HOST: Michael Whitworth
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 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.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew focuses a great deal of his gospel account on Jesus as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. In His life, Jesus was wholly committed to fulfilling God’s will. Every day, every act, every word was about doing the will of His Father and fulfilling His purpose. One of the greatest proofs of Jesus’ authenticity, especially to Jewish audiences, was His perfect fulfillment of no less than 333 Old Testament prophecies that had been made concerning the coming Messiah. As we live our lives, Jesus is, as always, the perfect example to us. Though our heart’s desire may be to be so perfectly committed to God that we completely rid our lives of sin, we are quickly confronted with the reality that we will certainly never reach the level of perfection that Jesus demonstrated. Yet our devotion to living out God’s will for our lives needs to be uncompromising and complete. It is a challenge that most of us will struggle to achieve for most of our Christian lives, but the rewards are great!
What are some ways that we can work to fulfill God’s will for our lives?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
