Isaiah 9:1-4

But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. You have multiplied exultation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

Matthew 4:12-23

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers.  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

A Milestone in the Journey

This sermon is brief because of communion and the service of welcoming new members, two events which added extra time to morning worship. I am always cognizant of our time, and I try to keep our worship service to within one hour in length.

Our readings this morning go together. This section of Matthew 4 is a very dense passage, packed with meaning. And it is brilliant writing. Once again, Matthew is identifying Jesus through these wonderful associations, that is, the reference to John the Baptist, the quotation from Isaiah 9, and the comparison of two occupations, the Assyrian and the Roman. And then, Matthew shows us the beginning of Christ’s ministry as he calls the first disciples. It really is brilliant writing, worth digging into to savor all of the meaning.

Yesterday, Shari and I went out for a walk in the very cold air, you know, the temperature was about 10 degrees. And then we came back home and had some delicious hot soup for lunch, with tea and a savory rice dish. And we took the time to really savor the food. And it was delicious. That’s what this scripture passage is like. It’s like a delicious, savory meal, that requires time to really taste and enjoy. So I hope you will take a look at this passage this week. Take some time to savor it.

There are three things going on here. First, we learn of John the Baptist’s arrest. Second, we hear the reference to Isaiah and the Assyrian occupation. And third, Jesus calls his first disciples.

When Jesus learns of John’s arrest, he moves to Galilee.[1] This is a turning point. It’s a major milestone in his life. Jesus leaves Nazareth and moves to Capernaum, in Galilee.

Remember moving? Moving locations, moving to a new home, is a major life transition. It’s a milestone, something that you remember. It’s like joining a new church. For our new members, today is a milestone, a marker, a day in your spiritual journey that you will remember.

Historical background of this text

So Jesus goes to Capernaum. Notice how Matthew frames this: “In the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” This is a reference to two ancient Israelite tribes. Remember the twelve tribes? Zebulun and Naphtali, two of the twelve, were given land, their portion of the Promised Land, near the Sea of Galilee.

And then, in the 8^th century BC, the Assyrians conquered the region.

This is what Matthew refers to with the quote from Isaiah: “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” At the time of Isaiah’s writing, Zebulon and Naphtali were occupied by the Assyrians. But Isaiah writes these lines to give the people hope.

The people of Zebulon and Naphtali, conquered by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser in 733BC, are “the people who walked in darkness.” But Isaiah speaks of a new king. These lines, in their original context, celebrated the coronation of Hezekiah, a king in David’s line. And during Hezekiah’s reign, the hope is for the tribes of Israel to be reunited. Hezekiah will be the savior king.

Now, Matthew takes this quote and reframes it, reinterprets it. Jesus is the savior king, coming to save God’s people from the darkness, the darkness of the Roman occupation.

From this point on, Jesus begins his ministry.

The text as a transitional passage

So we can read this entire passage in Matthew 4 as a transitional passage that shows Jesus moving to Capernaum, to the region of Zebulon and Naphtali, taking up his new role as Savior King, in the tradition of Isaiah, calling his first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John, and beginning his ministry in Galilee.

Church membership is a milestone.

Similarly, today we welcome our new members on this important day in their spiritual lives: this milestone. Let us reflect together on Christ’s journey to Galilee, on what it means for him to be a savior king in an occupied land, and what it means for us to be followers of Christ, following his example of healing and teaching and proclaiming the good news. “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” And we are those people.

Amen? Amen.

[1] [Pastor’s correction: As you may notice in the audio recording, in my delivery from the pulpit on Sunday morning, I misspoke. I said that Jesus “goes back to Galilee.” This is incorrect. The text reads, “…he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea…” (v. 12b and 13a) He did not “go back” to Galilee because it was his first trip there. To say that he went back makes it sound like he had been there before. I know this is splitting hairs. But I don’t like making mistakes like this. And in the overall story, it’s an important distinction. With apologies for any confusion I may have caused. –ecg]