Matthew 14-17: Galilee

Jesus grew up in Galilee and the greater part of His ministry centered in this land - in the cities and countryside surrounding the Sea of Galilee.

His base of operations was in Capernaum, which is on the north of the Sea.

In our reading today, Jesus fed the 5000 in some hills beside the Sea.

Genessaret was just to the south-west of Capernaum, also on the Sea. This was the city where Jesus and His disciples landed after He and Peter walked on the water (Matt. 14:34).

Tyre and Sidon are on the coast of the Mediteranean Sea, to the north-west from Galilee. This is where Jesus had the discussion with the Canaanite woman in Matt. 15:21-28.

He then returned to the Sea of Galilee and fed the 4000 somewhere in the surrounding mountains (Matt. 15:29).

After sending the crowds away, Jesus took a boat to the region of Magadan, which was on the west side of the Sea. I believe Magdala and Tiberias are in that area. Magdala is where Mary Magdalene was from.

Jesus then went to the district of Caesarea Philippi, which was well to the north. This was where Peter made his great confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:13-20). Because of the proximity of Matthew 17 to the events just preceding in chapter 16, it is often thought the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13) happened somewhere close to Caesarea Philippi, but no one knows for sure.

At the end of our reading today Jesus arrived back in Capernaum (Matt. 17:24).

Seeing the actual places where Jesus went on His journeys gives us a greater understanding of how He ministered and a better picture of His work. It can also serve to show us how REAL His earthly ministry was, as we see concrete places - cities, mountains, regions, lakes. We understand Jesus was a real person rooted in history.




God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 18-21