#28 Jesus Preaches in Galilee

#28 Jesus Preaches in Galilee

                   Please first read: Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15; John 4:45

JST Luke. 4:15 “who believe on his name” – an important communication change

Jesus has been now been teaching and proclaiming his divine Sonship for some nine months throughout Judea, and after the short stop in Samaria goes into Galilee where he will continue his work.

He is returning to his “homeland,” (Nazareth and Galilee) the land of his childhood and youth, but he now returns “in the power of the Spirit” to a people who “received him, having seen all the things he did at Jerusalem at the feast.” “A fame of him” has spread “through all the regions round about.” The Galileans seem to receive him favorably as many of them went to Jerusalem at Passover time, saw him there at the feasts, and witnessed his healings, miracles, and the things he taught. Jesus is welcomed into their synagogues to teach and is “glorified by all.” His teaching would include principles, doctrines, laws, and ordinances necessary to achieve exaltation; the same requirements as for us today, the Plan of Salvation.

There are eager listeners in the synagogues to hear him. Jesus himself becomes now, and for the remainder of his earthly ministry, the greatest source of testimony of Who He Is! What did Jesus now teach? “Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God; that is, he taught that the kingdom of God, which is the Church of Jesus Christ, had again been set up on the earth, and that it was the only true and living Church upon the whole earth.”      

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:

          

“Parables, healings, teachings, sermons – all that our Lord said and did – can only be understood when considered in their relationship to … the fullness of the everlasting gospel which Jesus came to teach.”  

We know that Jesus restored the true Church during his ministry on earth, but we have no time line on the events involved. President Joseph Fielding Smith said of this time: “During his mortal ministry Christ himself organized the Church. He spoke frequently of the kingdom of heaven, and that is the Church.”

With the imprisoning of John the Baptist, the Savior is the sole carrier of the gospel message.

“Repent” seems to be the first recorded subject of his teaching, as it was for his cousin John … “Repent … “for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” In the Greek manuscripts the word for “repent” means to change one’s mind. When Jesus calls on his listeners to repent he is calling them to become completely new creatures, hence we see words like “rebirth, reborn, born again.”

Jesus is initially well received as he enters this area of Galilee, but that will not last very long and he will soon move his headquarters to Capernaum.

It seems certain/probable? That many of both the believers and nonbelievers of the Savior would make some comparisons between Jesus and Moses. All four gospel writers portray in different ways that Jesus is at least the equal of Moses: Jesus fasting forty days before starting his ministry – Moses spending forty days with the Lord on Mt. Sinai; Moses leading the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and being the mediator and bringer of the law of Moses between God and the people – Jesus being the mediator to bring the  people out of spiritual (and they hoped physical) bondage, to fulfill the law of Moses, and install the higher law of the Gospel (the new Covenant). There are various similarities of the two leaders in behavior, actions, chastising, warnings and promises, miracles, teachings. Moses seemingly came to the Israelites from out of the desert and Jesus seems to now appear also from nowhere out of the desert. To this time Moses is their greatest prophet … to those who believe in Jesus, he will be at least an equal, and then greater.

At least one gospel writer (Matthew) refers to some of the events in Jesus’ life as the fulfilling of Old Testament prophecies.

                                

Galilee: LDS Bible Dictionary:

For a number of reasons this was a good area for the Savior to go to at this time. It is in the northern – most end of Palestine and a goodly distance from Jerusalem (100+miles). It is about sixty by thirty miles in area and has some of the best fertile land, an excellent climate, and produces large crops of olives, wheat, barley, and grapes. By the Sea of Galilee the fisheries were a great source of wealth and produced a large export trade. It had some of the busiest towns of all Palestine and was crossed by important highways leading to Damascus, Egypt, and the East. Many caravans and much commerce passed through the area and it was heavily populated with an active people.

Glenn R. McGettigan    

September 2014

References:

“Mortal Messiah.” Book 2. McConkie

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” Volume 1. McConkie

“Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” Volume 1. Holzapfel

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark

“Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” Volume 1. Edersheim

“Days of the Living Christ.” Volume 1. Skousen

“Study of the Four Gospel.” Ludlow

“Doctrines of Salvation.”  Volume 1. Smith