12. Now. [Opening of the Galilean Ministry, Matt. 4:12=Mark 1:14, 15=Luke 4:14, 15. Major comment: Matthew. See Early Galilean Ministry; The Duration of Christ’s Ministry, the Opening of the Galilean Ministry, and The Ministry of Our Lord.] None of the three Synoptic Gospels report what is commonly known as the early Judean ministry of Christ. This period extended from the temptation to the beginning of the Galilean ministry, that is, from the Passover of 28 to that of 29, with a temporary withdrawal to Galilee during the winter of 28-29 (see Additional Note on Luke 4; the Opening of the Galilean Ministry). Inspiration has provided no direct explanation of the silence of the synoptic writers on the early Judean ministry. Luke speaks of the ministry of Jesus as if it began in Galilee (see Acts 10:37, 38).
Something of the success of Jesus’ early Judean ministry is apparent from the complaint of John’s disciples that “all men come to him” (John 3:26), and from John’s reply, “He must increase, but I must decrease” ( 3:30). In spite of Christ’s apparent popularity and success (see 181), His Judean ministry bore little fruit (DA 194, 245). Though the brief remarks of John constitute our sum of information of what took place during this period, it is clear that a considerable period of time was thus occupied ( DA 214, 231). Evidently (John 3:22-24) John the Baptist and Jesus were both preaching in Judea during this time, and that the tide of popularity was gradually ebbing from John and flowing toward Jesus ( 3:26; DA 178).
It was not long before His power over the multitudes exceeded even that of John, which had for a time been greater than that of the rulers themselves (DA 178, 181). See on John 3:22, 26; 4:3.
The rejection of Jesus by the Sanhedrin after the healing at Bethesda (John 5:16, 18) brought His work in Judea to a close and led to His departure for Galilee and to the formal commencement of His ministry there. Another contributing factor was the recent imprisonment of John the Baptist (Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14; see on John 4:1).
When Jesus had heard. It is interesting to note that the imprisonment of John the Baptist coincide approximately with Jesus’ rejection by the Jewish leaders and the close of His early Judean ministry (see the Opening of the Galilean Ministry ), and that John’s death came about a year later, shortly before the crisis that brought Christ’s work in Galilee to a close (see 14:10-21; The Ministry of Our Lord). It was John’s imprisonment, together with His own rejection by the Jewish leaders, that led Jesus to withdraw to Galilee and carry on His work there (see Additional Note on Luke 4).
Cast into prison. See on Luke 3:19, 20. The word translated “cast” means, literally, “delivered up.” It may be that the Jewish leaders, jealous of John’s popularity with the people, agreed, in advance, to John’s imprisonment. They could thus be rid of the prophet without themselves being held responsible by the people. The fact that the Sanhedrin publicly denounced Jesus at about the same time (see Additional Note Luke 4) implies a close connection between the two events. Thus the threat of the Sanhedrin after the healing at Bethesda (DA 213) was no doubt intended to frighten Jesus into discontinuing His public labors.
Departed. That is, transferred His field of ministry to that region. This was in the spring of 29, after the Passover, and was at least the third time since His baptism that Jesus “departed” from Judea for Galilee. The first of these departures for Galilee came in the winter of 27-28 (see John 1:43), and the second, a year later, in the winter of 28-29 (see on John 4:1-4). After leaving Judea following the Passover of 29, Jesus did not return again till the Feast of Tabernacles in the autumn of 30 (DA 393, 395, 450-452). The departure from Jerusalem in the spring of 29 marks the formal beginning of what is commonly called the Galilean ministry (DA 231, 232; MB 2). At a distance from the Jewish authorities, now bent on His death, Jesus could carry on His work with less interference.
By conducting His work first in Judea, Jesus purposed to give the Jewish leaders the opportunity to accept Him as the Messiah. Had they done so, the Jewish nation would doubtless have rallied to Him and would have been privileged to represent Him before the nations of the world—as had been the original plan envisioned by the holy prophets of old (see IV, 25-28).
Galilee. See on 2:22. Being at some distance from Jerusalem, and thus less subject to the influence of the religious leaders there, the Jews of Galilee were more simple-hearted and open-minded. They were less under the control of religious prejudice than were their fellow countrymen in Judea. They were more earnest and sincere, and more ready to listen to the message of Christ without bias. In fact, their eagerness to hear what He had to say made it necessary at times for Him to go from place to place, lest enthusiasm rise to such a pitch as to be construed by the authorities as endangering the peace and security of the nation.
