NOTES for Mat 4:12-25
Jesus begins His preaching where John the Baptist’s preaching left off: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” But this is not the essence of His preaching. Today’s passage from the Gospel according to Matthew describes His ministry most clearly: He calls disciples and thereby begins to build His Church; He proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom; and He manifests God’s works in this world, bearing witness that, with His coming, the relationship between God and the world has changed. Today’s passage is a kind of “summary” of the entire Gospel that follows.