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May 25 - Matthew 4:12-25 - "What's the Catch?"

Dan Bigg MPC, 25^th May 2003.

The boys at M&R Smash Repairs are experts at restoring cars. They can restore wrecks back to their original mint condition. No matter what damage, they can fix it. Mokes & Minis are their passion; they've been doing them for years. They say "the only way to start a full restoration is to strip the body completely, sandblast it and fix any problems with the base chassis. The body is then undercoated and re-sprayed...and brought up to as new condition." We've got a little Jeep in our back yard at the moment that's under going restorations. I know it's gotta be restored because when I looked under the bonnet there's no engine there. Only a nicely re-sprayed empty space where it should be.

Today we're looking at how Jesus brings about the restoration of Israel. We're going to see how Israel's fortunes were to be turned around from cursings to blessings. And see how the state of blessing is a restoration of all that God originally intended for his people. There's something exciting about seeing even everyday objects being restored isn't there? When you go for a drive out in the country you'll often see old machinery and rusty car bodies just left to go to ruin. But when you go to a vintage car show the reverse is true.

Everywhere there's these well-kept vintage cars. Many of them making it back from a rusty graveyard due to hours of careful rebuilding; panel-beating, sand-blasting, re-painting and so on. But it's worth it in the end. The car's restored. And everyone really likes to see such a work of art. It makes you feel good. It's positive.

That's what Matthew's getting at here. He's showing that with the arrival of Jesus, God's people can now be restored. If seeing cars and other things restored is exciting then seeing people being restored and fixed up is even better. it's a great message; it's good news. But we need to see what state Israel was in. We have to see how damaged they were to appreciate what Jesus did. We pick the story up in Matthew Ch 4 v12. Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been locked away so he leaves Nazareth his hometown and goes to Capernaum in Galilee, v12&13. "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali." Jesus goes to Galilee to fulfil an Old Testament prophesy.

Matthew's saying Jesus is the dawning of a powerful new day. Jesus is a whole new start. A light that's going to be visible to all who are in darkness; he's the great hope of all who live in the shadow of death. Take a look at verses 15&16. "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned". It's a prophecy from Isaiah. It comes from Isaiah Ch.9. Isaiah's addressing the Israelite nation in their darkest hour. He tells them that Assyria's coming as God's tool of judgment against them. They had chosen to disobey God. And disobedience has consequences. Israel had broken God's covenant. So Isaiah says that the Assyrians were coming as the punishment. These two areas Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to be wiped out by the Assyrians and Isaiah's promise was that in the future they would be the first to see the coming of the one who would fix the mess.

It was always the threat. That if Israel kept ignoring God, they'd be smashed. But even then, there was still going to be hope. No matter how bad things were going to get, there was always going to be the hope of restoration.

No matter how much damage has been done... God's always ready to get out the tools and put things back together.

So it's been a long dark night for Israel. Life's been tough but now the hope has arrived. The sun's coming up. If you've ever spent a night outside you'll be able to appreciate more fully what's going on. They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. It's true, especially in winter. If you're out in the bush and you haven't got a tent and the fire goes out, at about 4am you'll be freezing. It'll be dark as pitch and all you'll want and long for is the sun to come up, so you can see again and warm up and forget about the darkness and the cold.

Well, Israel's long night is over. All the pain and suffering could now be reversed. The restorer had arrived. Jesus had come. But what was he asking them to do so that they could enjoy this exciting new kingdom? How could Israel's wrecked condition be restored? Well, it's no surprise. You'll notice that what Jesus had to say to Israel, is exactly the same message that John gave them. In fact it's the same message that all the OT prophets spread! In a word... repent. V17 "From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near". That's all they had to do. That one little word "repent". They were asked to reconsider; to rethink through their options. And it wasn't as if they had a lot of choice. They weren't ringing some government department where you have to think through dozens of voice-recorded options to get what you want. Israel only had two options. Go on rebelling and remain in the dark, in the land of the shadow of death. or repent, see the light and be restored.

What would they do? What would you do? You see, none of us like the thought of repenting. Somehow we think that to repent is to lose our freedom. But you've got to weigh it up don't you? You can either go on enjoying the so called "freedom" of living in God's ongoing rejection. Or you can accept the call to repent and live as a restored person accepted by God. Which is better: the rusty wreck or the restored Rolls-Royce?

The choice was before the Israelite. The choice had always been there. They could choose life or death; it was up to them. We get to see how the first four Jews responded to Jesus. They're all fishermen. They were going about their job probably telling stories like fishermen always do, of big ones that got away, when it happened. Matthew records that Jesus calls out to them and they down tools and follow him. They're willing to leave their jobs and family ties to join him. Jesus calls out to Peter and Andrew who are fishing and says, "Hey guys, I'll take you fishing. Follow me and I'll take you fishing for men. At once they left their nets and followed him. The same thing happens with James and John -- they're fixing the fishing nets with their dad, Zebedee. Jesus calls out to them also v22, "and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Pretty radical decision wasn't it? Jesus called out "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" And they did. And by joining Jesus they become the first members of the new people of God.

Isn't it amazing? What do you need to have to join the kingdom of heaven? Well, it seems from the passage that the way in is, you have to pray for a week, know when to stand up and sit down in church, rote learn the Lord's prayer and know the meaning of the word, eschatology! Sorry, I was being sarcastic. You see these fishermen only had to see Jesus as the light and repent to follow him. That's how they joined up. That's how simple it was. And the same thing is true today.

If you think you have to be religious to join God's team, forget it. In fact it doesn't matter how good or bad you are, if you understand who Jesus is and you're prepared to repent and follow him you're in. You're hooked.

OK, so what's the catch? What are we fishing for? Jesus calls the fisherman and says, "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men". They're fishing for people. That is, in joining Jesus, they begin spreading the good news of the new kingdom. The good news that restoration is now possible for Israel.

I love fishing.

I'm not much good at it but its great fun. Sometimes you don't catch much, though. We went fishing during the Easter break out at Lowood. In spite of all our best efforts we only got two little fish. They were so small you'd be flat out seeing them from the back of the room. But fishing's like that, sometimes they're biting and sometimes they're not. That's the challenge for us also. It's the challenge of sharing the best news in the world the news that people can be right with God again.

Now, maybe your life's a bit of a mess.

Maybe you feel a bit battered and bruised.

Well I'm telling you there's hope. No matter how bad you feel, no matter what you've done or haven't done, the offer to be restored is always there. In fact what you've done doesn't even come into the picture. If you repent and follow Jesus, he can and will restore you.

So the disciples come to Jesus and follow him as part of the newly restored Israel. Now what's restoration going to look like? We have recorded here is a small glimpse of it. Jesus is going to provide a taste of it. A small-scale model of the finished product called the kingdom of heaven. Jesus begins the restoration by reversing the covenant curses.

The curses for covenant breaking included disease, sickness, madness and blindness. All these curses Jesus overcomes. He heals the sick and diseased. Have a look at vss 23&4, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and all the people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, the epileptics and the paralytics, and he healed them."

Doesn't that sound great? It's what we all long for, isn't it? A time when we will all be free from all the pain and sickness that's everywhere. And here Jesus gives a small example of how great it's going to be. No wonder news about Jesus spread like wild fire. No wonder large crowds followed him from all over the place. Because here was a man who could work spectacular miracles. But more than that, here was a man that was restoring people whose lives were shattered. No questions asked. No need to explain why you're in such a mess. They were all healed. Jesus cared for these people. He loved them and he's showing them a glimpse what the new kingdom would look like so that they might repent and follow him and live in a state of restored blessing.

Jesus is healing people who have the symptoms that show the wrecked condition Israel was in. the symptoms of the curse only reflected the real issue. They were only a shadow of real death. The state of being rejected by God forever. Jesus proves that he can reverse the curse and restore people by curing the symptoms. He shows that in him Israel can enjoy real blessing. The real blessing is eternal life. It's peace with God. Its total restoration at all levels.

It's what we all really want and need so badly. And to a degree we are enjoying the blessings right here and now. Real restoration looks a bit like us. It looks like church. Have a look around you: there's people here from all walks of life. Restoration is us caring for each other because we know God cares for us. It's the knowledge that we are right with God because we've come to Jesus. It's us joining the restoration party. It's us praying and asking God to bring others into this restored relationship. Restoration is us loving one another because by beliveing in Jesus we know beyond doubt that God loves us.

Now I don't know where you're at. I don't know if you've come to Jesus. But you do. You know if you're at peace with God. If you haven't repented, do so. Repent and believe in Jesus and he will restore you. And if you have repented then take up the challenge and go fishing. Fishing for people. Go and share the best message this world's got to offer with others.