I’m visiting Israel at the end of October 2022 with a church tour group. I am meditating on the cities we’re going to so I can grasp something of the history of the place. We are starting at Joppa, next to Tel Aviv, and making a circuit counterclockwise around the land, ending at Jerusalem. Here is one meditation.
CAPERNAUM became Jesus’s new home after Nazareth. After His baptism in the Jordan by John and His testing in the wilderness (Matt. 4:13), He was led by the Spirit to His main ministry around the Sea of Galilee. He left the obscurity of Nazareth and made His home at Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea.
At that time Jesus began to preach publicly, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Because of their privilege of hearing this message of the long-awaited kingdom, He said of Capernaum that they were exalted to heaven (Matt. 11:23).
This kingdom of God of which He preached has come and is here now. The kingdom is seen in the areas of our lives that we yield up to King Jesus for Him to rule for His good pleasure.
Jesus did notable works in the city. There, a centurion asked Him to heal his servant (Matt. 8:5). Jesus would have gone with him, but the Roman military officer told Him that all He had to do was give the command and the servant would healed. Jesus marveled at his faith, and sent His blessing from afar.
Jesus preached in the synagogue and a house, and many came. In one incident, He healed a paralytic that several men had let down through the roof.
He did not shy away from speaking hard things. He gave the talk recorded in John 6 there and many disciples left Him. In another case, He enraged the hearers when He said that God healed the Gentile leper and widow and not the Jewish ones. They very nearly cast Him off a hill (Luke 4:29). As we saw with the centurion, a Gentile had more faith than those of Jewish culture and upbringing.
In the end, after all His work there, He preached, “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades” (Luke 10:15). His miracles gave witness to His message of repentance in light of the kingdom of God. But they did not respond and repent. The Father had committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22), and we see here that Jesus had already rendered His verdict.
By taking the resurrected Jesus at His word, we will be born again and enter the kingdom of God. When we continue in faith in Him, we will have the possibility of being exalted in the kingdom of heaven, of ruling with Him (Rev. 3:21).
