Matthew
Summary
Following His baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights. This spiritual confrontation demonstrates Jesus’s absolute reliance on the Word of God as He successfully resists every attempt to derail His mission. After the temptation, He begins His public ministry in Galilee, preaching the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven and fulfilling the vision of "a great light" dawning on those in darkness. The chapter records the calling of His first four disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, and John: who leave their nets to become "fishers of men." Jesus’s ministry rapidly expands as He goes throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues and healing every manner of sickness and disease among the people.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed for Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:"
"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
Great multitudes followed Him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.