From the First Followers of Jesus to His Return to Galilee.
1. =Sources of Information.= Our only account of this period is contained in =John's Gospel=. Read carefully John 1. 19 to 4. 54 for all the facts on record.
2. =Time.= The Saviour came from the temptation in the wilderness either late in February or early in March, A. D. 27, and he began his ministry in Galilee in May, A. D. 28; so that this period embraced nearly =fifteen months=. (Edersheim. According to Andrews it ended in March, and was a year in duration).
3. =Locality.= Most of this year was passed in =Judea=, though there is mention of one journey to =Galilee= soon after the beginning (John 1. 43), and of another at the close (John 4. 3).
4. =Aim.= It is probable that Jesus began his ministry in Judea, the leading province, in order to give to the leaders of the nation the =first opportunity= of accepting him as the Messiah of Israel. Not until Jerusalem and Judea had rejected him did he turn to the people of Galilee.
1. =Bethabara= (or Bethany, as in Rev. Ver.) (John 1. 28). Here occurred the meeting of Jesus with his first followers (John 1. 37).
2. =Cana=, the place of the first miracle (John 2. 1). This was in Galilee, not far from Nazareth.
3. =Capernaum=, named only as a place of a brief visit by Jesus at this time, but later more prominent in the history (John 2. 12). Situated on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
4. =Sychar=, the place of the Samaritan ministry (John 4. 5, 40). This was formerly supposed to be the well-known city of Shechem, but is now more accurately fixed at _Askar_, a small village near to Jacob's well.
5. =Jerusalem.= During this period two events took place in Jerusalem--the cleansing of the temple (John 2. 14, 15), and the conversation with Nicodemus (John 3. 1-21).
III. =Journeys.= We begin in the wilderness of the temptation. 1. From the wilderness to Bethabara. 2. From Bethabara to Cana. 3. From Cana to Capernaum. 4. From Capernaum to Jerusalem and Judea. 5. From Judea to Sychar, and thence to Cana.
IV. We place in order next the =Events= of the Saviour's life during this period.
1. =The first followers.= Read John 1. 35-51 and ascertain the names of four, with hints of two others; for one of two in ver. 40 was John, and the language in ver. 41 implies that each sought his own brother. Notice what traits of character each disciple showed. In this little company, the band out of which grew the Christian Church, we find: 1.) A man who brought people one by one to Jesus. 2.) A deep, spiritually-minded mystic. 3.) A born leader. 4.) A plain, simple-minded believer. 5.) A man of pure, spotless character. What a combination of qualities for the founding of a church!