34.1 When Jesus made his claim to be the Messiah, the people at Nazareth became angry at him and tried to kill him.
And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Luke 4:21-22
34.2 There is an obvious turn in these sentences. First the people marveled at the gracious words Jesus was speaking, then immediately turned against him. Although his words were gracious, they could not bring themselves to believe that he was the Messiah. That was asking too much. They knew him as a mere carpenter, the son of Joseph. They also knew his mother and other relatives. They were saying these things.
34.3 Jesus heard what they were saying, and knew what they were thinking, so he tried to warn them.
He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.' "
Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went his way. Luke 4:23-30
34.4 Jesus' rejection at Nazareth is mentioned in Matthew
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum... Matthew 4:12-13a
There is no record that Jesus ever returned to Nazareth.
This marks the end of Jesus' first year of ministry.
Remember our chart? (see lesson 24) When John the Baptist was put in prison it marked the end of Jesus' first year of ministry.
34.5 The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke really do not tell us very much about Jesus' first year of ministry. Almost all that we know of this first year comes from the book of John. I am guessing that John was a priest, and that he lived at least several weeks a year in Jerusalem, (although he was from Capernaum he would have been required to serve his two week course). That might be why he was there when Jesus cleansed the temple and, later, spoke with Nicodemus.
Matthew was not one of the original six disciples. (see lesson 26) He would not know what Jesus did during his first year of ministry unless someone else told him. Luke and Mark were not among the original 12 disciples either. Luke got his gospel from eye witnesses, and some say that Mark got his gospel from Peter. Much of what Jesus did in his first year of ministry is told only in the gospel of John.
34.6 Herod Antipas (Herod the Tetrarch), was the one who imprisoned John. He was also the ruler of Galilee. Why did Jesus return to Galilee after he heard that John was put in prison? There is a clue. All of Jesus' disciples lived in Galilee except for Judas Iscariot. And all of them had (probably) been disciples of John, (except for Judas) Jesus went to Galilee to gather them together as his disciples. John had pointed them to him.
Discussion: Why did the people at Nazareth reject Jesus? Were his relatives there that day?
Memory verse: "He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. But as many as recieved Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
John 1:11-12
Quiz: