Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 4:17

"From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." — Matthew 4:17 (ASV)

“From that time on” marks an important turning point because it ties something new to what has just preceded it. The burden of Jesus’ preaching so far is, in itself, identical to that of John the Baptist: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” . But John the Baptist had placed these words in an OT context that highlights his function as the forerunner who looks forward to the Messiah and his kingdom; when Jesus says the same words, they are linked (by “from that time”) with an OT context that insists Jesus fulfills the promises of a light rising to shine on the Gentiles. With Jesus the kingdom has drawn so near that it has actually dawned. Therefore Jesus’ hearers must repent —a demand made not only by the Baptist but by Jesus. The structure of the book thus sets up an implicit parallelism: Jesus is not so much a new Moses as a new Joshua, for as Moses did not enter the Promised Land but was succeeded by Joshua who did, so John the Baptist announced the kingdom and was followed by Jesus (Joshua) who leads his people into it (cf. comment on 1:21).