Yeshua Begins His Galilean Ministry

Yeshua had spent two days with the Samaritans, and many had become Believers because of His words before He returned to Galilee.

But when He arrived in the Galil, the people there welcomed Him because they had seen all He had done at the festival in Yerushalayim since they had been there too. ⁴⁶ He went again to Kanah in the Galil, where He had turned the water into wine. An officer in the royal service was there; His son was ill in K’far-Nachum (Capernaum).

The Greek term used here could denote a member of the royal family of Herod, but it more likely refers to a Roman official serving Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, on behalf of Rome.

⁴⁷ This man, on hearing that Yeshua had come from Y’hudah to the Galil, went and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ Yeshua answered, “Unless you people see signs and miracles, you simply will not trust!” ⁴⁹ The officer said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰ Yeshua replied, “You may go; your son is alive.” The man believed what Yeshua said and left.

The boy’s healing is connected to the father’s belief in Yeshua’s ability to heal.

⁵¹ As he was going down, his servants met him with the news that his son was alive ⁵² So he asked them at what time he had gotten better; and they said, “The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon.” ⁵³ The father knew that that was the very hour when Yeshua had told him, “Your son is alive,” and he and all his household trusted. ⁵⁴ This was a second sign that Yeshua did; He did it after He had come from Y’hudah into the Galil. ~ Yochanan 4:45-55

We will be shifting our focus away from Yochanan for several posts and looking at the other Gospel accounts of Yeshua’s ministry. We will learn that Yeshua does not come as a religious leader in the traditional sense. Instead, He takes His ministry to the city streets and country roads, homes and fields, and wherever else the ordinary people might be found. He is particularly fond of attending the Jewish Synagogues, where the commoner is permitted to discuss the meaning of the Scriptures.

Coming of the Kingdom Preached

Yeshua takes His ministry primarily to the Galil. He was using the city of K’far-Nachum as His base of operation. Mattityahu begins his account of that portion of Yeshua’s ministry by quoting from Yeshayahu (Isaiah).

¹²When Yeshua heard that Yochanan had been put in prison, he returned to the Galil; ¹³ but he left Natzeret and came to live in K’far-Nachum, a lakeshore town near the boundary between Z’vulun and Naftali. ¹⁴ This happened in order to fulfill what Yeshayahu the prophet had said,

¹⁵ “Land of Z’vulun and land of Naftali, toward the lake, beyond the Yarden, Galil-of-the-Goyim ¹⁶ the people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death, light has dawned.” ^[1]

¹⁷ From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” ^{[2] 14} Reports about Him spread throughout the countryside. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, and everyone respected Him. ^[3]

Our next post will examine Yeshua Rejected in Natzeret.

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^[1] Yeshayahu 8:23-9:1.

^[2] Mat., 4:12–17.

^[3] Luke 4:14–15).