Jesus was led (literally: carried) by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And He was there with the wild beasts (Mark 1:13). After He had fasted for forty days, the tempter came to Him. What a contrast with the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden !

Later Jesus hears news that the forerunner, John, had been cast into prison. And so He begins His ministry by departing to Galilee. It is His Galilean ministry which Matthew reports the events of the Judean ministry are not given by him. These we find in the Gospel of John. He preached in Nazareth and dwelt in Capernaum. What happened in Nazareth is more fully reported by Luke. His own townspeople were filled with wrath and thrust Him out of the city, trying to cast Him down a hill. The first murderous attempt was made in Nazareth.

He preached the message of the Kingdom throughout that region. Peter, Andrew and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, are called by Him into service. They left all, the nets, the ship, and even the father to follow Him and became fishers of men.

For the first time in Matthew we read of the signs which were linked with the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The healing of the sick and the demon possessed were truly signs that the King is Jehovah manifested in the flesh and that the Kingdom had drawn nigh.