You Moved?

Capernaum?  Why Capernaum?  Have you ever wondered what prompted Jesus to move to Capernaum...other than fulfilling what the Hebrews knew to be a prophecy about him? (see Isaiah 9)

Isaiah writes about the states, and the New Testament mentions only the cities.  But if we put the two together it would read Nazareth, Zebulun and Capernaum, Naphatli.  The whole area around them was the Galilee...the Galilee of the Gentiles.

So, in a sense, growing up and living in Nazareth fulfilled part of that prophecy.  But Jesus is about fulfilling all of a prophecy, so his first step was to move to Capernaum.

So what's the deal about Capernaum?

An interesting thing about the Isaiah prophecy (mentioned in Matthew 4) is the phrase 'by the way of the sea.'  There is a major crossroad in Capernaum...an ancient roadway called The Way of The Sea, or Via Maris, although some books refer to it as the International Highway.

I'm thinking the folks in Capernaum were probably looking for the Messiah as a result of Isaiah.  So, it makes total sense why his arrival was so welcomed. Why his ministry went beyond the synagogue to Peter's house. And why crowds followed him.  During his three-year ministry, this was his headquarters as he finished out the prophecy of shining light throughout the Galilee.

A Visual Guide To Bible Events likens this change in address to Jesus moving "from the shadows into the spotlight." (p.167) You see, while he was in Nazareth for years, his light did not shine much beyond the town's synagogue.  He moves to the bigger city, with international connections going through it all the time and his words and actions are received, taken, and spread to others throughout the known world, not just the Galilee.

So Capernaum turned out to be the best place to get the word out that the Messiah was here, and had something to say.