Matthew 4:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

NIV: At once they left their nets and followed him.

NASB: Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

CSB: Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

NLT: And they left their nets at once and followed him.

KJV: And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

NKJV: They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Matthew reports that Peter and Andrew did not hesitate for a moment. Andrew, at least, had already served as a disciple under John the Baptist. The brothers believed Jesus to be the Messiah, the promised Christ who would bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. They understood who Jesus was and the role He was giving them as trainees under His leadership.

They apparently did not even pack up their work. They left their nets behind and immediately began to follow Jesus, demonstrating full commitment to whatever path He would lead them on. Their faith in Jesus is remarkable, though they did not yet have any idea what they were getting into.

Some of the men's willingness to immediately follow Jesus, here, is explained by their earlier encounter with Christ (John 1:35–42). This is not a stranger, it's someone they already know, and have good reason to want to follow.

Matthew 4:18–22 describes Jesus' calling of two sets of brothers to follow Him as His disciples. Both pairs are working as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee as Jesus is walking by. He commands them to follow Him. Both Andrew and Peter, and James and John, immediately do so, leaving behind careers and family.

Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus following His baptism. Now the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to endure tempting by the devil after 40 days of fasting. Jesus demonstrates His sinlessness by resisting all temptations. He begins His ministry in the region of Galilee, settling in Capernaum and calling some disciples to follow Him. Jesus' work in Galilee includes traveling from place to place, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near and healing every kind of affliction. He soon becomes famous, drawing huge crowds from great distances.

Matthew 3 ends with a great affirmation from the voice of God the Father: Jesus is His Son. Immediately after that, God's Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of temptation by the devil. Jesus passes that test and then begins His ministry in the region of Galilee. Jesus begins to call His disciples and travel around the region. He teaches in the synagogues and heals people with every kind of affliction. Jesus' fame grows quickly. This provides Him a large audience for the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to record in chapter 5.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/5/2024 5:39:07 AM