AFTER facing the devil and experiencing the whole horror of hell and separation from God in his temptations, Jesus after coming through this ordeal with victory, and confounding Satan and his devices, commences his ministry of redeeming grace. It is wonderful to know that our Saviour went down into the valley of the shadow of death, and came through unscathed, and from this is able to save to the uttermost those who come to him from the darkness of sin and death. We also have a Saviour who can comfort us in all our sorrows because he knows all that we can possibly suffer.

The first thing that stands out in these few verses is the wonderful plan of God to be gracious to sinners doomed to death and hell. Jesus came not as an after thought, but by the set purpose and foreknowledge of God. Again Matthew points out that all Christ�s coming to save was foretold hundreds of years before, revealing the fact that God�s grace to save us was in the mind and heart of God the moment sin entered the world. Matthew showed that Christ fulfilled prophecy given in the Old Testament Scriptures because he was writing to Jews and seeking to commend Christ to them as their Messiah, but it is of great blessing to all, to know that Christ�s coming to save us was planned and prepared, and for us to know thereby that God is a gracious and merciful God, full of compassion and mercy. We learn also that in spite of all that Satan sought to do all down the history of the Old Testament, in no way was God hindered in carrying out his purposes of salvation in Christ, and this assures us that his purposes of salvation can never be overthrown by the evil one, and so those whom Christ has redeemed will be brought to the joy of the heavenly glory.

Let us notice the glory of the prophecy. Christ�s coming brings great light to the world in darkness. Darkness covers this world. It is not a darkness of physical light. Nor is it a darkness of knowledge. It is a darkness which is spiritual, and a darkness of evil. This darkness brings our world into the misery of sin and evil that has marked history all down the ages. It brings the world into the darkness of never knowing or experiencing the life which God meant for his creation. It brings the world into the darkness of eternal death and separation from all that is good. The coming of Christ is light that shines in this darkness, and shows the way to the light of peace and joy and holiness, and provides the way to this light. This light dispels death. It takes away the death of the soul that causes us to be unable to see spiritual things, or know God. It takes away the death of sin in the soul. It takes away eternal death that is the end of all who do not come into the light of Christ. Christ is the light of the world. When a soul is enabled to come to Christ and believe on him, Christ brings to that soul the light of life. The spiritual realm of God is opened to that soul, and the soul enters into the light and life of God, and the joy and peace that is there.

Let us notice next the means which Jesus used in his ministry. We tend to think of the ministry of Jesus in terms of his healing of the body, and his bringing relief to the many ills that destroy earthly life. This was certainly part of his ministry, but when he commenced his ministry Jesus began to preach. The ministry of Jesus is chiefly to the soul. He healed the body, but chiefly he came to heal the soul. He came to raise the soul from the death of sin, to the life of righteousness. The means he used for this gracious and essential work was preaching. He taught people. He exhorted people. He urged people. The ministry of preaching is the one great way God has ordained for souls to be saved and brought into the light of his love. Where the ministry of preaching is held high, and used in the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be given blessing from God. We need not despise modern means of presenting the Gospel, but we must never despise preaching or cease to make it the chief means of ministry. To this end all who are called to minster must seek to become proficient in preaching, and must constantly be busy in this ministry.

The ministry of preaching Jesus used, we see from verse 17, had two main ingredients. He told the people that the kingdom of God was near. And because of this he called people to repent of their sins and sinfulness. Preaching must always have these two ingredients.

In Jesus Christ and his coming; in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection for us; the kingdom of heaven is brought near us. The meaning of the kingdom of God being near is that the kingdom of God is now open and can be entered. It tells us that Jesus is the one who has brought the kingdom near us, and has opened the gate of the kingdom so that we may enter and have life. The nearness of the kingdom through Christ means that the way to God is open again, and sinners can draw near and be cleansed and brought into fellowship with God again. The fact that the kingdom of God is near means that there is an escape into this wonderful kingdom from the kingdom of this world, which is the kingdom of Satan, and the kingdom of death and darkness. Preaching is to tell people of this wonderful and glorious blessing, and explain what it means, and how Christ has brought the kingdom of God near, and so make the kingdom of God attractive that people may see it and seek it with all their hearts.

The other great purpose of preaching is to call people to repentance. Nothing that defiles can enter this Kingdom of God. Repentance from sin is essential before any soul can be washed and so enter the kingdom. We must be taught our need as sinners. We must see that it is sin and our sinful hearts that has brought us to the darkness of the kingdom of this world. We must see that unless we repent only eternal darkness is our portion. We must see how hateful any sin is to God, and see how hateful our sins are to God, and we must repent from the heart and wish to be rid of our sins. We must see that our sins separate us from God, and shut the kingdom of God to us. Unless we see our need due to sin, and repent crying for mercy, the nearness of the Kingdom of God will be of no avail. Christ came to save sinners, and to bring sinners into the kingdom. He came to save repentant sinners. We must have realised our sin; sorrowed before God over our sin; repented of our sin; before we can come to Christ and be saved.