Mat 4:12-25 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Matt 4:12-17: 4:12–11:1 Having been announced by John and the Father (3:13-17 ), and having obediently endured the testing in the wilderness (4:1-11 ), the Messiah was prepared for his ministry. He first confronted the Galilean Israelites with the message of the Kingdom. 4:12 John had been arrested by Herod Antipas (see 14:1-12 ). Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, where John was probably working at the time. • When Jesus heard ... he left Judea (near Perea, where John was arrested) and returned to Galilee: Jesus withdrew to avoid martyrdom before finishing his work of revealing the Kingdom. As in Joseph’s flight to Nazareth (2:22-23 ), an escape from danger can also be God’s providential direction and the fulfillment of prophecy (4:14-16 ).

Summary for Matt 4:12-17: 4:12–11:1 ^a Having been announced by John and the Father (3:13-17 ^b), and having obediently endured the testing in the wilderness (4:1-11 ^c), the Messiah was prepared for his ministry. He first confronted the Galilean Israelites with the message of the Kingdom. 4:12 ^d John had been arrested by Herod Antipas (see 14:1-12 ^e). Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, where John was probably working at the time.

• When Jesus heard ... he left Judea (near Perea, where John was arrested) and returned to Galilee: Jesus withdrew to avoid martyrdom before finishing his work of revealing the Kingdom. As in Joseph’s flight to Nazareth (2:22-23 ^f), an escape from danger can also be God’s providential direction and the fulfillment of prophecy (4:14-16 ^g).
4:13 ^h Capernaum was in Galilee, a district viewed negatively by the religious establishment in Judea and Jerusalem (see John 1:46 ⁱ; 7:41-42 ^j, 52 ^k). Many Judeans considered Galileans to be uncultured, with a lazy command of the language (cp. Matt 26:73 ^l), a factor sometimes thought to affect the accuracy of their teachings. Galilee also had a proportionately larger Gentile population than Judea did.
4:17 ^m Jesus’ message centered on the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven and the repentance that it necessitates (see Matt 3:2 ⁿ; 10:7 ^o).
Summary for Matt 4:18-22: 4:18-22 ^p The call of the first disciples illustrates one of the purposes of Jesus’ ministry: to call people to follow him in self-denying obedience (cp. 4:17 ^q, 23-25 ^r). 4:18 ^s Simon, also called Peter, became the leader of the apostles (see 14:28 ^t; 15:15 ^u; 16:16 ^v) and the representative disciple (14:29-30 ^w; 16:15-19 ^x, 22-23 ^y).
4:19 ^z Come, follow me: This involved accepting the beliefs and lifestyle of a master as one’s own (16:24 ^aa; Deut 5:33 ^ab; 1 Kgs 19:19-21 ^ac).

• fish for people: The disciples would participate in the saving and judging work of the Kingdom (see Matt 10:5-15 ^ad; 13:47-51 ^ae; Ezek 29:4-5 ^af; Amos 4:2 ^ag).
Summary for Matt 4:20-22: 4:20-22 ^ah leaving the boat and their father: Following Jesus as his disciples involved both commitment and cost on the part of the brothers (see 8:18-22 ^ai; 10:38 ^aj; 16:24 ^ak; 19:21 ^al).
Summary for Matt 4:23-25: 4:23-25 ^am This summary marks the central theme of the section (4:23–9:38 ^an): the ministry and message of the Messiah. In ancient writings, chapter divisions were unknown; authors would instead begin and end a section with the same expression (called an inclusio; see 9:35 ^ao). 4:23 ^ap The Messiah’s ministry has three main features: teaching, announcing . . . the Kingdom, and healing.

• The synagogues were centers for prayer, study, and exposition of Scripture and tradition. They were the social centers of many Jewish villages. The hypocrisy and hostility of the Jewish leaders was evident at the synagogues (6:2 ^aq, 5 ^ar; 10:17 ^as; 12:9-14 ^at; 13:54 ^au; 23:6 ^av, 34 ^aw).

• Announcing the Good News means presenting the message about the Kingdom of Heaven (9:35 ^ax; 24:14 ^ay; 26:13 ^az; also Mark 1:1 ^ba; Rom 1:16 ^bb). Most often, the message evokes hostility (see Matt 9:32-34 ^bc; 10:27-28 ^bd; 13:1-9 ^be, 18-23 ^bf).
Summary for Matt 4:24-25: 4:24-25 ^bg During Jesus’ day, much of Palestine was in the Roman jurisdiction of Syria (a term that could refer to the entire eastern shore of the Mediterranean). Matthew mentions Syria to show how widespread the news of Jesus was.

• The word translated epileptic refers to epilepsy or demonic oppression. In 17:15 ^bh, one so described “falls into fire and water,” that is, the boy was unable to control himself.

• The Ten Towns was a federation of ten cities, most of which were east of the Jordan and southeast of the Sea of Galilee (Damascus, Raphana, Hippos, Abila [or Canatha], Gadara, Scythopolis, Pella, Dion, Gerasa, and Philadelphia [Amman]). These cities were predominantly Gentile and Hellenistic in culture.