Notes and discussion questions from Period 9 of the Life of Jesus: The Beginning of the Great Galilean Ministry.

Reading

• Matt. 4:12-17
• Luke 4:14-30, 5:1-10a
• Matt. 4:18-22
• Luke 5:10b-11
• Mark 1:21-38Matt. 4:23-25
• Mark 1:40-2:12

Jesus travels to Capernaum

• Jesus leaves Nazareth for Galilee, staying in Capernaum.
• News of Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.
• Jesus taught in their synagogues and was glorified by everyone. From this time Jesus began to preach, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus travels to Nazareth

• Jesus read Isa. 49:8-9 in the synagogue on the Sabbath day
• People were shocked, saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
• The people got so angry at Jesus they threw Him out of the town and attempted to kill Him by throwing Him off the cliff but He escaped.

1. What specifically made the people of Nazareth angry enough to try and kill Jesus?

Jesus travels to Galilee

(note: the exact order of events recorded in Luke 4:31-5:11 and Mark 1:14-39 are uncertain.)

• Jesus taught a multitude beside the Sea of Galilee. They thronged Him to the point that He got into Peter’s fishing boat and had Peter put out a little from the land. He taught from the boat.
• After Jesus finished speaking He told Peter to launch out into the deep and put his net down for a catch.  Peter reluctantly agreed and hauled in so many fish that the nets were breaking.
• James, John, Andrew and Peter left their stuff (and Zebedee) behind and followed Jesus.

Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James and John travel to Capernaum

• Jesus taught the people about the Sabbaths.
• Jesus casts out a demon in the synagogue.
• Word of Jesus spread into every place in the region.
• Jesus went to Peter’s house and healed his mother-in-law who was sick with a fever.
• After sunset people brought Jesus the sick and demon-possessed and Jesus healed them and cast out the demons.
• The next morning Jesus got up before sunrise and found a deserted place and prayed.

1. What lessons can we learn from the importance Jesus placed on prayer?
2. Why is it helpful to find a deserted place to pray?  Do you practice this today?

• Peter and a crowd of others found Jesus and tried to keep Him from leaving their city but Jesus persisted.

Jesus travels around Galilee

• Jesus travels throughout Galilee preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
• Jesus’ fame spread throughout Syria and great multitudes followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan River.
• Jesus healed a leper and told him not to tell anyone, however, the leper told everyone. 
• It got so bad that Jesus couldn’t openly enter the city, but instead stayed in deserted places.  People came to Him from every direction.

Jesus travels to Capernaum

• People heard Jesus was in a house and a crowd so large assembled that there was no more room. Jesus preached the word of GOD to them.
• Jesus forgave the sins of a paralytic man whose friends lowered him down through the roof. Some scribes were sitting there reasoning in their hearts that Jesus was blaspheming, and Jesus, perceiving this, healed the paralytic.

1. Why would it be difficult for scribes – those who knew the Law – to properly understand who Jesus was?
2. What was the primary problem the scribes and Pharisees had?

Author: Tim Harris

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