12Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
| 15"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." |
17From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
I hadn't realized it was so soon after Jesus' baptism that John had been put in prison. But John had accomplished what he needed to do. He prepared the way for Jesus. He started spreading the word that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. And he baptized Jesus with water so God could baptize Him with the Holy Spirit. Because of John's work, Jesus could now begin His ministry.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, was taken to Egypt for his safety, then was returned to Nazareth, Galilee once it was safe for his family to return. I don't have a map of the area, but I get the impression that Galilee and the Jordan are two different regions. With this interpretation, the following describes how I see it:
Jesus left Galilee to be baptized by John in the Jordan, then was lead into the wilderness in the Jordan to be tempted by the devil. After leaving the wilderness, still being in the region of the Jordan, he found out that his friend John had been put in prison. So He left the Jordan and headed back to Galilee, going through Nazareth, and finally stopped in Capernaum. Actually, it says he dwelt in Capernaum. So I believe it means this was to be his home for now, not simply a place he was going through as he preached.
Where is Capernaum? It says it is beyond the Jordan. First I thought it meant that it was beyond the Jordan, Galilee, indicating that the Jordan is within Galilee, but the way it has the lines split in quoting the scripture, I don't think that is what it meant. It almost makes it seem like the area of Capernaum, Zebulun and Naphtali is considered the Galilee of the Gentiles. Is this Galilee considered the same region as Nazareth, Galilee?
I hadn't realized that Jesus started His work in a land more heavily populated by Gentiles. These people who sat in darkness, these non-Jews who were not brought up on all the scripture shared with the Jews, see a great light in Jesus. And upon these people whose eternal life was sitting in the shadow of death, light has dawned. It sounds like Jesus is going to where he is needed the most!
John prepared the way for Jesus, preaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus is taking up right where John left off, preaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This was such an important message that even with John in prison, the message was continued to be taught without hardly even a pause. John was a voice crying out in the wilderness. Jesus was a light shining in the darkness. Both these phrases emphasize the hope and salvation being brought to a lost and confused people.