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After Jesus fasted forty days, Satan tempted him in various ways.
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit { God's Spirit led Jesus} into a desolate area to be tempted by the devil {in order that the devil would tempt him}. 2 After he did not eat food day and night for forty days, he was hungry. 3 Satan, the tempter, came to him and said, “Because you claim that you have a relationship with God as a son has with his father [MET], prove it by commanding these stones to become bread so that you can eat them!” 4 But Jesus said to him, “ No! I will not change stones into bread, because it is written in the Scriptures {in the Scriptures Moses wrote}, ‘Eating food [SYN] sustains people physically, but it does not sustain them spiritually [SYN]. Instead, paying attention to everything that God has spoken to them is what sustains people spiritually.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the city that is dedicated to God. He set him on the highest part of the Temple, 6 and said to him, “Because you claim that you have a relationship with God as a son has with his father, prove it by jumping down to the ground. You will not be hurt, because it is written in the Scriptures, ‘God will command his angels to protect you. They will lift you up in their hands when you are falling, in order that you will not get hurt. You will not even strike your foot on a stone.’ ” 7 But Jesus said, “ No! I will not jump down, because in another place in the Scriptures it is written {there are these words that Moses wrote}: ‘Do not try to test the Lord your God to see if he will prevent something bad from happening to you when you do something foolish!’ ” 8 Then the devil took him on top of a very high mountain. There he showed him all the nations in the world and the magnificent things in those nations. 9 And then he said to him, “I will let you rule all these nations and give you the magnificent things in them if you bow down and worship me.” 10 But Jesus said to him, “ No, I will not worship you, Satan, so go away! It is written in the Scriptures, ‘It is the Lord your God whom you (pl) must worship, and you (pl) must serve only him!’ ” 11 Then the devil went away, and right away, angels came to Jesus and took care of him.
Jesus went to Galilee and preached that people needed to repent to belong to the group whom God would consider his people.
Matthew 4:12-17
12 While Jesus was in Judea, John the Baptizer's disciples told him that John had been put in prison and kept there {that Herod Antipas had put John the Baptizer in prison and kept him there}. So Jesus returned to Galilee District. While he was in Galilee, he first went to Nazareth town. 13 Then he left Nazareth and went to Capernaum city in order to live there. Capernaum is located beside Galilee Lake in the region which was formerly the regions of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 One reason that he went there was so that these words that were written by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled {so that he might fulfill these words that the prophet Isaiah wrote}:
15 Zebulun region and Naphtali region are on the road which is near Galilee Lake and on the eastern side of the Jordan River. They are the regions in Galilee District where many non-Jews are living. 16 Although the people there will be like people who sit in a dark place [MET], they will suddenly perceive clearly a new teaching, as people who have seen a big light shining on them [MET] perceive everything clearly. The people who are located in a dangerous [MET] region will suddenly perceive clearly what God teaches, as people on whom a light shines perceive things clearly [MET, DOU].
17 From that time, while Jesus was in Capernaum city, he began to preach this to people: “God [MTY/EUP] will very soon begin to rule, and he will judge you when he rules. So you (pl) need to turn from your sinful ways so that God will not punish you.”
Jesus summoned four fishermen, who immediately left their work and went with him.
Matthew 4:18-23
18 One day while Jesus was walking by Galilee Lake, he saw two men, Simon, who was later called Peter, and Andrew, his younger brother. They were casting their fishing net into the lake because they earned money by catching and selling fish. 19 He said to them, “ Just like you have been gathering fish, come with me and I will teach you how to gather people to become my disciples.” [MET] 20 They immediately left the work that they were doing with their fishing nets, and they went with him.
21 As the three of them walked on from there, Jesus saw two other men, James, and John, the younger brother of James. They were in their boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their fishing nets. Jesus told them that they should leave their work and go with him. 22 They immediately left their fishing boat and their father, and they went with Jesus.
Jesus taught and healed many people when he was in Galilee District.
Matthew 4:23-25
23 Jesus went with those four men throughout all of Galilee District. He was teaching the people in the buildings where we Jews worship God. He was preaching the good message that tells how to become members of the group of people whose lives God rules over. He was also healing all the Galileans who had diseases or who were sick. 24 When people who lived in other parts of Syria District heard [PRS] what he was doing, they brought to him people who suffered from illnesses, people who suffered from many kinds of diseases, people who suffered from severe pains, people who were controlled by demons {whom demons controlled}, people who were epileptics, and people who were paralyzed. And Jesus healed them. 25 Then crowds started to go with him. They were people from Galilee District, ◄from the Decapolis/from the Ten Towns area►, from Jerusalem city, from other parts of Judea district, and from areas east of the Jordan River.

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© 2008-2016 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.