Matthew 4

Matthew 4 is the fourth of the twenty-eight chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. It follows directly from the baptism of Jesus in chapter 3 and records the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.

Outline

• Verses 1–11 Led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus fasts forty days and is then tempted three times by the devil (the temptation in the wilderness). The devil tells him to turn stones into bread and to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and he offers him all the kingdoms of the world if he will worship him. Each time Jesus answers, "It is written." When the devil departs, angels minister to him.
• Verses 12–16 Hearing that John has been imprisoned, Jesus goes to Galilee. He leaves Nazareth and dwells in Capernaum. Matthew records that this fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.
• Verse 17 Jesus begins to preach, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
• Verses 18–22 By the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls two fishermen who are brothers, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. He then calls James and John, the sons of Zebedee. The four immediately leave their nets and boat and follow him.
• Verses 23–25 Jesus teaches in the synagogues of Galilee and heals the sick. His fame spreads as far as Syria, and great multitudes from many regions follow him.

Key Verses

• Matthew 4:4 "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This is Jesus' answer to the first temptation, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.
• Matthew 4:17 "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This declaration marks the beginning of Jesus' preaching ministry.
• Matthew 4:19 "I will make you fishers of men." These are the words with which Jesus calls his disciples.

People and Places

• Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the devil (Satan, "the tempter"), and angels
• John: mentioned in verse 12 as having been imprisoned.
• Isaiah: his prophecy is quoted in verses 15–16.
• Peter, Andrew, James, and John: the four fishermen who are the first to be called.
• Zebedee: the father of James and John.
• Places: the wilderness, the temple in the holy city (Jerusalem), Galilee, Nazareth, Capernaum, the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, and the Jordan River
• Decapolis: a region of ten cities southeast of the Sea of Galilee.
• Syria: a Roman province north of Galilee.

Points for Reflection

• The account of the temptation in Luke 4 presents the second and third temptations in a different order.
• All of the passages Jesus quotes come from Deuteronomy (8:3, 6:16, 6:13), while the devil quotes Psalm 91:11–12. For this reason, some interpreters read Jesus' forty days in contrast with Israel's forty years in the wilderness.
• The text does not identify the "exceeding high mountain." The identification of a mountain near Jericho as the site of the temptation is a later tradition.
• Whether the sinless Jesus could genuinely be tempted has been debated among theologians. Hebrews 4:14–16 states that he "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
• "Kingdom of heaven" is the expression Matthew characteristically uses. It corresponds to the kingdom of God in the other Gospels.

In the Korean Church

• The phrase "fishers of men" in 4:19 is frequently used as a motto for evangelism and discipleship training.
• Verses 1–11 are the Gospel reading for the First Sunday in Lent in Year A of the lectionary. Jesus' forty-day fast is often mentioned when explaining the meaning of the forty days of Lent.
• Verse 4 is widely cited in sermons encouraging the reading of and meditation on Scripture.