LEAVING NAZARETH

Matt. 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

Since our times and bounds are appointed by the Lord in order that we may find him, (Acts 17:26-27), we must neither go to a place, nor leave it without being led of the Holy Spirit! The Lord Jesus was both led to Nazareth and left there, only by the Spirit’s leadership! (Matt 2:23, 4:14). Listen at Luke 4:14! And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: And this was no less proof than his Father’s voice proclaming him to be his well-pleasing Son at his baptism! Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Both the Father’s voice, and the Spirit’s leadership answered Satan’s question, “If thou be..!”

And the two names in whose borders he would be frequenting were so named in the struggles for births! For these are the names given the sons of Jacob as his wives were striving in birth! The God man would now be “Dwelling” (Zabulon – Gen. 30:20), with those who must be born again! And in this responsibility there would be the spiritual “Wrestlings of God” (Nephthalim – Gen. 30:8), that He alone could make effectual! For grace for them could only be imputed through Him! 2Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Two things are listed as essential to his making this move into a new location and into his public ministry! The first was that both Hell and Heaven were brought to respect him! – Matt 4:11. The devil-angel left off with his temptations, and the elect angels came to minister to this author of eternal salvation! (Cp. Heb 1:14). One of the things that the true minister of God must have power in, is in prophesying to the Wind! (Ezek 37:9). He must be endued with power from on high! We must possess one within us that is greater than he that is in the world!

The second thing that was essential to his launching out was awaiting until his forerunner was decreased, in order for his own increasing! (John 3:30). As Eternal Son of God, he was not experienced in succession. But now, as the God man, he must in patience posses his spirit! He had to wait in the darkness of the Virgin’s womb. Then he had to await down in Egypt before he could be brought into Israel. Then he had to wait for 30 years in Nazareth! And then he had to wait until John the Baptist’s imprisonment ended his mission! He must prove faithful over these few things, if he would ever be made ruler over all things! (Matt 25:21). Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. And he is at this moment still in a state of expectant waiting! - From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Hebrews 10:13.

Pastor Gene Breed

JESUS CAME PREACHING

Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

One of the most striking statements from the mouth of the Person of the Word, is recorded by Mark in verse 38 of this same chapter. He is sought out by his disciples, while he is taking advantage of the place that he has driven the Devil from, and has now changed from a “wilderness” of temptation to a “solitary” place of prayer! (“wilderness” & “solitary” are from the same Greek word.)  The disciples have evidently been overcome by the crowd pressing around Peter’s door (v. 33), and come boldly to him, seeking to direct him with the wrong agenda! Many well meaning believers today, mistakenly suppose that the church should be guided by social need, rather than by the responsibility to preach the gospel!

But the word that comes from His mouth is very explicit in its redirecting of their minds! Mark 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. By this he tells them that no matter how much enthusiasm is being reveled from the crowds of Capernaum, that meeting is over! The poor you have with you ALWAYS! When there is no unction to preach in a certain place, you can still be ministering socially to the poor and needy! But the gospel is like the flashing of lightening! It is bright! It is revealing! And it is relatively brief! Therefore, it should be valued above all else that the church is assigned to do! It should be supported with belief, with prayers, with making it available, with financial devotedness above all other investment! Luke 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Both the Apostles Peter and Paul shall make reference to His preaching in their own ministries. (Acts 10:36, Rom 16:25). But the Lord’s words never echo in the hills of Galilee again. They are only recalled in the hearts of His believers by the Holy Spirit calling them to their remembrance (John 14:26).

The Voice of the New Creation

How was the natural world created? Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Poor Christendom! – Trying to convince the worldlings, by argument, reason and logic that God spoke the world into existence! And the only way we ever came to understand that was “through faith!”)

And how is the spiritual realm brought forth? Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Scriptures (Heb. 1:3) declare that the Son of God upholds “all things by the word of his power!”  Also in 2 Peter 3:6, 7  we read that it was by the “word of God the heavens were of old!” And also that “the heavens and earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store.”  Both the physical and the spiritual worlds are brought forth by the very word of God! And Jesus Christ is that Word! (John 1:1,2,14).

In fact, the Apostle Paul makes it very clear that the Light of physical creation is the Light of spiritual regeneration! 2Cor. 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That light which God commanded to shine out of darkness was the introducing of the Eternal Son! For the sun, moon and stars were not created until the 4th day of creation! And we have the Son’s testimony as recorded in John 8:12 that he is the “light of the world”, as well as the “light of life!”  Therefore it is a most momentous occasion when the words are recorded, “Jesus Came Preaching!”

The Word on the Waters

Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken;

In the above listed verses we have the Eternal Word on the waters again, speaking worlds and life into existence! Darkness was upon the face of the deep in the old creation. And the people of the new spiritual creation also “sat in darkness!” (Matt 4:16). As the first creation was without form, and was void, so the second creation was in the darkness and disorder of depravity! And the powerful, effectual Word, (He is listed there in Genesis as, “God said!”), brings order out of that chaos. So we have here, in the above verses, the Word sitting in a boat upon the water again, creating regenerated souls by the word of His power.

These waters were once under the power of Satan and his Whore! Rev. 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. But under his transforming power, he makes of those individual sinners to be of one faith, under one Lord, and in one baptism! Of this new spiritual creation, brought forth by the preaching of the word, we read in Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. They may have been brought “out of” every kindred, nation, language and people (Rev. 5:9), but now they are the holy habitation of God (Ephes. 2:22), one building fitly framed together, which groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord!

Our Heavenly Moses has stretched forth the rod of his powerful word and has separated the waters from the waters, the elect from the unbelievers, and brought forth a people, which at one time, were no people. And by gospel grace we have all gone across on dry ground into the realm of His kingdom! Rev. 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

O that the church would be awakened to the fact that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most powerful agent ever turned loose on planet Earth!

Rom. 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: – Let’s be instant, both in and out of season!

Pastor Gene Breed