Good morning. We're glad you're here! We recently started a new study of the Gospel of Matthew and the life of Jesus, and this morning we will be in Matthew 4:12-17.

The baptism of Jesus made a pretty big splash (yes, I did...lol), but today's text begins with a different feel. John the Baptist has just been arrested for publicly criticizing a politician (Herod) for abandoning his wife to marry his sister-in-law (things don't change in politics, do they?). Jesus withdraws from the spotlight and moves to live in the small coastal town of Capernaum.

We don't really think about that much, do we? Jesus didn't own a home, but he did settle into a community and used it as his home base for almost all of his 3 years of ministry before the cross. Like you, he had a community. He had a butcher, a barber, and a favorite fruit stand. He did life in a small town. And the small town noticed...

Why did he pick Capernaum?
* It was a small town on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee.
• It had been overrun 500 years earlier during the Persian invasion, and had been majority Gentile with a small Jewish population ever since.
• Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, but this was the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, who had been pummeled by invaders more than once.

So why here? Let's look at the text Matthew quotes, which is from Isaiah 9:1-2.

So God promises this beat up people that one day—even though they are lost to and surrounded by so much darkness—they will be the place where the light of the coming Messiah and king one day dawns.

Do you think the Capernaumites of Jesus' day saw that coming? Had they given up hope?

And there's even more to this than we see in Matthew's snippet. Keep reading in Isaiah 9, and we come to a very familiar passage...

What?! Yes. Jesus' move to Capernaum was not just a move to lower rents and quieter surroundings. It was the promise of the Prince of Peace, Messiah King. He was there because it had been God's plan all along. The town may have forgotten the promise, but God hadn't. The King had come, and it was time to make the fulfillment of the promise known.

When Matthew says that Jesus began to preach, he uses a special word for "preach." The word is κηρύσσω (kēryssō), and it is used to describe official proclamations of the king or sovereign ruler.

When Jesus preached, he spoke as the herald of the King of heaven, and as the sovereign Son of God.

And what did he preach? That we should repent — meaning that we should bring our life in line with the reality of the "kingdom of heaven" (which means the "reign of God").

Repenting isn't about cowering in fear. It's about embracing the life God has designed for you. It's about redemption and healing, joy and purpose.

Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus is proclaiming that the welcome home is always there for every lost and hurting soul. When Jesus says, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near," he's calling us home, and letting us know that our home is nearer to us than we imagined.

Can you imagine what some of those Capernaumites thought when that hit their hearts? Could they ever have imagined the King in their midst? Can you?

ARE YOU READY TO RESPOND TO GOD'S GRACE FOR YOU TODAY?

• Our response begins with putting our faith in Christ. (Romans 1:16)• We repent (meaning we put our past sins behind us and start following Jesus). (Acts 3:19)

• Confess our faith that Christ is the Son of God (Romans 10:9).

• Mark the end of our old life and the beginning of the new life in Christ through baptism. (Acts 3:38-9; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4)

• From here on, Christ calls us to a life of loving God and loving our neighbors, growing in our knowledge of his word, and being led by his Spirit as we serve others for a bigger purpose, preparing one another for the life and reward ahead when we will meet him face to face.

Thank you for joining us today! Can we pray for you today? If so, please let us know. There will be an invitation to share at the end of the message, or you can email us at earlychurchofchrist@gmail.com.

If you would like to talk to someone about baptism, or how to become part of the Early Church of Christ family, please see our minister or one of the elders and we would love to visit with you.