We continue to break down Matthew 4 to try to fully digest each important element. The last few verses in this chapter tell us about His teaching and healing people widely. He went to the people of YHWH, to the Israelites. He brought the message of repentance (Matthew 4:17), calling people to change. Large crowds gathered. Clearly people could see that YHWH was with Him. I also want to note that He taught in synagogues and taught the gospel of the kingdom.
This is worth reflecting on. So often Christians today take the “gospel” to mean the news of Jesus as Messiah, but this is not what He was revealing at this time. The message of the gospel, or good news, is throughout all of the Old Testament writings of Moses and the prophets as well. The gospel of the kingdom did not start or change with Yeshua’s death on the cross. The gospel is one unbroken, unchanged message of hope and restoration in our relationship with our Father from Genesis through Revelation.
I suppose one additional minor observation… if we wish to hear from Yeshua. Even if He were to be here in person, we would still need to chose to go and listen to Him and change our lives. We would need to seek Him out. It is the same now. We must seek Him out and pursue Him. He does not force us to submit to Him. He does not make us follow Him. Ask our Father to give you a hunger for pursuing righteousness through Yeshua and then go and pursue Him. Study. Pray. Praise. Share with others.
Ministry in Galilee
23Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
24The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. 25Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
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