Text: Matthew 4:12-17 12/3/2017
Main Point: Jesus is the answer to darkness and death.
Elon Musk has it all. If you don’t know the name, Elon Musk is one of the only people in history to start four billion-dollar companies: PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City. But after breaking up with his latest girlfriend, Musk has no one with whom to share his luxurious lifestyle. Musk is 46 and in a Rolling Stone article says, “Being in a big empty house, and the footsteps echoing through the hallway, no one there—and no one on the pillow next to you. How do you make yourself happy in a situation like that?” The breakup hit him hard; Musk almost didn’t show up for the launch of Tesla’s new mass market Model 3 electric car. “It took every ounce of will to be able to do the event. For most of that day, I was morbid. And then I had to psych myself up: drink a couple of Red Bulls and tell myself, ‘All right, do it!’” Months later, Musk—who has five children with his ex-wife Justine—still feels empty without a companion. “When I was a child. There was one thing I said: ‘I never want to be alone.” He whispers, “I don’t want to be alone” (The Weekly, Dec 3, 2017).
Then there is Anna from Frozen singing, “It’s gets a little lonely All these empty rooms” and later she’s excited because “For the first time in forever she won’t be alone.”
You’ve been there. You’ve felt alone. Loneliness is what makes the dark so frightening. Loneliness is what makes the child run to mom and dad or beg to sleep in big brother’s room. Loneliness is also what makes success feel empty. Elon Musk and Anna from Frozen are both dwelling in the dark. They are lonely.
Today we start a sermon series answering the question why Jesus? I hope you’ll invite your neighbors and bring your coworkers next week. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, with all the loneliness of the season, we need to see and celebrate Jesus.
Let’s begin. Matthew 4:12-17
I. Jesus is the promised One who brings light and life (12-15)
The simple answer to “Why Jesus?” is we dwell in darkness and death while Jesus is light and life. We need Jesus. Let’s me show you in the Word and then draw out how Jesus changes lives.
- Zebulun and Naphtali are a big deal
We have to get into Matthew’s head for a minute and think like a first century Jew. At this point in Jesus’ story, he and John the Baptist have been working simultaneously baptizing repentant Jews in preparation for the coming Messiah. They are getting the people ready. When John gets arrested that signals the end of the season of preparation. It is time to begin the formal work of salvation. Verse 13 tells us that Jesus leaves Nazareth, his hometown, and goes further north to live in Capernaum. John’s arrest signals the end of the season of preparation while going into the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali signals the dawning of his messianic ministry. It’s go time.
So why are Zebulun and Naphtali a big deal? They were sons of Jacob, grandsons of Isaac, great grandsons of Abraham. From Zebulun and Naphtali will come two tribes of Israel and they will settle in the northern portion of the Promised Land. Being the farthest north also means they will be among the first to be invaded by armies from the north. When Assyria came against Israel in 722 BC, Zebulun and Naphtali were captured and exiled first. Zebulun and Naphtali fell because of their sin. They are on the farthest edge of the darkness Jesus will start there.
Matthew 4:15 is a quote from Isaiah 9. Isaiah 9 is that great prophecy describing Jesus. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace.” That’s Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah 9:1 describes how the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali are in gloom and anguish. They walk in darkness and dwell in deep darkness but a light will shine on them.
Here’s the history. Zebulun and Naphtali go into exile because they turned away from God. They sought other gods and found contempt. They sought joy outside of God and found sorrow. But restoration is coming through this child. Restoration comes to Zebulun and Naphtali when a son is given. It is monumental that the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is the fulfillment of this promise made to Zebulun and Naphtali. God keeps his promises. God restores his people. God brings joy and peace to those in darkness. God will do that for you and God does it all through Jesus.
- Jesus is the light of life
Look at Matthew 4:15 with me, “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.” If you follow those little notes in your bible you will see that Matthew is no longer quoting from Isaiah 9. Now Matthew has moved to Isaiah 42. In Isaiah 42 God is promising to send his servant, the one in whom his soul delights. God will put his Spirit on that servant and bring justice through him. The servant will be tender and compassionate. God will give that servant as a covenant to the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners who sit in dungeons, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42 is prophesying about Jesus, this great servant who is the promise of God. Jesus is the light for the nations.
In Matthew’s day, this area of Zebulun and Naphtali was still Galilee of the Gentiles. This is the area where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman. In this area the Jewish faith has been intermingled with the religion of the people and other immigrants. They have lost the truth. They have lost the way of salvation. They are in darkness.
But they see a great light. In seminary I loved this Greek word because it was so easy. I never missed this one on a quiz. The Greek word for great is mega. The people in darkness see a mega light. Jesus shows up and he hurts their eyes. He’s bright and their lives are dark. Jesus is so bright and their world is so dark.
Listen to John 1:4&5 it’s about Jesus, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Have you ever faced a really difficult problem? Maybe it’s a math problem at school, something at work just won’t work, relationships are hard. Then you see the solution; that’s how this is supposed to work! Jesus is like that but better. Jesus isn’t just the solution to our darkness problem, Jesus is also life and strength to put that solution into play. Jesus is light and life. He is a mega light.
The world is death and darkness while Jesus is life and light. This means you can find all the success in the world, you can be the next Elon Musk, and still be haunted by the darkness. You will never escape the darkness of the world with more of the world. Now, Elon Musk isn’t afraid of the dark like one of his little children, but he is afraid to be alone. There in his loneliness he feels the emptiness of this world. There in your loneliness you feel the emptiness of the world. Turn to Jesus who is light and life. Jesus is holy; the perfect man. Jesus is glorious; he is weighty and worthy and satisfying. He can save you, sustain you, and give you peace.
- Jesus brings the kingdom of heaven
Look down at Matthew 4:17. “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is near. It’s coming on you folks dwelling in death darkness. The perfect rule of God, the perfect joy of God, and the perfect peace of God are coming to you right now through Jesus Christ. Jesus is bringing the kingdom of heaven near. Jesus is setting prisoners free from their dungeons. Jesus is opening blind eyes. Jesus is showing people the kingdom and he is bringing many sons and daughters into it.
Zebulun and Naphtali, rebels and prodigals, the kingdom of heaven is coming close. You don’t have to stay in darkness and death. You don’t have to stay empty and lonely. Repent.
Now, to repent we need to understand our sin and understand Jesus the solution. We need to turn away from our sin and we need to turn to Jesus. Let’s talk about our problem.
II. Our problem is darkness and death
We are very much like Zebulun and Naphtali.
- We dwell in darkness
Jeremiah the prophet told the exiles, “Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness” (Jeremiah 13:15-16).
Doing life without God is doing life in the darkness. We are groping for meaning, joy, peace, comfort, and relationships. We try so many things constantly running to the next job, next fix, or next relationship. But darkness plus darkness never equals light. Where are you trying to find your life? Only Christ is the light of life. There is darkness within and darkness without. We dwell in darkness and
- We dwell in the region of death
We are in the geographical location of death. We live and work and play in a grave yard. If Jesus is the life of men and men reject Jesus and turn away from Jesus, then men embrace death. If Jesus is the life of women and women reject Jesus and turn away from Jesus, then women embrace death. The dead are incapable. The dead cannot. The dead cannot experience the joy of Christ. The dead cannot pass on or share the joy of Christ. Apart from Christ, we are dead in darkness. We need Christ the life.
Christian, when you go to work you are going into the region of death. But you are going into the region of death carrying the light of life. Your coworkers need you to do your job and they need you to do your job well. But your coworkers also need to see the light within you. When you talk about your weekend talk about being with the church. Look for interested people and follow up with them. Invite them to read the bible with you. Invite them to church. When in the graveyard, do not hide your light under a basket.
When you go to your home you are going into the region of death. But you are carrying the light of life. Who is the loneliest of your neighbors? Who is the angriest of your neighbors? Christian, you have been given the life of Christ. Jesus makes you like himself, the light of the world. How can you shine more brightly at school, at work, and on your street? We dwell in the region of death and
- We dwell in the shadow of death
Job describes death as, “the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order, where light is as thick darkness” (Job 10:20-22).
Are you aware of your frail humanity? Are you afraid to die? We dwell in the shadow of death. Have you ever been in a thick forest or in a city crammed with tall buildings? That wall of trees and buildings blocks out the sun. There in that place you are in the shadow. Death casts a shadow like that over our lives. In Psalm 23 David talked about being in the shadow of death. He was a man on the run who regularly had arrows and spears hurled at him. He knew what it was like to be in the shadow of death. Death was a near reality to him. We need Jesus because death is a near reality to us. We experience the shadow of death through fear of death.
We fear death because we feel our sin. We don’t want to stand before a holy God with all this wickedness and filth. We fear death because of the thick darkness and the unknown. What’s it going to feel like to die? Will it hurt? Will I be alone? What will I think when it happens? We dwell in the shadow of death.
But Christmas happened, Jesus took on flesh and blood,… “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death are subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb 2:14-15).
Our sin demands our death and Satan loves to flaunt that. God’s holiness demands sin be treated with justice and Satan loves to flaunt that. We need Jesus. Jesus takes our sin away, so Jesus takes Satan’s power away. We don’t have to fear judgment. We can be reconciled to a holy God.
But alongside of taking away sin and giving us righteousness, Jesus also takes away our fear of death. When two brothers go on an adventure they often face frightening things. It could be walking across a fallen tree, riding a roller coaster, or going down a big slide. Often, little brother will hang back because he’s afraid. If big brother is valiant and honorable he will go first proving there is nothing to fear. Jesus, our big brother, has gone through death and proves to us there is nothing to fear.
Church, Jesus has come. The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.
Do you see him? Do you hear and understand the preaching? What’s next?
III. Repent
Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach saying, “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
- Repent of your darkness
It is so easy to blast Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Al Franken, and Harvey Weinstein. They have done some awful things. But so have you and so have I. The dark things we think about gender, sexuality, money, and power are strangling us. The dark things we are doing are killing us. But when we see the light we see our darkness and when we see our darkness we desperately want to be made into light.
Thursday, after a particularly unhelpful conversation with my wife, I had to study and prepare for this sermon. I had to think on these things and work to apply them to my own live. It wasn’t difficult. On a break I walked outside and began to ask myself questions about why I was angry and frustrated. The answer that came back pointed to the darkness within me. I am tempted to live out of the death-darkness and I did. But do you know that the most freeing and joyful things for those in darkness are repentance and faith? We repent to God and repent to others because of the life and light of Jesus. Admitting my sin to God is a painful joy because it means I’m turning away from sin and turning to God. Admitting my sin to my wife is a painful joy because it means I’m turning away from sin and turning to God.
Repentance can be like a bright light turned on in a dark room. At the beginning the light is painful, but in the end the light is good. The light shows us the truth about ourselves and the truth about the world around us. The light makes life possible. Repent of your darkness knowing
Jesus makes that possible
- Repent and receive the Light
The next thing that happens in Matthew 4 is Jesus calls the first disciples. Simon, Andrew, James, and John are doing their thing in the region and shadow of death. Jesus shines into the darkness and they follow him. This is what the light does; the light calls us to come and have life. The light empowers us to live differently.
Repentance looks like talking to God and telling him you are sorry for trying to make yourself happy by playing with the darkness. We all have our different flavors of darkness but we all dwell there. Be honest. Confess your darkness and ask for Jesus to forgive you and give you life. Ask for Jesus to forgive you because he died on the cross and ask Jesus to give you life because he conquered death and rose from the grave.
When the gospel is preached, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Receive light and life. Then
- Go and be the light
Why Jesus? Jesus is the answer to death and darkness. And Jesus wants to use you to push back the death and darkness all around you. With Christ in you, you are the light of the world! As a Christian, God’s plan for your life is for you to be light in the darkness in your home, on your street, at your school, at your work, and in our community. We individually go out as lights into this world. Because of Christ in you, you are light in the world.
As a church, we are a city set on a hill whose light must shine. As a church, people aren’t going to turn from darkness because we put in new carpet. People won’t be changed because we build things. People will turn from darkness when they see the light coming from our lives and hear the gospel coming from our mouths. Church, Jesus has come. Let’s repent and go be the light.
By and For the gospel 