The Year of Obscurity

From the First Followers of Jesus to His Return to Galilee.

I. =Preliminary Notes= on the period.

1. =Sources of Information.= Our only account of this period is contained in =John's Gospel=. Read carefully John 1. 19 to 4. 54 for all the facts on record.

2. =Time.= The Saviour came from the temptation in the wilderness either late in February or early in March, A. D. 27, and he began his ministry in Galilee in May, A. D. 28; so that this period embraced nearly =fifteen months=. (Edersheim. According to Andrews it ended in March, and was a year in duration).

3. =Locality.= Most of this year was pa.s.sed in =Judea=, though there is mention of one journey to =Galilee= soon after the beginning (John 1.

43), and of another at the close (John 4. 3).

4. =Aim.= It is probable that Jesus began his ministry in Judea, the leading province, in order to give to the leaders of the nation the =first opportunity= of accepting him as the Messiah of Israel. Not until Jerusalem and Judea had rejected him did he turn to the people of Galilee.

II. =Places.=

1. =Bethabara= (or Bethany, as in Rev. Ver.) (John 1. 28). Here occurred the meeting of Jesus with his first followers (John 1. 37).

2. =Cana=, the place of the first miracle (John 2. 1). This was in Galilee, not far from Nazareth.

3. =Capernaum=, named only as a place of a brief visit by Jesus at this time, but later more prominent in the history (John 2. 12). Situated on the north-western sh.o.r.e of the Sea of Galilee.

4. =Sychar=, the place of the Samaritan ministry (John 4. 5, 40). This was formerly supposed to be the well-known city of Shechem, but is now more accurately fixed at _Askar_, a small village near to Jacob's well.

5. =Jerusalem.= During this period two events took place in Jerusalem--the cleansing of the temple (John 2. 14, 15), and the conversation with Nicodemus (John 3. 1-21).

[Ill.u.s.tration: _YEAR OF OBSCURITY._]

III. =Journeys.= We begin in the wilderness of the temptation. 1. From the wilderness to Bethabara. 2. From Bethabara to Cana. 3. From Cana to Capernaum. 4. From Capernaum to Jerusalem and Judea. 5. From Judea to Sychar, and thence to Cana.

IV. We place in order next the =Events= of the Saviour's life during this period.

1. =The first followers.= Read John 1. 35-51 and ascertain the names of four, with hints of two others; for one of two in ver. 40 was John, and the language in ver. 41 implies that each sought his own brother. Notice what traits of character each disciple showed. In this little company, the band out of which grew the Christian Church, we find: 1.) A man who brought people one by one to Jesus. 2.) A deep, spiritually-minded mystic. 3.) A born leader. 4.) A plain, simple-minded believer. 5.) A man of pure, spotless character. What a combination of qualities for the founding of a church!

2. =The first miracle= (John 2. 1-11). In this miracle we find an apt symbol of what Christ came to do among men. He found water, and he turned it into living, spirit-quickening wine.

3. =The visit to Capernaum= (John 2. 12). Why he went we have no means of knowing, and it is idle to speculate.

4. =The first Pa.s.sover= (John 2. 13). The mention of these pa.s.sovers is important, for they enable us to know how long was the ministry of Jesus, and they give us dates for its events. This was the first pa.s.sover of his ministry, not of his life.

5. =Cleansing the Temple= (John 2. 14-17). This was the first public act of his ministry in which he claimed the authority of Messiah in the house of G.o.d. See the prophecy, Mal. 3. 1-3. At the close of his ministry he found that the same evils had crept again into the temple, and purged it a second time (Matt. 21. 12).

6. =Conversation with Nicodemus= (John 3. 1-21). This conversation was remarkable: 1.) From the rank and character of the man (Vers. 3, 10).

2.) From the theme (Ver. 3.) 3). From its results (John 7. 50; 19. 39).

7. =Ministry in Judea= (John 3. 22.) 1.) Its precise place is unknown.

2.) Its relation to John the Baptist (John 3. 26). 3.) Its success (John 4. 1).

8. =Ministry in Samaria= (John 4. 4-42). 1.) What led to it. (Ver. 4.) 2.) Where it took place. (Ver. 5.) 3.) How it began. (Vers. 6, 7.) 4.) Its first convert, a remarkable character, of aptness in speech, penetration, and power to influence others. (Vers. 9, 15, 20, 25, 28, 30, 39.) Compare her brightness with the dullness of Nicodemus. 5.) Its length. (Ver. 40.) 6.) Its results: (Vers. 41,42.) This ministry is a most interesting episode in the life of Jesus.

9. =Return to Galilee= (John 4. 43). 1.) Reason for the journey (John 4.

1-3). 2.) Another reason (Mark 1. 14). 3.) Still another reason (John 4.

44, 45)--that is, he had no honor in his own country until he had obtained it in Judea.

10. =Healing the n.o.bleman's son= (John 4. 46-54). 1.) Where Jesus was.

(Ver. 46.) 2.) Who the man was. (Ver. 46)--literally, "a king's man, courtier." Is his name given in Luke 8. 30? 3.) His spirit, earnestness, persistence, faith. (Vers. 48-50.) 4.) His reward. (Vers. 51, 52.) 5.) Result of the miracle. (Ver. 53.)

Let the student, 1.) Commit this series to memory. 2.) Study the facts in relation to each by searching out the references. 3.) Recall the facts in connection with each event. 4.) Make a list of eight men and two women who were connected with these events and recall what is related of each person.

V. Let us now consider the =General Traits of the Ministry of Christ= during this period.

1. It was =preparatory=. So far as we can perceive, the plans of Christ's kingdom were not as yet revealed, and no general proclamation of it was made. Yet he clearly revealed himself to a chosen few as the Messiah of Israel (John 1. 41, 45: 4. 25, 26).

2. =It was connected with John the Baptist.= The two streams of John's ministry and Christ's ministry run together during this preparatory ministry. John introduced Jesus (John 1. 29-36). The two worked at the same time, in the same way, and not far apart (John 3. 22-24). Both Jesus and John refused to be put into a relation of rivalry, either by their friends (John 3. 25-30) or by their enemies (John 4. 1-3).

3. It was =individual=--that is, to individuals rather than to ma.s.ses of people. We read of no such mult.i.tudes as in the succeeding period, but we find six conversations of Jesus with single persons or small groups.

He sought to gather a few choice disciples rather than many adherents.

4. It was a =teaching= ministry. There were miracles (John 2. 23; 3. 2), but they were not made prominent; and the immediate followers of Jesus were won by what they saw in him and heard from him rather than by wonders wrought by him.

VI. Lastly, we ascertain the =Results= of the Saviour's ministry during this period.

1. It gave him =prominence before the people=. The popular attention was arrested, and there was a transient, superficial acceptance by the many; but Jesus knew the hearts of men too well to trust them (John 2. 23, 24; 3. 26).

2. It led to his =rejection by the rulers=. Though this is not stated it is hinted at in the controversies of the Jewish leaders (John 2. 18); in the conclusion of the gospel writer (John 3. 18-20), and in the reference to the Pharisees (John 4. 1). From this hour the att.i.tude of the capital and the ruling minds was hostile to Jesus. They missed the one great opportunity in their nation's history.

3. It drew around him =chosen followers=. From this time there was a company of disciples with Jesus. They returned to their homes in Galilee for a time, but were soon called to leave all and accompany their master. To some of them we find three separate calls (John 1. 37-42; Matt. 4. 18-22 more than a year later, and Mark 3. 13, 14, later still).

4. =It prepared for his ministry in Galilee.= The fame of Christ's acts in Judea went before him to Galilee, awakened curiosity, and gave him a ready reception on his return (John 4. 45). We shall find in the next period great mult.i.tudes thronging after Jesus as the result of his ministry in Judea.

Blackboard Outline

I. =Pre. Not.= 1. =Sour. Inf.= Jno. 2. =Ti.= 15 m. 3. =Loc.= Jud. 4. =Aim.= Fir. opp.

II. =Pla.= 1. Beth. 2. Can. 3. Cap. 4. Syc. 5. Jer.

III. =Jour.= 1. W. B. 2. B. C. 3. C. C. 4. C. J. & J.

5. J. S. & C.

IV. =Even.= 1. Fir. Foll. 2. Fir. Mir. 3. Vis. Cap. 4. Fir. Pa.s.s.

5. Cle. Tem. 6. Con. Nic. 7. Min. Jud. 8. Min. Sam. 9. Ret.

Gal. 10. Heal. n.o.b. Son.

V. =Gen. Tra.= 1. Prep. 2. Con. J. Bap. 3. Ind. 4. Tea.

VI. =Res.= 1. Prom. 2. Rej. rul. 3. Cho. fol. 4. Prep. Min. Gal.