12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:12-17 KJV)
Thomas Haweis’ Commentary
Verses 12-17: Christ now having entered upon his ministry, began to publish the glad tidings of that salvation he came to procure. Many events are recorded which intervened between his temptations on the mount and his abode at Capernaum; these we shall meet with in the other evangelists. Matthew hastens forward to the time when John was cast into prison; on which occasion Jesus departed from Nazareth to Galilee, and fixed his abode at Capernaum, a city in the tribe of Naphtali, bordering on Zabulon, situate on the sea of Tiberias, called elsewhere the lake of Gennesaret. The men of Nazareth had rejected him, Lu 4:29 and therefore God justly leaves them to themselves, and sends his Son and his gospel to a place that will more cheerfully welcome them.
1. Especial notice is here taken of the fulfillment of the Scripture in this removal of our Lord; as Esaias had before of old prophesied, that the people in these regions of Zabulon and Naphtali, called Galilee of the Gentiles from the intermixture of a multitude of strangers of other nations among the Jews; which sat in darkness, in spiritual darkness and ignorance: saw a great light, Christ the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing in his wings, and bringing life, and light, and liberty to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, dead in trespasses and sins, till quickened by the effectual power of the Saviour’s grace, and enlightened by the glorious gospel he preached. Note, (1.) They who are destitute of the knowledge of Christ, are in darkness respecting all the things that make for their everlasting peace, and near the borders of eternal death. (2.) Christ is to the soul what the sun is to the world; yea, more; for he is not only the author of light, but gives the faculty of vision also, without which the light would shine in darkness, and the darkness never comprehend it. (3.) The way in which spiritual light is diffused, is, by the preaching of the gospel; where this is not truly ministered, darkness must needs reign uncontrolled.
2. We are told what was the subject of his ministry from the time he began to open his commission; Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the same words and the same subject on which John, his harbinger, had preached before: for in the great essential doctrines, all faithful ministers of the gospel perfectly agree. Jesus preached repentance not only as what we must do, but what he would give, without which in vain were every call to repent.