Matt 4:12B He Departed Into Galilee;

NEW TESTAMENT SURVEY

LECTURE 13

Jesus returns home to Nazareth

Lk 4:14a,16a And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: 16a And he came to Nazareth, where he had

been brought up:

Matt 4:12b …he departed into Galilee;

Mark 1:14a Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,

John 4:43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

Jesus went back to His home town in Nazareth, which is part of the region of Galilee.

Luke 4:14b-22 …and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16b … and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Jn 4:45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things

that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

(4:45) The Galileeans were much more receptive to the Gospel than the Judaeans.

(16) Jesus’ area of ministry prior to this apparently was the reading of the Scriptures. This was a very important part of the Jews ‘synagogue services’; is it for ours?

(17) Was this a scroll or a book? It says ‘book’. Apparently Jesus got to choose where to read in this Book of Isaiah. They didn’t have chapter and verse divisions back then. He read from Is. 61:1,2.

(18,19) He didn’t read the rest of verse 2 “...and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” This prophecy is ‘two-part’: the one is being fulfilled right then and there by Him; the other (what He didn’t quote) would be fulfilled at His Second Coming.

(20,21) They understood that this was a prophecy of the coming Messiah.

(22) The content of the words were full of grace indeed (speaking of Messiah); but they were baffled that He spoke of Himself fulfilling this.

Lk 4:23-27 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Jn 4:44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

(23) They were sign seeking Jews.

(24) It often is hardest to tell the truth of the Bible to your own kinfolk; and, it may be hardest to Pastor a church in the town you grew up in.

(25-27) Jesus is rebuking them here; He could see their hearts; He basically is saying that you all are not special in God’s eyes just because you are a Jew in Israel. God only shows favor to those few, special people that have the right heart… and here they were both Gentiles.

Lk 4:28-30 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

(28,29) Doesn’t sound like a little ‘overkill’? Sounds like how today’s Muslim Jihadists would react. Well, those proud hyper-sensitive Jews didn’t like anyone putting down their religion, their heritage, their people. There are some ethnicities today that seem to way over-react to anyone saying anything negative about them.

I’m sure that the Devil had something to do with the intensity of their reaction here; they were going to throw him over the edge of a cliff and kill Him. These were people that He grew up with (in church)!

(30) Apparently He was able to disappear here and pass right through them in order to escape.

Jesus’ Second Miracle

Jn 4:46-54 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

(46) Following a ‘Circuit-riding’ methodology here. It might be important to return to ‘receptive’ areas every so often.

(47) Some will try just about anything in order to help save their or a loved one’s life: naturopathy, acupuncture, experimental drugs, biofeedback, shamans, psychics, faith healers, etc.! Why not just go to the Healer, Jesus Christ?!

(48)I believe that Jesus was addressing the crowd when He said this. The Jews classically were this way. Some that are involved with the Charismatic movement are this way also; they don’t believe that God is involved with something unless there is some sign or wonder.

(50) This man had seen no sign or wonder but just simply believed based upon who Jesus was (though, he may not have believed here that He was indeed the Messiah). Who is God more impressed with? The Jewish type who basically have to have some sign or wonder to believe; or the Gentile type who simply believes based upon who Jesus is and what His Holy Word says?...

(53) What did he believe here? Probably that Jesus indeed was the Promised Messiah…God.

Jesus Preaches to the Gentiles

Mt 4:13-17…he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is

sprung up.17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mk 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Lk 4:31-32 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

(13) Jesus’ life while on Earth was one fulfillment of prophecy after another.

(14) Isaiah 9:1,2

(16) Just think if the ‘light’ did not come to the dark Gentile nations? You and I would most likely still be sitting in darkness…but, praise God, America has plenty of light in her! But, there are many nations that are mostly in darkness. Who will go to them to let them see the light?!....

(Mk 1) John’s being put into prison signaled that Jesus was to go to Galilee, apparently.

(17) This is what is to be preached to the lost: repent, and believe the gospel. Much contemplation must be put into each of these (avoid ‘easy-believism’). Repentance – from wrong belief? from generally being a sinner by nature? from sinning in general? From specific sins? From all sins ever committed, specifically?.... Believe – that Jesus loves you? Ask Jesus into your heart? Believe that Jesus is God? Believe that He shed His blood for you? Believe all this and not hold to anything else?

Many so-called ‘gospel preachers’ have this all messed up.

(Lk 4) What did He do during the week? Probably walked about ministering to people…talking to them…teaching the disciples… Good design for the ‘Evangelist/church planter’.

The people that come to visit our churches should be ‘astonished at our doctrine’. They need to see that we truly believe it and the preacher/teacher needs to deliver ‘the word’ with power (Holy Spirit’s power). Preachers need to make sure that they put ‘power’ into their preaching/teaching.

Jesus Calls the Disciples into Full-time Service

Mt 4:18-22 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Mk 1:16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea:

for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Mk 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Mk 1:18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

Mk 1:19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who

also were in the ship mending their nets.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

Mk 1:20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and

went after him.

(18) Jn 1:41 shows that these were first called to follow Jesus (as disciples) right after John declared ‘Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!’ Here in Matthew 4, it is some time after that (John is now in prison). Jesus here is calling them to be ‘evangelists’/ full time preachers. Thus, these ‘disciples’ of Jesus were initially pre-occupied with their ‘full time’ job of being ‘fishers’. Jesus wanted their full time job to be a different kind of ‘fishers’.

(19) Jesus often used very effective and realistic analogies for the people to grasp hold of. Fishers of men: have to keep trying over and over until one nibbles or takes a bite; there is bait; try and reel it on in when ready; the hook is very noticeable.

(20) The answering to God’s call needs to be involving a ‘straightway’ leaving of one’s secular occupation; a forsaking of it all. But, most today will slowly but surely over several years or more ‘transition’ to the official ‘answering of the call of God in their life’.

(21) Apparently fishermen can make great ‘Missionaries’; they are hard workers; they are patient; they don’t mind the great outdoors.

(22) Some will not answer God’s call due to a family member (father) who begs them to wait, reconsider, or otherwise prevents them.

If you recognized God’s call right now, what might possibly hinder you from answering it?

Jesus’ Fame Spreads in Syria

Mt 4:23-25 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

(23) ‘All manner’: that is, everything, all kinds; not just chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes like the ‘faith healers’ of today seem to only deal with.
Jesus’ ministry involved teaching, preaching, and healing. Teaching is mentioned first, and healing last… interesting.

(24) Jesus is not so ‘famous’ in Syria now, though. Faith healers today have their fame spread throughout whole nations (Benny Hinn, Copeland, Oral Roberts, etc.).

There were a lot of devil possessed folk back then; how about today, though?

Lunatick probably refers to a psychiatric condition (psychotic, schizophrenic, delusional…)

Palsy would be a neuromuscular condition (cerebral palsy, muscular sclerosis…).

1