Jesus' Ministry Begins

HOMEPAGE QuotesFromOT 1 QuotesFromOT 2 N.T. (GOSPELS) Feasts/Loc's Late Life John BeforeMinistry Ministry Itin'ry Ministry Chro1 Ministry Chro2 Ministry Chro3 Ministry Chro4 MinChroAltern Min'tryBegins Cana/Nazareth Capernaum1 Capernaum2 SeaOfGal 1 Parable1 Parable2 Parable3 *Sermon1 *Sermon2 *Sermon3 *Sermon4 *Sermon5 *SeaOfGal 2 O.T. (PSALMS) Psalm Topics Psalms 1 - 6 Psalms 7 - 11 Psalms 12 - 18 Psalms 19 - 24 Psalms 25 - 27 Psalms 28 - 35 Psalms 36 - 41 Psalms 42 - 50 Psalms 51 - 59 Psalms 60 - 68 Psalms 69 - 72 Psalms 73 - 77 Psalms 78 - 79 Psalms 80 - 83 Psalms 84 - 85 Psalms 86 - 88 Psalms 89 - 90 Psalms 91 - 92 Psalms 93 - 94 Psalm 95 Psalms 96 - 98 Psa 99 - 102 Psa 103 - 104 Psa 105 - 106 Psa 107 - 109 Psa 110 - 113 Psa 114 - 116 Psa 117 - 118 Psalm 119A Psalm 119B Psa 120 - 126 Psa 127 - 132 Psa 133 - 134 Psa 135 - 136 Psa 137 - 138 Psa 139 - 140 Psa 141 - 144 Psa 145 - 150 *PerMtMkLk1 *PerMtMkLk2 *PerMtMkLk3 *PerMtMkLk4 *PerMtMkLk5 *PerMtMkLk6 *PerMtMkLk7 *PerMtMkLk8 *PerMtMkLk9 *PerMtMkLk10 *PerMtMkLk11 *PerMtMkLk12 *PerMtMkLk13 *PerMtMkLk14 *PerMtMkLk15 *PerMtMkLk16 *PerMtMkLk17 *PerMtMkLk18 *PerMtMkLk19 *PerMtMkLk20 *PerMtMkLk21 *PerMtMkLk22 *PerMtMkLk23 *PerMtMkLk24 *PerMtMkLk25 *PerMtMkLk26 *PerMtMkLk27 *PerMtMkLk28 *PerJohn1 *PerJohn2 *PerJohn3 *PerJohn4 PerJohn5 PerJohn6 PerJohn7 PerJohn8 PerJohn9 N.T. (REST) *Acts 1 & 2 *Acts 3 & 4 *Acts 5 & 6 *Acts 7 *Acts 8 & 9 *Acts 10 & 11 *Acts 12 & 13 *Acts 14 & 15 *Acts 16 & 17 *Acts 18 & 19 *Acts 20 & 21 *Acts 22 & 23 *Acts 24 - 26 *Acts 27 & 28 Roma 1 - 3 Roma 4 - 6 Roma 7 - 9 Roma 10 - 13 Roma 14 - 16 1stCor 1 - 4 1stCor 5 - 8 1stCor 9 - 11 1stCor 12 - 14 1stCor 15 & 16 2ndCor 1 - 4 2ndCor 5 - 8 2ndCor 9 - 11 2ndCor 12 - 13 Gala 1 - 3 Gala 4 - 6 Ephe 1 - 3 Ephe 4 - 6 Phlp 1 - 4 Colo 1 - 4 1stThe 1 - 5 2ndThe 1 - 3 1stTim 1 - 6 2ndTim 1 - 4 Titu 1 - 3 Phlm Hebr 1 - 3 Hebr 4 - 7 Hebr 8 - 10 Hebr 11 - 13 Jame 1 - 5 1stPet 1 - 3 1stPet 4 & 5 2ndPet 1 - 3 1stJoh 1 - 5 2ndJoh 3rdJoh Jude Reve 1 - 3 Reve 4 - 8 Reve 9 - 13 Reve 14 - 17 Reve 18 - 20 Reve  21 & 22 ++ Greek (Intro.) VI (Ephe) XI (1stTim) XII (2ndTim) XIII (Titu) XIV (Phlm) XV (Hebr) XVI (Jame) XVII (1stPet) XVIII (2ndPet) PART I, A-C PART I, D PART I, E PART I, F PART II O.T. (PART I) FrontCover BackCover Preface PerspectivesA PerspectivesB PerspectivesC CommentsOLD CommentsNEW LinksScripture Links1ChuMin Links2ChuMin LinksMusCam Links1Green Links2Green LinksJewish LinksOther oldCap1 oldCap2 oldSOG1 oldPar2

The Scripture coverages below are: Scattered + Mt 4:12-17 & Jn 2:1-25 

A. Below is the beginning of Jesus' travel-movement (itinerary) upon returning to Galilee after being baptized (note that all of this part A. is from John): comparing A. & B., it becomes clear that all throughout Galilee to Jerusalem to Galilee to the northwest area of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus had 2 disciples (Philip & Nathaniel)-- after which He acquired 4 more by the sea:

  1. After being baptized & later encountering John, John 1:28-29a,35,40,43 has, This (John's baptizings & proclamations) happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan from Jerusalem where John was baptizing. The next day (the 1st day after being baptized-- Jesus yet on the other side of the Jordan) John saw Jesus. The next (the 2nd) day John was there again with 2 of His disciples-- which disciples, Andrew & ?, followed Jesus for that 1 day. The next (The 3rd) day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee-- Philip followed Jesus to Galilee.
  2. Now we see in John 2:1-11 Jesus turned water to wine: On the 3rd day after returning to His homeland of Galilee a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, & Jesus & His disciples, Philip & Nathaniel, had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, They have no more wine. Dear woman, why do You involve Me? Jesus replied. My time for My full ministry to start has not yet come. His mother, catapaulting His full ministry anyway, said to the servants of the master, 'Do whatever He tells You.' The Holy Spirit initiated the son's full ministry when she spoke to the servants of the master. Nearby stood 6 stone water jars, the kind used for ceremonial washings, each holding 20-30 gallons. Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim. The son instructed the servants to fill the jars of clay with the water of life that ceremoniously washes-- they filled them to the brim! Then He told them, Now draw some out & take it the master of the banquet. They did so, & the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside & said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine 1st & then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.' The master of the banquet tasted the water of life that had been turned into new wine that became overflowing new wine, so that he might say, 'Well done, thou good & faithful servants! This, the 1st of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, & His disciples put Their faith in Him.
  3. Then we see John 2:12-25 Jesus cleared the Temple courts & described the true Temple: After this He went downhill to Capernaum with His mother & brothers & His 2 disciples. There They stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish passover, Jesus went uphill to Jerusalem. In the Temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep & doves, & others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of chords, & drove all 4-legged animals from the Temple area, both sheep & cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers & overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, Get these out of here! How dare You turn My FATHER'S House into a market! His disciples remembered that it is written in Psa 69:9a: Zeal for YOUR House will consume Me. Then the Jews demanded of Him-- this was in Jerusalem; we shall see that in Galilee crowds followed Him (including teachers of the Law & Pharisees), but there the attitudes ranged from respect to light confrontation, What miraculous sign can You show Us to prove Your authority to do all this? Jesus answered Them, Destroy this Temple, & I will raise it again in 3 days. The Jews replied, It has taken 46 yrs. to build this Temple, & You going to raise it in 3 days? But the Temple He had spoken of was His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then They believed the Scripture & the words that Jesus had spoken. Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing & believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in a man.
  4. John 2:14 - 3:21; 3:22-36; & 4:1-42 describes various events that occurred in Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria-- but take note that John 3:24 says this was before John was put in prison.
  5. We see in John 4:46,54 that Once more He visited Cana in Galilee. This was the 2nd miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee-- for the full account, see Cana/Nazareth A.2. This also is where the proverb was established that is referred to immediately below.
  6. Now we see Him for the 1st time in His hometown of Nazareth, where Jesus quoted the proverb about Capernaum (the healing of the royal official's son in Capernaum, at the request of the father in Cana-- see John 4:43-54) .
  7. After this He went to Capernaum-- & just south to the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  8. So thus far the itinerary was: Jordan R. to Cana to Capernaum to Jerusalem to Samaria to Cana to Nazareth to Capernaum to the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee.

B. Now we see 3 other Gospel accounts-- it's imperative to note the highlighted portions. All 3 of them obviously skip over much time, as John has: Jesus going to Galilee in 1:43; the wedding at Cana in 2:1; Jesus in Capernaum in 2:12, Jesus going to Jerusalem in 2:13; Jesus in the Judean countryside in 3:22; & John yet free in 4:1 (he was yet baptizing!). Also, take note that below (3rd pt.) Luke mentions a proverb which we saw above came after Jesus returned from Judea (in parthicular, note v. 45b):

  • Matt 4:12-13a has, When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He returned again to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went & lived in Capernaum-- see below about the remainder in Capernaum.
  • Mark 1:14 has, After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of GOD.
  • Luke 4:14-16,23 says, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, & news about Him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, & everyone praised Him. He went to Nazareth (His hometown), where He had been brought up, & on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read. Afterward Jesus said to Them, Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard You did in Capernaum. I.e., He went to various locations in Galilee with just the 2 disciples He had acquired earlier-- as He returned from being baptized (Philip), then Nathaniel (later He left Capernaum & acquired 4 more disciples at the Sea of Galilee (Simon Peter, Andrew, James & John).

C. So, upon entering Galilee from the Judea He went:

  1. north-northwest 40 mi. to Cana. As we see in John 2:1-11, there He was re-united with His family that He had not seen since He went across the Jordan R. to be baptized & tempted. Cana was the home of disciple Nathanael; there He attended a wedding (where His full ministry began). There, where His mother was (Jesus & His disciples had also been invited), is where Jesus performed the 1st of His miraculous signs. The 2 disciples He had then were Philip from the town of Bethsaida (on the NW side of the Sea of Galilee-- later called the Sea of Tiberias), & Nathanael from Cana (John 1:43-45; 21:2);
  2. John 2:12 has Him then going 15 mi. east-northeast to Capernaum with His mother, brothers & His disciples-- on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. There They stayed for a few days.
  3. Next He went some 80 mi. south-southwest (yet with the 2 disciples) to Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria (see Psalms 141 - 144 Psalm 143 2. Woman #8 used-of-God The Samaritan Woman).
  4. Then He returned to Galilee, going the 80 mi., but 1st to Cana (16 mi. west of Capernaum). There the proverb was given about His having done a work in Capernaum-- actually, it was in Cana that He healed a centurion's son, who lived/remained in Capernaum.
  5. Leaving Cana, He went 12 mi. south to Nazareth & then 26 mi. northeast to Capernaum. Matt 4:12-17 says, When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went & lived in Capernaum, which is by the lake in the area of Zebulun & Naphtali-- to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun & land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isa 9:1bc-2). Luke 2:32 has, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, & for glory to YOUR People Israel [a covenant for the people (Isa 42:6b); salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa 49:6b; Acts 13:47b); light to HIS Own People (Acts 26:23b)]. From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near.
  6. Next He went perhaps a mi. or so south, by the Sea of Galilee, & acquired 4 more disciples-- it could have been at any point along the Sea, for there were reportedly many fishing towns along there (Capernaum was the most developed). But though both Matt 4:18-22 & Mark 1:16-20 cover these disciple-additions, & both start off, 'As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee', note that Mark 1:21 specifically says, They went back to Capernaum (see  PerMtMkLk1 A.1. for both full accounts).