Notice where the great light dawned. It was not in Jerusalem, the religious capital. It was not among the scribes and Pharisees, the theological experts. The great light dawned in Galilee, among fishermen, tax collectors, and the despised. Galilee of the Gentiles was...
Matthew uses two powerful images to describe what happened when Jesus arrived in Galilee. First, the light is great. This is not a flickering candle that might be snuffed out. This is the blazing sun breaking over the horizon, overwhelming, undeniable, and...
When Matthew tells us that Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, he is not simply reporting a change of address. He is making a theological statement. He carefully locates Jesus in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali and then quotes Isaiah 9:1-2, a prophecy given...
When you walk into a pitch-black room, you reach for the walls, shuffle your feet, and try to get some kind of reference point. Darkness disorients. It conceals danger. It leaves you feeling utterly alone. That is what life apart from God looks like. Matthew tells us...
Jesus’ baptism was an act of humiliation. The sinless Son of God stood in line with sinners, associated Himself with their shame, and submitted to a baptism He did not need. In the eyes of many, this made no sense. Why would the Holy One lower Himself in this...
