#22 Jesus Goes to Capernaum
John 2:12 “After this he went down to
Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples, and
continued there for a few days.”
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.:
Leaving the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus and
his companions go “down” to Capernaum (Cana was in the higher hill country.) The
time of the annual Feast of the Passover is approaching, and Jesus will be in
Jerusalem for that. All adult male Jews were urged to be in Jerusalem for this major
celebration.
Going to Capernaum is not on a direct
route to Jerusalem, but requires quite a bit of additional travel distance; it
appears the Lord had a reason to travel this way. Later we will see that Capernaum
will figure much into his future activities. There is no mention of Joseph
being a member of this group now or later.
Alfred Edersheim:
Capernaum will become “His own City”
during the Lord’s earthly ministry in this Lake of Galilee area. Other members
of the Lord’s family may have been with the group at this time. In some of the
later original Greek manuscripts the phrase “his brethren” is translated “his
brothers.” (“Gospel According to John,” Raymond E. Brown, volume 1, 1966.) Capernaum
at this time is a substantial city; it is the station of a garrison, and a
principal custom-house. This is a fertile and beautiful area, close by the Sea
of Galilee, the fruitful plain of Gennesaret, and the snow-capped Mt. Herman to
the north. The Rabbis of that day referred to it as the “Garden of Princes.”
The Sea of Galilee is some 600 to 700 feet
below the level of the Mediterranean and was subject to wild weather surges,
and lashed by sudden storms. It is where on one future night Jesus’ apostles
will be rowing a boat that is about to sink in a violent storm as Jesus sleeps.
And, again later, the opposite side of the lake will be where Jesus
miraculously feeds the 5000. It seems that Capernaum would be ideally situated
for the Lord’s headquarters and home during his early ministry. The exact
location of Capernaum is unknown today.
Glenn R. McGettigan
January 2014; Revised September 2014
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