IN HIS FOOTSTEPS 6 ... He who has ears to hear let him hear.

A HARMONISING OF THE GOSPELS
IN ONE CONTINUAL NARRATIVE
First published in March 1993 as 12 individual A5 booklets
These are still available in the original form upon request.
As we continue to walk in the footsteps of `the Man Christ Jesus' we come now to a critical point in His ministry. Although still conducting much of His public ministry throughout Galilee - which being under the authority of the Tetrarch Herod Antipas gave Him comparative safety from the increasing antagonism of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem - Jesus was constantly followed by the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law throughout His journeys. They continued to harass Him at every opportunity, even to the point of speaking and acting in contradiction to their own teaching and customs, and such was their growing hostility that one version of Luke's Gospel records: `They were filled with madness and communed with one another what they might do to Jesus!' Such madness had to come to a head, and our last study told how, finally, `The Teachers of the Law who came down from Jeruslaem said, `He is possessed by Beelzebub; by the prince of the demons He is driving out demons' (Mark 3:22). The Sanhedrin, the official leaders of the Jewish nation, had reached a verdict after their investigations and interogations concerning Jesus, and now they sent the Teachers of the Law to deliver their rejection of Him as their long-awaited Messiah. This resulted in that outburst against Him: `He is possessed by Beelzebub; by the prince of demons He is driving out demons'.

The sharp words of Jesus left no-one there in any doubt that the conflict had reached a climatic point: `I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin' (Mark 3:28-29). The unforgivable had been committed . . . blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! Judgement would now begin to be outworked against that particular generation of the Jewish nation, which culminated in the destruction of the Temple by the Roman armies of Titus in 70 AD. The time would come - and is yet to come - when the same Messiah will once again offer the Kingdom of God to Israel:

Hosea 6:3

" As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth. "
This time there will be no rejection, `and so all Israel will be saved'. However this is for a time yet to come, and so we return to the Gospel narratives to continue walking in the footsteps of `the Man Christ Jesus'.

In reading the Gospel narratives in their chronological and historical setting we shall now see a dramatic change of emphasis in the ministry of Jesus. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit had been committed by the religious leaders of the nation of Israel, and they had denied the work of the Holy Spirit in the actions and miracles of Jesus - indeed, they had openly declared it to be the work of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. The Teachers of the Law had had their say, and no doubt they would report back to the Sanhedrin all that they had said to this man who dared to call God His Father! The tension had abated for, as we have already seen in Matthew's Gospel, `While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, waiting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, `Your mother and brothers are standing outside, waiting to speak to You' (12:46-47). What they wanted to say is not recorded, but Jesus understood what had happened. At least the interuption would ease the tension so that God's purpose would not be precipitated. There was a time, and it was rapidly drawing to a close, but there was still much work to do. `That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake (of Galilee). Such large crowds gathered round Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables . . . The disciples came to Him and asked, `Why do You speak to the people in parables?' He replied, `The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak in parables:

Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfiled the prophecy of Isaiah: (Isaiah 6:9-10)

You will be ever hearing, but never understanding;
You will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts and turn,
and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it' (13:1-8).

This dramatic change of emphasis in His public teaching had come through the final rejection of Himself as Messiah by the Pharisees, sent by the Sanhedrin as the leaders of the nation of Israel. No longer would He preach openly the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Instead, He would speak in parables - and afterwards draw His disciples to Him to explain what He had said. The disciples were clearly puzzled at the obvious change in His public speaking. In the past when the crowds had flocked to hear Him, so many times `they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority, not as the Scribes'. The crowds and the disciples had clearly understood what Jesus had said to them - but now they were puzzled for they could not understand. `The disciples came to Him and asked, `Why do You speak to the people in parables?' But since the leaders had blasphemed against the Holy Spirit Jesus could no longer speak openly. Forgiveness could not come to that generation of the nation of Israel for judgement was already at work on the nation.

To all intents and purposes nothing had changed. For sure, the Pharisees were confident that they had seen Him off! They had delivered the verdict of the Sanhedrin. Nevertheless, quietly . . . hardly even noticed . . . judgement had begun to be outworked, and `the disciples came to Him and asked, `Why do You speak to the people in parables?' He replied, `The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven has been given to you, but not to them'. Judgement had already begun to fall upon that generation of the Jewish nation. Yes, there would still be personal confrontations with individuals . . personal meetings with Jesus . . personal miracles for many . . but this time the meetings and the miracles of healing, deliverance and forgiveness would be on the basis of an indiviual's personal faith in Him as Messiah, not as a public sign to the nation! Many Jews would yet come to know Him and believe in Him before His death and resurrection, but they would be individuals on the basis of personal faith. The face of Jesus was now firmly set towards the culmination of the work His Father had given Him to do. As far as the nation of Israel (that generation at that particular time) was concerned, they could no longer see or hear, and Jesus could no longer tell them as a nation things concerning Himself;

" Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts and turn,
and I would heal them. "
Jesus could not work against the Word of God that was being fulfiled in front of them, so we find Him turning to His disciples more and more . . teaching them . . training them in `the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven'.

There was much to do, many things to tell them, much training to undertake. He knew that soon there would be the journey to Jerusalem! He knew that the cross was soon to come, but here, in Galilee, there was much knowledge to impart of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. The parables are priceless pearls and have delighted countless generations of people down through the years: The Parable of the Sower sowing seed . . some would hear . . some would respond for a while . . others would be more concerned with their immediate problems . . others would be indifferent . . but, as always, there would be a few disciples with hungry eyes fixed on Him! `Jesus then told them another parable: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree' (Matthew 13:31-32). Yet again, `He told them another parable: The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the flour. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables: He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So it was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

" I will open My mouth in parables. I will utter
things hidden since the creation of the world. ' (Matthew 13:33-35)
As we have mentioned in an earlier study on walking in the footsteps of `the Man Christ Jesus', the ministry of Jesus stemmed from His relationship with His Father, but it also stemmed from His understanding of whom He was and of His sound knowledge of Scripture. As a young child He came into the revelation of whom His Father was! All else came from that revelation and the relationship that developed and deepened into a total reliance upon that relationship. If God was His Father He knew He was the Son of God, and as God's Son there was an inheritance that was His as He walked in loving obedience to what His Father opened up before Him. His understanding of events as they unfolded (through that relationship with His Father and His knowledge of Scripture) resulted in prophecies confirming His Messiahship being fulfilled - and it was this understanding that caused the dramatic change of emphasis in His ministry.

Other parables are recorded . . of treasure hidden in a field . . of a merchant looking for fine pearls . . of catching fish, all kinds of fish: `When it (the net) was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away' (13:48). This was pointing forward to the end of the `mystery Kingdom' that He was now introducing. When it was full Jews and Gentiles alike would be caught into the `mystery Kingdom' period and then He would return! `Have you understood all these things?', Jesus asked. `Yes', they replied. He said to them, `Therefore, every Teacher of the Law who has been instructed about the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old' (13:51-52). This was indicating that different aspects of the Kingdom of God had been revealed to the people, and at times they would overlap. But they were not to be concerned when this happened, for all was within the purposes of God, but they were to walk into the fulness of what they were instructed as they learned knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Moving now to Luke's Gospel we read: `One day Jesus said to His disciples, `Let's go over to the other side of the lake' (8:22). The intensive training had begun in earnest. Again, the story of how Jesus stilled the storm on the lake has been told and read so many times that it could be almost relegated to the storehouse of Sunday School memories. It has also been brought out from time to time to illustrate the `walk of faith'', of how even the winds and waves are under our control as we walk in faith - but to relegate the story to that level is to misunderstand the contextual message. `So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, `Master, Master, we're going to drown!' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. `Where is your faith?', He asked His disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, `Who is this? He commands the winds and the waves, and they obey Him' (8:22-25). Those disciples were now in a time of intensive teaching and training. They did not fully understand what lay ahead of them, and they first had to learn that they would have to rely on Jesus for everything in the days ahead - even for their very lives! No matter what the crises or the dangers, their total security lay in their being in the centre of His will! In the midst of the storm there is the calm of being in the centre of God's will and purpose and nothing could destroy that place of security, which is found only in Jesus. That lesson would intensify over the months left before He set His face towards Jerusalem!

Mark continues the story: `They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes' (5:1). Again, it is a very familiar story. Mark is referring to the inhabitants of Gadara, one of the Ten Cities of that region (known as the Decapolis, the `Ten Cities'). This region covered an area in the north-eastern part of the Galilee, covering a large part of ancient Ammon and the southern part of ancient Bashan. The Ten Cities were built by the followers of Alexander the Great (and rebuilt by the Romans in 65 BC) and they were largely autonomous cities with their own city privileges and rights given to them by the Romans. Gadara itself was the capital of the Roman Province of Perara, east of the Jordan - and today its ruins indicate the grandeur the city of Gadara once enjoyed. It was a Gentile area outside of the authority of the `principal players' of the Gospel narratives and owes its place in Scripture to this story: `When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him. This man lived in the tombs, and no-one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No-one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. He shouted at the top of his voice, `What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that You won't torture me!' For Jesus was saying to him, `Come out of this man, you evil spirit!' (5:1-8).

As we are on a journey of following in His footsteps, we are not concerned here with the pigs, nor even with the number of evil spirits contained in the word `legion', or whether the evil spirits were drowned in the lake when the stampede of the pigs ended in their death. This was Gentile country, and within the context of the Gospels we can clearly see the message contained in this excursion in Gadarene territory - for after all there were many demon-possessed Jews in the land of Israel, as Scripture reveals. No, the reason for its inclusion in the Gospels can be seen when, `As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Him, but Jesus did not let him, but said, `Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you'. So the man went away and began to tell the Decapolis (that is, more than just the one city of Gadara) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed' (5:18-20). No, the man from Gadara could not go with Jesus - he was not a Jew - but he must go and tell the Gentile people of the Decapolis that they too were within the purposes of God, that their time would come. He was but a foretaste of the promise of salvation that would be offered to Jew and Gentile alike following the nation of Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah. But first, Jesus had to complete His ministry in the land of Israel! Mark continues, `When Jesus had crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round Him' (5:21).

This place was probably Capernaum, on the other side of the lake, and Luke now continues to record the training of the disciples. As devout Jews, no doubt they would have been concerned about that excursion into Gentile territory. Understanding would come later, outworked through persecution and suffering, but for the time being Jesus had left His first `Gentile evangelist' in the Decapolis. For the disciples there was further training. `Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed Him, for they were all expecting Him. Just then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twleve years, but no-one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped' (8:40-44). We said earlier that because of the rejection of Jesus as Messiah no longer would He be concerned with signs and miracles to confirm His Messiahship to the nation of Israel. The emphasis of His ministry had dramatically changed and had become more personalised - to the point of requiring the personal faith of the individual before He would act. We see the emphasis here in these events: Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at His feet, pleading with Him. And a woman in great distress reached out and touched His cloak. The miracles that now came were private and personal acts of compassion, requiring personal faith on the part of the individuals concerned. The miracles were no longer for the nation of Israel - the time had passed for that generation. This was also a part of the intensive training of His disciples, for `when He arrived at the house of Jairus, He did not let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother' (8:51). Through the personal faith of both the woman in distress and Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus met with them privately, and to each one He had the same message. To the woman He said, `Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace' (v48). And Jairus' joy knew no bounds when Jesus took his daughter by the hand and said, `My child, get up'. Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but He ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened' (8:54-56).

Again we see miraculous healings which had a basis of personal faith and were no longer a sign to the nation of Israel, and we find recorded in Matthew's narrative: `As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, `Have mercy on us, Son of David!' When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, `Do you believe that I am able to do this?' `Yes, Lord', they replied. Then He touched their eyes and said, `According to your faith will it be done to you'; and their sight was restored! Jesus warned them sternly, `See that no-one knows about this' (9:27-30). However, we read that their joy could not be contained, and they spread the news of what had happened to them everywhere. And immediately we read of another miracle, and the reaction of the Pharisees: `But the Pharisees said, `It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons' (9:34). However, His work must continue, and Matthew records that `He moved on from there. Coming to His home town (of Nazareth) He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. `Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked (13:53-54). But their amazement didn't last, and some began to question, `Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all His sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things? And they took offense at Him' (13:55-57). This was to be His last visit to Nazareth `and He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith' (v58). No longer were miracles performed to demonstrate His Messiahship; personal faith and belief in Him would be required before He would move - and in Nazareth they could only remember that He was the carpenter' son and say, `Where did He get all these things'?

Jesus now began what was probably His third tour of the Galilee, and it was time for His disciples to put into practice all they had learned from their Master. The training was now at a critical stage, and Matthew continues: `When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, `The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field' (9:36-38). That cry of compassion has been the clarion call of countless men and women of God over the centuries, and will be heard until `the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled' - `Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field' - but at the time of the Gospel narrative it was for the training of His disciples. Later the Holy Spirit would use persecution to scatter them out into the Gentile fields, but now was the time for practical training for His disciples. `He called the twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease and sickness . . . . The twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give' (10:1-8). For this period of intensive training Jesus would release His authority to them to enable them to undertake their task. At that time there was the clear instruction, `Do not go to the Gentiles . . Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel'. Jesus also knew what would follow when the Kingdom of God broke out in all its awesome power through the work of His disciples: `I am sending you out like sheep among wolves' (10:16). He knew that the Teachers of the Law were watching and waiting! `Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you' (10:16-20).

There is no Gospel evidence that these warnings outworked themselves during this particular period. Clearly Jesus is talking not only about this initial sending out but He is looking ahead to a time beyond His death and resurrection, for He continues: `I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes' (10:23). It is a mighty declaration . . a proclamation that what was being undertaken by a small band of twelve disciples was but a grain of sand compared with the numbers the Holy Spirit would send out before the Son of Man comes again! He is speaking personally to these twelve men, but also proclaiming prophetically to all who would follow on as disciples of the Lord - and the dark spiritual powers had no misunderstanding of the wave of power and authority that was being released by the sending out of these twelve men: `All men will hate you because of Me (you have seen the hatred of the Pharisees, and worse is to come). When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another' (still in the comparative safety of Galilee they would understand the wisdom of this). `If the Head of the house has been called Beelzebub, then how much more so the members of His family?' (the disciples would remember the intensity of that confrontation with the Pharisees). `Do not be afraid of them' (your safety is in your knowledge of My total protective authority). `Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul (it is said that the path of the Church which sprang from the Lord's side would be marked by the blood of the martyrs). `Do not be afraid of them' said Jesus. `Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven'.

Sitting in the quiet comfort of an English home it is difficult to imagine the impact of those words, but these men had been with Jesus for close on two years of intensive ministry - they had seen, heard and experienced the underlying hatred and hostility of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law - but they had also seen and experienced the power of God, and they had seen the awesome power of the Kingdom of Heaven breaking out in signs and wonders in the ministry of Jesus among the Jewish people! Now Jesus was sending them out with that same authority but without Him being with them personally. Intensive training indeed! But Jesus knew what lay ahead! He knew that time was short! He knew what was required, and as He sent them out He told them: `At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you' (10:19-20). `After Jesus had finished instructing His disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in the town of Galilee' (11:1). Luke takes up the story: `So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the Gospel and healing people everywhere' (9:6). The net cast by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was indeed being pulled in; the days left were short and there was much to be accomplished in the training of His disciples. There was to be less than one year before He began that final journey to Jerusalem where the final Passover was to be held - outside the city gates at a place called Golgotha!

We turn now to Mark's narrative to read of the reaction to the work of the disciples as `they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. King Herod (Antipas) heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, `John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why the miraculous powers are at work in Him'. Others said, `He is Elijah'. And still others claimed, `He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago'. But when Herod heard this, he said, `John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead' (6:12-16). Mark now gives us a `flashback' to what had happened to John the Baptist. His work as the herald had been faithfully carried out, and then he had lain in Herod's prison for nearly two years! `For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother (Herod) Philip's wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, `It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife' (6:17-18).

We set out the background to the house of Herod in an earlier study in this series, and told of the sexual promiscurity of Herod Antipas within the Herodian household. (He was so secure in his position as Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, under Roman protection, that he could openly and flagrantly flout the Mosaic Law of the Jews!) However, he must certainly have been troubled by his actions, for Mark continues: `So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him' (6:19-20). John was killed for personal reasons - he spoke fearlessly against the promiscurity of the Herodian house . . and came up against the grudge of a woman! The end was only a question of time and expediency! It came at a banquet given by Herod on his birthday when, probably well under the influence of wine, he made a foolish oath after watching the dancing of Herodias' daughter Salome. The opportunity was given into Herodias' hands, and the result was the death of faithful John. His ministry was completed, and now his long wait in anguish in prison came to an end when, `the man beheaded John in prison, and brought his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb' (6:27-29).

What was in the mind of Herod Antipas when he heard of the miracles that were being performed by the disciples of Jesus as they went from village to village throughout Galilee, preaching that people should repent? Did the report of their message bring a chill to his heart? Certainly there were not many years left to Herod Antipas as Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, for by 39 AD he was summoned to Rome by Caesar Caligula on a charge of conspiracy, and was sent into perpetual banishment to Lyons in France, where he died! Scripture is silent on these matters as they have no relevance to the message of the Gospel, but we need to remember that we are reading of real people who, even under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, had real fears and anxieties. No doubt when Jesus sent them out on their own to preach the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven throughout Galilee, they would have known that they were in the Tetrarchy of Herod Antipas (until then, a place of comparative safety from the malevolent plots of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem). But now, following the death of John, it was revealed to them that there would no longer be any place of safety for the disciples of Jesus as they preached the Kingdom of God to the Jewish nation! We read in Matthew's narrative the words of Jesus as He sent them out, warning them that danger would always be with them: `I am sending you out like sheep among wolves' (10:16). `A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant to be like his master. If the head of the house is called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell' (10:22-28). Jesus, looking down the ages, was not speaking to the Twelve alone, but to all who would follow Him, who would be called in His name to preach the message of the Kingdom of God. The words of Jesus are held in the hearts of many, who even today will experience the prison cell and the executioner's axe! `Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows' (10:29-31).

In the next study in this series of `Following in His Footsteps' we shall see that Jeus clearly understood the danger, but as His time had not yet come He used wisdom - a wisdom we shall do well to remember in the days that lie ahead of us before His return! We shall find Him withdrawing from Galilee to Bethsaida, which was just across the Lake of Galilee from Capernaum, in the Tetrarchy of Herod Philip. Here He would continue the intensive teaching that He knew His disciples would need for what lay ahead. But that we shall leave until the next study of following in His footsteps!

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