3. =The Settlement at Nazareth.= (From Egypt to Nazareth.) After the death of Herod, Jesus was taken from Egypt to Galilee, to the village of Nazareth, the early home of Joseph and Mary. Here he spent his youth.
(Matt. 2:19-23.)
4. =The Visit to the Temple.= (From Nazareth to Jerusalem and return.) The only recorded event of the Saviour"s youth, is his journey to Jerusalem, at the age of 12 years, to attend the Pa.s.sover. On the return journey, he was lost by his parents, and after three days, found in the Temple (probably in the Court of the Women), conversing with the doctors of the law. He returned with Joseph and Mary to Nazareth (Luke 2:40-52), and thenceforth no events in his life for 18 years are related.
The places in this period are: (1.) Bethlehem, a village six miles southwest of Jerusalem, now _Beit-lahm_. (2.) The Temple in Jerusalem.
(See plan on page 138.) (3.) Nazareth, a village on the border of the Plain of Esdraelon, in Galilee, now _en Nasireh_, a place of 6,000 population.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE LIFE OF CHRIST
MAP 1.
PERIOD OF PREPARATION, FROM THE BIRTH TO THE BAPTISM.]
OUTLINE REVIEW OF JOURNEYS--FIRST PERIOD.
PERIOD OF PREPARATION.
1. _Presentation in the Temple._ (Bethlehem to Jerusalem and return.) Recognized by Simeon and Anna.
2. _Flight into Egypt._ (Bethlehem to Egypt.) Escape from Herod.
3. _Settlement at Nazareth._ (Egypt to Nazareth.) Childhood and youth.
4. _Visit to the Temple._ (Nazareth to Jerusalem and return.) Found among the doctors.
II. PERIOD OF INAUGURATION.
This embraces 15 months, from the Baptism of Jesus to the Rejection at Nazareth, and contains the record of five journeys. Its places are as follows: 1. Nazareth, already located. 2. Bethabara was formerly supposed to be the ancient Beth-Nimrah, now _Nimrin_, on a small stream east of the Jordan, not far from the Dead Sea. But Conder locates it at _Abarah_, a ford of the Jordan above Beth-shean, and near the Sea of Galilee. 3. "The Wilderness" is probably the uninhabited region of Judaea near the Dead Sea, though it may have been the desert far to the south.
4. Cana is located at _Kefr Kenna_, northeast of Nazareth, though Dr.
Robinson places it at _Kana el Jelil_, 9 miles north of Nazareth. 5.
Capernaum was probably at _Khan Minyeh_, on the west of the Sea of Galilee, though long located at _Tell Hum_, on the north. 6. Jerusalem.
7. Sychar, the ancient Shechem, now _Nablus_, beside Mount Gerizim. The journeys of this period are named, each from its leading event.
1. =The Baptism.= (From Nazareth to Bethabara.) Near the close of John the Baptist"s ministry, Jesus left his carpenter shop at Nazareth, and journeyed down the Jordan Valley to Bethabara. There he was baptized by John, and received from heaven the testimony of his sonship. (Matt.
3:13-17.)
2. =The Temptation.= (From Bethabara to the Wilderness and return.) (1.) Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness, where he fasted 40 days, and overcame the temptations of Satan. (Matt. 4:1-11.) (2.) Returning to Bethabara, he received the testimony of John the Baptist, and met his earliest followers, Andrew and Peter, John, Philip, and Nathanael. (John 1:37-50.)
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE LIFE OF CHRIST
MAP 2.
PERIOD OF INAUGURATION, FROM THE BAPTISM TO THE REJECTION AT NAZARETH.]
3. =The Marriage at Cana.= (Bethabara to Cana and Capernaum.) (1.) Jesus left Bethabara, journeyed up the Jordan Valley to Galilee, and over the mountains to Cana, near Nazareth. Here he was present at a wedding, and wrought his first miracle, turning the water into wine. (2.) Thence, with his mother and brothers, he went down to Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee, and remained a few days. (John 2:1-12.)
4. =The First Pa.s.sover.= (Capernaum to Jerusalem.) (1.) Soon after the wedding feast Jesus went up to Jerusalem, probably by way of the Jordan Valley, to attend the first Pa.s.sover of his ministry. (John 2:13.) (2.) At Jerusalem he a.s.serted his authority by cleansing the Temple from the traders. (John 2:14-22.) (3.) He held the conversation with Nicodemus concerning the new birth, and remained for a time in Judaea, gathering a few disciples, yet not making his ministry prominent, while his forerunner was still preaching. (John 3:1-36.)
5. =The Return to Galilee.= (Jerusalem to Sychar and Cana.) (1.) As soon as the teaching of John the Baptist was ended by his imprisonment, Jesus left Judaea to open his own public ministry. (2.) He went through Samaria, and paused at Jacob"s well for the conversation with the Samaritan woman, and then remained at Sychar, the ancient Shechem, two days. (3.) At Cana, the place of his earlier miracle, he spoke the word of healing for a n.o.bleman"s son, who was sick at Capernaum. (John 4:1-54.)
OUTLINE REVIEW OF JOURNEYS--SECOND PERIOD.
PERIOD OF INAUGURATION.
1. _Baptism._ (Nazareth to Bethabara.)
2. _Temptation._ (Bethabara to Wilderness and return.) (1.) The temptation. (2.) The first followers.
3. _Marriage at Cana._ (Bethabara to Cana and Capernaum.) (1.) The first miracle. (2.) The visit to Capernaum.
4. _First Pa.s.sover._ (Capernaum to Jerusalem.) (1.) The Pa.s.sover. (2.) Cleansing the Temple. (3.) Discourse with Nicodemus.
5. _Return to Galilee._ (Jerusalem to Sychar and Cana.) (1.) The departure. (2.) The woman of Samaria. (3.) The n.o.bleman"s son.
[Ill.u.s.tration: BETHLEHEM.]
III. PERIOD OF EARLY GALILEAN MINISTRY.
This is a period of about four months, from the Rejection at Nazareth to the Sermon on the Mount. It brings to notice six places, most of which have been already noticed. 1. Cana. 2. Nazareth. 3. Capernaum. 4.
Eastern Galilee, the region on the sh.o.r.e of the Sea of Galilee. 5.
Jerusalem. 6. The mountain of the sermon. This was probably _Kurn Hattin_, "the horns of Hattin," a mountain with a double peak, a few miles from the Sea of Galilee. The journeys of this period are four in number.
1. =The Opening of the Ministry.= (From Cana to Nazareth and Capernaum.) (1.) He came (perhaps from Cana) to Nazareth, with the intention of commencing his ministry in his own home. But his towns-people rejected his message, and would have slain him if he had not escaped from their hands. (Luke 4:16-31.) (2.) Rejected in his own city, he removed to Capernaum, which thenceforward was the centre of his ministry for more than a year. (Luke 4:31.) (3.) Here he called from their work at the seaside his four earliest disciples, Simon and Andrew, James and John.
They had known him before, but now left all to follow him. (Luke 5:1-11.) (4.) In the synagogue, on the sabbath, he cast out an evil spirit (Luke 4:33-36), and healed the mother of Peter"s wife. (Luke 4:38-40.)
2. =The Tour in Eastern Galilee.= (From Capernaum through Eastern Galilee and return.) (1.) This journey was probably near the Sea of Galilee, and may not have occupied more than a few weeks. (2.) During its progress he healed a leper, whose testimony led such mult.i.tudes to come seeking miracles that Jesus was compelled to go into retirement.
(3.) On his return to Capernaum he healed a paralytic let down through the roof, and (4.) called the publican Matthew to be one of his disciples. (Luke 5:17-28.)
3. =The Second Pa.s.sover.= (From Capernaum to Jerusalem and return.) (1.) In the spring of the second year of his ministry he went up to the feast at the capital, and while there healed a cripple at the Pool of Bethesda. (John 5:1-47.) (2.) On his return, while walking through the wheat fields, he a.s.serted his authority as "Lord of the sabbath." (Luke 6:1-5.) (3.) On a sabbath soon after, he healed in the synagogue a man with a withered hand. (Luke 6:6-11.)
4. =The Sermon on the Mount.= (From Capernaum to the mountain.) (1.) The opposition of the Pharisees caused Jesus to leave Capernaum and instruct the people by the sea-sh.o.r.e. (Mark 3:7-12.) (2.) He ascended a mountain, probably _Kurn Hattin_, and, after a night in prayer, appointed the Twelve Apostles. (Luke 6:12-16.) (3.) To the disciples and the mult.i.tude he preached the Sermon on the Mount. (Matt. 5-7.)
OUTLINE REVIEW OF JOURNEYS--THIRD PERIOD.
PERIOD OF EARLY GALILEAN MINISTRY.
1. _Opening of the Ministry._ (Cana to Nazareth and Capernaum.) (1.) Rejection at Nazareth. (2.) Settlement at Capernaum. (3.) Calling of Simon and Andrew, James and John. (4.) Demoniac healed, and Peter"s wife"s mother healed.
2. _Tour in Eastern Galilee._ (Capernaum to Eastern Galilee and return.) (1.) Preaching in Galilee. (2.) Leper healed. (3.) Paralytic healed.
(4.) Matthew called.
3. _Second Pa.s.sover._ (Capernaum to Jerusalem and return.) (1.) The cripple at Bethesda. (2.) Through the wheat fields. (3.) Withered hand healed.