[Matthew 4:12-17]

It is so easy to imagine how things might have looked around Jesus.

We read that after John was arrested, Jesus goes back to Galilee. From this time on, Matthew says, Jesus will start preaching exactly the same message that John was preaching: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven in near.

We see this as a scene from a movie. A man is preaching a challenging message. He gets hauled off to jail. There is a moment of silence. Everyone wonders what will happen, who will take up the banner, who will take his place. And then, in the distance, we see one person. Hesitantly, at first, almost timidly, we hear the battle cry of the first man in a squeaky voice.

“Yes,” we think, “someone will do this. It will be tough but there is a new messenger.”

And we would have been captivated by our familarity with one version of hero stories.

And we would be wrong.

When Jesus heads to Galilee and with a strong voice begins to proclaim what John had been saying, we realize that this isn’t the second generation in the family business. This isn’t the timid cousin. This isn’t some guy suddenly thrust into prominence.

Far from it.

This is a guy who willingly had John baptize him, not because of sin but because of identification.

This is a guy who rebuffed the temptations of the enemy of our souls.

This is a guy who had a voice from heaven and a dove and angels.

Here’s the image I have:

There’s a concert. The warmup band is on stage, doing covers of the main band’s anthem. The headliner walks around the back of the hall listening. Getting ready. Gauging the audience.

And when he takes the stage, no one’s confused.