Sermon Transcript:

On June 6, 1944 the allied countries launched D-day, the single largest amphibious invasion that has ever occurred, sending 156,000 troops, nearly 7,000 ships, and over 11,000 aircraft across the English Channel to push the Nazis off the beaches of Normandy. Within weeks the total number of Allied forces landed in France exceeded 2 million. Although the Germans knew an attack was coming, they did not know when or where and were caught off-guard when it came.

Once the Allied armies were established in Normandy, the war was effectively over. The decisive blow had been struck and the defeat of the Nazi’s was inevitable. But the Nazi’s didn’t give up, although it became increasingly clear they would lose, they continued to fight fiercely. The war in Europe did not end until V-day, May 8, 1945. Another 3 ½ million soldiers and 4 to 5 million more civilians died between D-Day and when Germany formally surrendered.

The first coming of Jesus was like D-Day. In His sinless life, death, and resurrection He struck a fatal blow to Satan. A beachhead was established against the army of darkness and the decisive battle was won. Colossians 2:15 says,

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

But the final V-Day, the complete and visible defeat of evil, will not come until His second coming. Satan cannot win but he still controls a lot of territory. He still has the strength to inflict damage and has not surrendered. There is a fierce spiritual battle raging around us every day. The Kingdom of God is advancing, but there remain battles to fight and territory to be taken. 

The Kingdom came through Jesus, its power is at work in all who have died with Christ and are raised with Him to new life, but it finds its full realization when we, like Jesus, are resurrected to glory, when all creation will be freed from the presence of sin and death. Speaking of resurrection and this time between the coming of the kingdom and its fullness 1 Corinthians 15:23–26 says,

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

To grasp what’s happening in Matthew 4, we need to see it through the lens of this spiritual war, the clash of two kingdoms. The present age is passing away, and the age to come is breaking in. The first coming of Christ was the beachhead, the invasion of light into darkness and the decisive battle. From His first coming to His return, we live in this tension, the Kingdom is here, but not yet in its fullness. If we lose sight of that, we will misunderstand the message of Jesus, the mission of the Church, and the nature of the spiritual battle we fight.

In our passage today we see Jesus demonstrating that his kingdom message is accompanied by kingdom power. The main point of the passage and of the message today is

In Jesus, the Kingdom of God has come and the power of the new age is displayed.

We’ve seen Jesus’ credentials, His birth fulfilling prophecy, His baptism affirming His identity, His victory over the devil’s temptations proving His righteousness. We’ve seen Him call the men who will carry His message forward. And now, the moment has come. The King steps onto the stage. As brother Jim Koroly put it, “now Jesus presses the issue.” His public ministry begins, and with it, the Kingdom of God is advancing. We begin with verse 23,

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Matthew describes the ministry of Jesus in 3 ways; teaching, preaching, and healing. Each of these connect to His warfare against the kingdom of the devil. Each points the people to the reality of the Kingdom of God and of the promise of salvation. He teaches them. The devil is the father of lies and his rule is founded on keeping the truth hidden. Jesus pushes back the darkness with the light of the truth. 

He preaches, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. Not only does He make the truth known, He proclaims it, calling men and women out of darkness and into the light. We must never be content to be a church where the gospel is merely explained. We must be a church where the gospel is proclaimed. It is urgent, it is needed, and it is to be preached with authority. We don’t examine it like a high-schooler dissecting a frog. It is a matter of life and death and our desire is not to be informed by its truth, but to be transformed by its power.

He is proclaiming a gospel, but at this point He has not yet been crucified and raised. Matthew says He is proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. This is the good news that the promises of God are no longer a distant hope, but a present reality. The promised redemption will be secured by the Cross and the empty tomb, but in Christ, the kingdom is already with them. With every conversion, every miracle, every act of mercy Jesus is revealing the power of a sovereign God to plunder the stronghold of Satan and rescue those the devil has taken captive. 

That brings us to the third aspect of His ministry in Galilee. It says He was healing every disease and every affliction among the people. And verse 24 says,

24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.

The healing, like the teaching and preaching, is a proclamation. An announcement  that the power of God is at work to overthrow the bondage of the devil. Jesus healed with power, not only physical maladies, but those caused by demonic oppression. He can heal body and soul. Just like today, they had doctors and plenty of so-called healers, but none were like Him. He didn’t need medicine. He didn’t need rituals, gimmicks, or guesswork. 

He healed with a command, whenever and however He chose. No one has that power today. Many claim it, but none can prove it. His people were not pre-screened. If these modern so-called apostles have the power they claim, why are they not in the streets like Jesus? Why aren’t they at the children’s hospital or the cancer centers? Why did their congregations quarantine for COVID? Jesus healed openly, publicly, and completely. He could heal any he chose. He has authority and power over sickness, suffering, and even the demons. His ability to heal on demand with a command authenticated His message.

His healings were undeniable demonstrations that the power of God had broken into human history in a new way. Every disease cured, every demon cast out, every broken body restored was a declaration that the King had come, and His power was unmatched. This wasn’t just about physical healing, it was a foretaste of the final victory, when sin, death, and the devil will be crushed forever. His end-goal was not the temporary healing of the body, but the eternal life that comes through the gospel. In Matthew 9:5–8, Jesus says to unbelieving scribes,

5 … which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

His miraculous power established the credibility of His claims. He tells the Pharisees in Luke 11:20,

20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

These signs proved that His message was proclaimed with divine authority. No mere man could do the things He was doing, it was proof that He was approved by God and that it was the power of God at work in Him. In John 10:37–38 He tells the Jewish leaders,

37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

The Old Testament anticipated a coming Kingdom where God would decisively intervene in history, establishing His rule, defeating His enemies, and bringing about peace, righteousness, and restoration. Most faithful Jews in Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to come, destroy the enemies of Israel, and usher in a restored kingdom of glory to Israel. The culmination of all this was the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment for Israel’s enemies and the resurrection of faithful Jews to glory.

They assumed this was all compressed into a single climactic event. They expected the kingdom to follow the current sinful age. Jews seeing Jesus do these things would have expected conquest, judgment, and resurrection glory to quickly follow. That’s why later the rejection and the cross were such a shock. What they did not realize was that the two ages would overlap and that there would be two comings of the Messiah. 

This is why even now most Jews who study the Old Testament do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. They were expecting a conquering king, but not a suffering servant. The power Jesus displayed assures believers He is who He claims to be and those who trust Him will not be disappointed. In Chapter 11, when John the Baptist was put in prison he was confused and sent men to Jesus to ask Him if He was the one they were waiting for or if they should seek another. Verse 4 says,

4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

This is why the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 were disappointed. Remember, how not recognizing Jesus, they said they had hoped He would be the one to redeem Israel, and Jesus says,

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”. 

This is why right after the resurrection in Acts 1:6 the disciples ask Jesus if He will now restore the kingdom to Israel. Most Jews of Jesus’ day expected a Messiah clothed in power but had no category for a King who would suffer, bleed, and die. Jesus doesn’t suffer because He doesn’t have the power to destroy the works of the devil. He suffers because of His love for us.

The promised glory will come, but first Jesus will suffer and die to purchase the redemption of a people, forgiven, sanctified, and fit for a kingdom of glory. The path to victory was not through power but through weakness. Satan would not be overthrown by might, but by the Lamb slain for sinners. The Kingdom would not be seized by the strong, but received by faith. Only those who see glory in the suffering Christ, who love the King crowned with thorns, and who take up a cross will inherit the Kingdom He has purchased with His blood.

The teaching, preaching, and healing are all a foretaste to strengthen our faith, deepen our confidence in the promises of God, and fuel our perseverance while we await His return to complete His work in us. Brothers and sisters, the power of God is at work in us now. We see it in every conversion, in every voice lifted in worship, and in every act of Christ’s love we show to each other.

When we are having people over or an event at church. Beth makes all kinds of delicious food and I start to hover around the kitchen. She usually tells me to leave it alone because it is for later, but sometimes she puts a little aside for me to taste. I get to have a cookie, some pasta salad, or veggie pizza, or whatever not as a substitute for the coming feast, but as a foretaste of it. Friends, that’s what the church is. It is amazing and good, but it is just a small sample of what is to come.

The kingdom has come, but it is still coming. We live in the already/not yet. We live in the time between D-Day and V-Day. The fatal blow has been struck against our ancient enemy, he cannot win, but the war is not over just yet. Evil still exists, suffering continues, and death remains a reality. But kingdom power is here. Our sins can be forgiven and we can have new life now by trusting that Jesus died in our place, has been raised for us, and is coming again. The first time He came as a lamb, humble to save, next time He comes as a Lion, with judgment and glory.

Jesus’ parables, such as the wheat and the tares, teach us that the present age will continue with a mix of righteousness and rebellion until the final judgment. In Romans, Paul speaks of creation groaning, awaiting its ultimate redemption at Christ’s return. The full realization of the Kingdom will come when Jesus returns, bringing the final resurrection, the renewal of creation, and the defeat of all His enemies. On that day, faith becomes sight, every knee will bow to Lord Jesus, and Christ will reign visibly over all, and every believer will be glorified with our Savior.

The Bible says this in-between time is like a woman giving birth. New life is being brought into the world and there is pain and struggle, but the blessing that follows is far greater than the pain. Romans 8:18–23 says,

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

So then, we must walk in wisdom. We are already citizens of the kingdom of God and we must avoid the error of expecting too little out of our walk here. Believer, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us and we know that we cannot even imagine what it will be like to be raised with Him in glory where there is no sin, no sickness, or pain anymore!

But we must also avoid the error of expecting too much as if faith excludes us from suffering in this world. We have a peace and joy in Christ that the world cannot understand, but we still live in a fallen world until Jesus returns. We live in the tension of a Kingdom that has come, yet is still coming. 

My heart breaks when I see how many have been discouraged and confused by false teachers who have told people God has promised things He never did. They promise glory without a cross and deprive people of the very truth that would comfort them by making God a means rather than an end. Since these verses are so often misused, I want to take a moment to dig a bit deeper into this question of healing.

Let me begin by being clear, Jesus can and does still heal today. I have seen it happen. In fact, we are commanded to pray for healing. James 5:14–16 says,

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

But the Bible never promises that every sickness will be healed in this life. Although Jesus healed many, He did not heal everyone. John 5:2–3 says,

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

There were a multitude, yet Jesus chose to heal only one of them. Luke 5:15–16 says,

15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

He didn’t feel everyone who came to him. His healings were not just acts of compassion, they were signs of His authority and glimpses of the greater healing to come. When Jesus healed, He was pointing to the ultimate restoration of all things in His Kingdom. Our faith is not in healing itself, but in the Healer. The Bible promises that all believers will be healed, but that promise is fulfilled in the resurrection, not necessarily today. 

In fact, all those Jesus did heal in His earthly ministry eventually died. These healings were pointers to a much greater healing that comes at the end of this age when He returns. That’s why Romans 8:23 says we wait eagerly for the redemption of our bodies and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says though our outer self is wasting away, we are being prepared for an eternal weight of glory. We too are already made saints, but not yet made perfect.

God's power is no less real when He calls us to endure in faith rather than be healed in faith. This is the pattern of the cross, God’s power revealed in weakness, victory through suffering, glory following obedience. The miracles of Jesus assure us that He is able to heal, but the cross and resurrection assure us that He will heal fully, finally, and forever. Until that day, we walk by faith, trusting that whatever He chooses for us in this life, knowing we will not be disappointed with our reward because He is working all things together for His glory, and His glory is our good.

Health is not guaranteed to believers and is not a measure of our faith. Who can claim greater faith than the apostle Paul, yet he prayed 3 times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed from him and God responded that His grace was sufficient. Those who blame all illness and suffering on a lack of faith are no better than Job’s friends. Sometimes we may suffer because of sin or a lack of faith, but often it is those who have the strongest faith that God calls to faithfulness in suffering. We have already mentioned Paul and Job, but all the apostles suffered, not because of sin, but because of their faithfulness. No man ever suffered more than Jesus and his faith was perfect and He was completely without sin. God has a purpose for all He does, and that purpose is greater than simply our own circumstances. Listen to what Jesus says in John 9:1–3,

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

This man’s blindness was not due to any sin, but because God chose to work through him in this way. If we are a child of God we can be sure there is a good and glorious purpose in every trial. When we entrust ourselves to Him in difficult circumstances we testify to the world that He is worth it. This comes with the blessing of our being made more like Jesus who suffered faithfully. That is why James 1:2–4 says,

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

I know some of you are suffering now. I want you to know that there is a day coming when you will suffer no longer. We pray that God would heal you now, but if He chooses instead to work through your suffering, know that Jesus Christ is with you. He knows what it means to suffer faithfully and promises His strength to those who ask for it. Know that your brothers and sisters are being made more faithful through their prayers and care for you. Know that in your weakness the power of God is magnified as you are drawn to abandon dependence on your own strength and cling to Christ.

Every moment of pain, every trial endured, is part of a greater story where God is refining you, strengthening you, and displaying His power in your weakness. We do not serve a God who is indifferent to our suffering; we serve a King who knows what it is to weep at the grave of a friend, who was acquainted with grief and sorrow, and who sweat drops of blood in agony, and bore the full weight of our sin so that one day we would never suffer again.  

Our trials are not just something to be endured, they are opportunities to put the sufficiency of Christ on display. They are opportunities to show that He is worth more than all the world has to offer. When we endure suffering with faith we preach a sermon more powerful than any preacher. Perseverance is faith shining like gold because it has been refined in the fire and polished until it reflects the image of Jesus.

Jesus healed to point us to who He was and the good news of what He was accomplishing. He is pointing us to the ultimate healing that will come when the kingdom arrives in its fullness and there is no more sickness, sorrow, or death anymore. The earthly ministry of Jesus gave us a glimpse of what awaits those who put their faith in Him. He healed to show us He is able to deliver us from sin and its consequences. Verse 25 says,

25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

People came from all over to Him. Throughout His gospel Matthew groups people into three categories. There are the disciples, who follow Jesus and are committed to Him. There are the leaders who are opposed to Jesus, and then there are the crowds. The crowds are fickle. They gather around Him so long as He is feeding them, healing them, and saying things they think are profound. It won’t take long, however, for the crowds to leave Him. The crowd is interested in what is popular or makes them more comfortable. 

The crowd isn’t interested in dying to Self or striving to understand the hard sayings. We no longer live in a society where there is any benefit to identifying as a believer. The crowds are already beginning to dissipate. We must ask ourselves, are we disciples or are we part of the crowd? Are we following Jesus because we think He can do something to make us more comfortable, or because He is worth it, even if we must die for Him?

The call of Christ is not an invitation to a comfortable life. It may cost us everything we have in this world, but there isn’t anything in this world worth trading for what He offers us in the next one. The crowds followed Jesus for the miracles, but the disciples followed because they knew He had the words of eternal life. 

We are not called to a comfortable life, but a faithful one. Just as the soldiers after D-Day still had to fight, but did so knowing victory was near, let us also press on, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Our enemy is defeated and our victory is sure. Believer, we are already living as citizens of the kingdom. By faith, we have seen His power and have confidence in His promise that we will be raised in resurrection glory. 

So by God’s grace, let us stand firm and fight the good fight. Let us proclaim the gospel with confidence, knowing who it is that saved us. I would like to encourage you with the words from Isaiah 35:4-6 reflecting on the work Jesus began in Galilee, is doing now through His Spirit, and will complete when He returns in glory.

4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert…

Come Lord Jesus. Amen.