HCSB)

“Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.” (Isaiah 9:1–2, HCSB)

GALILEE OF THE GENTILES – THE PLACE OF THE OUTCAST AND LESS FORTUNATE

Following the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus begins his own ministry in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, in the region of Capernaum. ³ This was in direct fulfillment of Isaiah. “Galilee of the Gentiles” was used even in Isaiah’s time because Galilee lay on the route through which all Gentiles passed in and out of Israel. ⁴ This is the road that the returning exiles would have followed, at least part way, to their various hometowns in Israel. The light dawning on them in darkness and in the land of the shadow of death would thus refer initially to their return from exile.⁵ Culturally, Galilee had a mixed population that was somewhat despised by the racially “pure” citizens of Judea.⁶ Jesus set up His headquarters among those who were sitting in a darkened region, in the midst of the ones who were looked down upon by their countrymen. The same is still true today. Jesus looks for those who feel unworthy, on the periphery, in the dark. The person who feels most out of it is the one within whom Jesus is most ready to set up His headquarters.⁷

TO REACH PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO BE MOVING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

This is the third time Jesus has moved. First, He was born in Bethlehem. Then his father listened to God and moved to Egypt. After a time, God told Joseph to move to Nazareth. Now, Jesus Himself is moving to Capernaum. Jesus is on the move.⁸ Following Jesus is never stationary. Just as Jesus moved throughout His ministry to meet the needs of people around Him, to obey the will of God, you and I are called to move around in ministry. The idea that we just sit here in this church building and God does His work here is not completely true. Yes, there is the idea that we tell people to “Come and see.” At the same time, we are called to be a “moving people.” We go where God leads. Not just in occupation, in housing, in location, but also in the lives of people around us. God moves me to you. God moves me to my neighbor. God moves me to someone He puts in my mind to reach out to. To reach people, you have to be moving where they are. If you are going to catch fish, you have to go to where the fish are swimming.

When we look at what Jesus was going to do, He had to move out of town. Remember that people were not listening to Jesus in His hometown. He had to move where the lost people were. When you follow Jesus, you have to find some lost people. You aren’t lost. They are lost. They need someone to guide their way. You have to get out of your comfort zone in order to reach lost people. They are not always going to come to you. You have to go to the better fishing hole.

Have you reached out of your comfort zone lately?

So you build relationships with people. At the same time, you have to share the message.

When you go fishing with Jesus, you have to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

“From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”” (Matthew 4:17, HCSB)

How did Jesus bring this Light to Galilee? We are told in Matthew 4:23: through His teaching, preaching, and healing. ⁹

Jesus didn’t do just relationship evangelism. He didn’t just do felt-needs service. He didn’t just heal people and leave them be. He told people two things: (1) The kingdom is coming, so (2) you need to change. Repenting or converting is always a change of direction. It is not first a moralistic change, but is first of all a change in the orientation of one’s self. ¹⁰

It doesn’t say here that people were converted because of this. Not in this passage. However, Jesus did not shy from telling people what they needed to do to follow Him. You have to tell people what they need to hear to follow Jesus, not just what they want to hear.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like telling people that they need Jesus or that they will go to hell. I would love to tell people that in the end, we all get to go to Heaven. However, that is simply not true. I don’t like dealing with people’s problems any more than you do. However, Jesus called us to follow Him. He called us to share His message of hope and change with people to need it. Jesus Christ is the only One who can provide the hope and change that we need.

Have you told people what they need to hear about Jesus, or just what you think they want to hear?

Jesus tells the men to follow him and go fishing.

““Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”” (Matthew 4:19, HCSB)

If you look at the two groups of people he addresses, you also find that he deals with two different methods of fishing. Each way to fish is also the way to fish for people.

HOW TO GO FISHING

Casting the net and dragging it in

This kind of fishing is like when we do events. We put together a “net” event and we draw them in to let them hear the Gospel and be caught. This is called “event evangelism.”

Fly rod fishing

This kind of fishing is like when we meet people. We go out to where the fish are. Notice that James and John were in the boat out in the sea fishing. You can’t fish from a distance. You can’t fish very well online. You have to go out and meet people. You have to step out into the water to fish.

“As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.” (Matthew 4:18, HCSB)

“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:20, HCSB)

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.” (Matthew 4:21, HCSB)

“Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:22, HCSB)

When they left to follow Jesus, it changed their lives dramatically. The early disciples underwent a radical reorientation of their allegiances, their occupations, their entire lives.¹¹ The same should be true with each and everyone of us. We follow Jesus, He changes us, and we want to go fishing with Him.

The repeated call of people going about their routine and leave everything behind. There is an immediate call and response to following Jesus. These guys did not wait and contemplate and then say: “No, Jesus, I don’t think so. I have to take care of my family. I have do other jobs.” When Jesus walks by, you drop what you do and you follow and do what Jesus tells you to do.

So there are sacrifices to go fishing with Jesus. But in the end, it is worth it.

When you go fishing with Jesus, miracles can follow.

“Jesus was going all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23, HCSB)

The text shows us here that when you follow Jesus, there are costs. You leave your family, you can get into trouble, you have to leave your comfort zone. However, you can see the powerful wonderful work that God can do through you. Jesus was teaching, preaching, but He was also healing. God can only work wonders in your life when you are following Him.

When you go fishing with Jesus, He teaches you. As you grow in your relationship with Him, miracles start to follow, if you watch for them. So my question to you today is this:

Do you want to go fishing?