Reading
- Matt. 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15
- Luke 4:16-30
- Luke 5:1-10a
- Matt. 4:18-22; Luke 5:10b-11
- Mark 1:21-38
- Matt. 4:23-25
- Mark 1:40-45; 2:1-12
Devotional
After Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod, He returned to Galilee, staying in Capernaum. From this point forward Jesus began preaching repentance because the kingdom of heaven was near. Jesus taught in the synagogues. Jesus made a return trip to Nazareth, where He was raised, and went in the synagogue on the Sabbath and declared Himself to be the fulfillment of one of Isaiah's prophecies. People were astonished because they thought they knew Him, saying, "Isn't this Joseph's son?" Jesus rebuked them, saying that a prophet is only dishonored in his hometown. This made the people furious and they were going to throw Jesus over the cliff on which the town was built, but Jesus slipped through their midst.
One day Jesus was beside the Sea of Galilee when the people were crowding around Him. Jesus got into one of the two boats there at the water's edge. This boat was Peter's. Jesus taught the people from Peter's boat and, after finishing His message, He told Peter to put the boat out into the deep water and let down their nets for a catch. Peter, a professional fisherman, replied that they had fished all night long without catching anything, but that at Jesus' command, He would obey.
Peter put down the nets as Jesus commanded, and there was so great a catch that their nets were breaking. They signaled for their partners, James and John, to bring their boat over to help lift the catch of fish. Peter asked Jesus to leave him because he was a sinful man. Jesus told Peter not to be afraid, to follow Him, and from then on Peter would catch men instead of fish. Jesus then called James and John to follow Him also.
Jesus and the apostles went to Capernaum where Jesus went in the synagogue on the Sabbath and taught. There was a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit, which acknowledged Jesus as the Holy One of GOD. Jesus cast out the spirit after commanding it to be quiet. The spirit came out of the man with a shriek. People were amazed at this and Jesus' fame spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.
As soon as they left the synagogue they went to Peter and Andrew's house where Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Jesus healed her and helped her up by the hand. She got up and waited on them. After sunset that day many people came to Jesus to be healed of various illnesses and demon possession. Jesus drove out the demons but prevented them from speaking because they knew who He was.
Early the next morning before sunrise Jesus went out to a private place to pray. Peter and the others searched for Jesus and, when they found Him, Jesus said they needed to travel to a nearby village so He could preach because it was for this purpose He had come. They went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing diseases and sicknesses among the people. Large crowds gathered from all over to hear Jesus and receive healing.
A few days later, Jesus was in a house in Capernaum, and so great a crowd gathered that there was not even any room outside the door of the house. Jesus preached the word to them. Some men lowered a paralyzed man down through the roof so that he could be healed by Jesus. Jesus told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven, which caused the teachers of the law to become angry because only GOD could forgive sins. Jesus knew they were angry in their hearts so He asked them which was easier, to say your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk. Then, to show them Jesus had authority from GOD to forgive sins, because He was GOD, Jesus told the man to get up and walk, which he did.
Jesus' popularity was greatly increasing, as was His influence upon the people. It does not take long before the religious leaders would become very angry with Jesus and begin conspiring to kill Him, because Jesus rebuked them and showed the people how they were not truly men of GOD.
