Questions for Students

What book is our only source of information for this period? How long was the period? Where was it mostly pa.s.sed? What was Christ's aim at this time? Name the five places of the period, and an event at each. Give in order the ten events of this period. Who were the first six followers of Jesus? What was his first miracle, and where wrought? Where did Jesus go for his first pa.s.sover? Name two events that took place at this visit. Where did Jesus preach for a time? What led him to another province? Whom did he meet there, and at what place? How long did he stay in the province of Samaria? What were his reasons for returning to Galilee? What miracle did he work on his return? What were the circ.u.mstances of this miracle?

What were the general traits of Christ's ministry during this period? What were the results of his ministry? How did it prepare the way for his work in Galilee?

SIXTH STUDY

The Year of Popularity

From the Rejection at Nazareth to the Discourse on the Bread of Life

I. =General Aspects of the Ministry of Christ during the Period.=

1. =Its Time.= It was either a little less or a little more than a year, according to different authorities. According to Dr. Edersheim it extended from May, A. D. 28, to April, A. D. 29; according to Dr.

Andrews, from March, A. D. 28, to April, A. D. 29.

2. =Its Locality.= The princ.i.p.al sphere of Christ's activity during this year was Galilee, though he made one visit to Jerusalem (John 5. 1).

3. =Its Aim.= The purpose of Jesus during this year seems to have been to proclaim the new kingdom of G.o.d as widely as possible, and to make men acquainted with its principles. The theme of his preaching is given in Matt. 4. 17. The deeper themes of the Gospel were reserved for a later time and a select body of hearers; and those aspects were presented which all men could at once comprehend, as the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

4. =Its Activity.= No other year in the Saviour's life was crowded so thickly with journeys and labors. See its summary in Matt. 4. 23-25. We can trace eight distinct journeys from Capernaum to various regions during this year.

5. =Its Divisions.= The number of events left on record makes a subdivision of this period necessary, and we find a convenient place at the Sermon on the Mount, which marks a point of departure in the Saviour's ministry. The =Early Galilean Ministry= extends from the rejection at Nazareth to the Sermon on the Mount, and the =Later Galilean Ministry= from the Sermon on the Mount to the discourse on the Bread of Life. During the earlier section the ministry was personal and the range was less extended; during the later Jesus sent his apostles forth to labor, and his own journeys were longer and in new fields.

II. =The Places.= Though the Saviour visited many places during this year only seven have been named in the gospels. These are:

1. =Capernaum=, his home during the period (Matt. 4. 15). From this place he went forth on all of his preaching tours, and to it he returned. Its privilege (Matt. 11. 23, 24). It was situated on the northwestern sh.o.r.e of the Sea of Galilee.

2. =Nazareth.= Twice in this period Jesus was at this place: at its beginning (Luke 4. 16), and again in the middle of the year (Matt. 13.

54). On both occasions he was rejected by the people (Luke 4. 28, 29; Matt. 13. 57).

3. =Nain.= This was a city southwest of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus restored a young man to life (Luke 7. 11).

4. =The Mountain.= A few miles from Capernaum and west of the Sea of Galilee is a mountain (probably Kurun Hattin, "the horns of Hattin") where was delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5. 1).

5. =Bethsaida=, a place on the northern sh.o.r.e of the Sea of Galilee, east of the river Jordan. Near this was wrought the miracle of Feeding the Five Thousand (Mark 6. 45).

6. =Gergesa.= A place on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the Sea of Galilee, called also =Gerasa= (Mark 5. 1; Luke 8. 26. Rev. Ver.).

7. =Jerusalem.= We read of one visit to the capital during this period (John 5. 1).

III. =The Early Galilean Ministry.=

1.) =The Journeys.= Combining the accounts in the four gospels we find that the journeys were the following:

2.) =The Settlement at Capernaum= (Cana to Nazareth and Capernaum). From Cana, where Jesus was at the close of the preceding period, he went to Nazareth (Luke 4. 16), probably intending to begin his ministry there; but being rejected went down to Capernaum and made it the headquarters of his ministry (Luke 4. 30, 31).

3.) =Tour in Eastern Galilee= (Capernaum, Eastern Galilee, and return).

From Capernaum Jesus went forth on a preaching tour through the villages near the Sea of Galilee (Luke 4. 43, 44).

4.) =A Visit to Jerusalem= (Capernaum to Jerusalem and return). Mention is made in John 5. 1 of a feast in Jerusalem which Jesus attended, but it is uncertain whether Pa.s.sover, Tabernacles, or Purim is meant.

5.) =The Mountain Journey= (Capernaum to the mountain and return). For the purpose of quiet meditation and the call of his apostles Jesus went to a mountain near the Sea of Galilee. There he chose the twelve and gave to them and the mult.i.tudes around the Sermon on the Mount (Mark 3.

13, 14; Matt. 5. 1).

[Ill.u.s.tration: _YEAR OF POPULARITY

PART ONE_]

IV. =Events of the Early Galilean Ministry.=

1.) With the first Journey, the _Settlement at Capernaum_, we connect the following events:

1. =The Rejection at Nazareth= (Luke 4. 16-30).

2. =The First Disciples Called= (Luke 5. 1-11). They had already been followers of Jesus, but now were called upon to leave their homes and become his disciples.

3. =Miracles at Capernaum= (Mark 1. 21-34). The gospel writers select the scenes of one day and show many miracles, in the synagogue, at Peter's house, and in the street.

2.) With the Second Journey, the _Tour in Eastern Galilee_, we find two events named:

4. =Healing of the Leper= (Mark 1. 40-45). This took place during the journey.

5. =Healing the Paralytic= (Mark 2. 1-12). This took place after the return to Capernaum.

3.) With the Third Journey, the _Visit to Jerusalem_, we note two events:

6. =The Miracle at Bethesda= (John 5. 1-16). Read this in the Rev. Ver. and note what is omitted. Observe also what resulted from this miracle in Jerusalem (John 5. 16-19).

7. =The Withered Hand= (Mark 3. 1-6). This probably took place at Capernaum, soon after the return from Jerusalem.

4.) With the Fourth, the _Mountain Journey_, we note two events:

8. =The Call of the Twelve= (Mark 3. 7-19). This was at the mountain.

9. =Sermon on the Mount= (Matt. 5-7). This sermon is omitted in Mark and abbreviated in Luke, but reported fully in Matthew.

To the Teacher

1. Let the outline of the lesson be committed to memory.

2. Let one scholar draw the maps in presence of the cla.s.s, another insert the places, a third indicate and name the journeys.

3. Then let one scholar name all the events with the first journey; another the events of the second journey, etc.