Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
Jesus left that place and traveled to his hometown, bringing his disciples with him. When the Sabbath day arrived, he went to the synagogue and began teaching. Many people who listened to him were completely amazed by what they heard. They started asking each other, "Where did this man learn all these things? What kind of wisdom has he been given? And how is he able to do such powerful miracles?" But then their amazement turned to skepticism. They said, "Wait a minute — isn't this just the carpenter? This is Mary's son, and we know his brothers James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. His sisters live right here among us too." The more they thought about his ordinary background, the more they were offended by his teaching and claims. Jesus could see what was happening in their hearts, and he told them, "A prophet receives honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his own relatives, and in his own family." Because of their lack of faith, Jesus found himself unable to do any mighty works there. He could only place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Jesus was truly amazed by how completely they refused to believe in him. So he left that place and went around to the surrounding villages, continuing to teach the people wherever he went.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
Jesus called his twelve disciples to come to him, and he began sending them out in pairs. He gave them power and authority to command evil spirits to leave people. Before they left, Jesus gave them clear instructions about what to bring on their journey. He told them to take only a walking stick—nothing else. They were not to pack any food, no traveling bag, and no money in their belts. They could wear sandals on their feet, but they should not bring an extra shirt or coat. Jesus also told them how to behave when they reached the towns and villages. "When you go into a house," he said, "stay in that same house until you are ready to leave that town completely. Don't move from house to house." Then Jesus warned them about what to do if people rejected them. "If the people in any place refuse to welcome you or won't listen to what you have to say, then leave that place. As you go, shake the dust off your feet. This will be a sign of judgment against them." So the twelve disciples went out and began their mission. They traveled from place to place, preaching to the people and telling them they needed to turn away from their sins and turn back to God. They also used the power Jesus had given them to force many demons out of people who were possessed. They healed many sick people too, rubbing oil on them as they prayed for their healing.
The Death of John the Baptist
King Herod heard about Jesus because his name had become well known throughout the region. People were talking about him everywhere, saying, "John the Baptist has come back from the dead! That's why he can perform such amazing miracles." Others were saying, "He's Elijah," while still others claimed, "He's a prophet, just like the great prophets from long ago." But when Herod heard all this talk, he said with certainty, "This is John—the same John I had killed by cutting off his head. He has come back from the dead!" Herod said this because he himself had given orders for John to be arrested, tied up, and thrown into prison. He had done this because of Herodias, who had been married to his brother Philip but whom Herod had taken as his own wife. John had been boldly telling Herod, "It's wrong for you to marry your brother's wife!" This made Herodias furious with John, and she wanted him dead. But she couldn't make it happen because Herod was afraid of John. Herod knew that John was a good and holy man, so he kept him safe. Whenever Herod listened to John speak, he became deeply troubled and confused, yet he enjoyed hearing what John had to say. Then Herodias saw her chance. On Herod's birthday, he threw a grand feast for all the most important people—his government officials, his military officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. During the celebration, Herodias's daughter came in and danced for everyone. Her dancing delighted Herod and all his guests so much that the king said to the young woman, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." He even made a solemn promise to her, swearing, "Whatever you ask for, I'll give it to you—even if it's half of my entire kingdom!" The girl left the room and went to her mother. "What should I ask for?" she said. Her mother replied immediately, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist." The girl rushed back to the king right away and made her request: "I want you to give me John the Baptist's head on a serving platter, and I want it now." The king felt terrible grief when he heard this, but he had made his promise in front of all his guests, and he didn't want to break his word and refuse her request. So right away, the king sent an executioner with orders to bring back John's head. The man went to the prison and cut off John's head. He brought John's head back on a platter and gave it to the girl, who then took it to her mother. When John's followers heard what had happened, they came and took his body away and buried it in a tomb.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
The apostles came back to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught while they were away. Jesus said to them, "Come with me to a quiet place where we can be alone and rest for a while." So many people were constantly coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. They got into a boat and sailed away by themselves to find a lonely place. But many people saw them leaving and recognized who they were. People from all the nearby towns ran along the shore on foot and actually got to the place before Jesus and his disciples arrived. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the huge crowd waiting for him. His heart was filled with compassion for them because they seemed lost and confused, like sheep wandering around without a shepherd to guide them. So he began teaching them many things. As the day wore on and evening approached, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This place is in the middle of nowhere, and it's getting late. You should send the crowd away so they can go to the farms and villages around here to buy food for themselves." But Jesus answered them, "You give them something to eat." The disciples were shocked. "Are you serious? Should we go and buy two hundred silver coins worth of bread to feed all these people?" Jesus said, "Go and find out how much food you have right now." They went and checked, then came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." Then Jesus told his disciples to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So the crowd arranged themselves in orderly groups of fifty and a hundred people each. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish in his hands. He looked up toward heaven, spoke a prayer of blessing, and broke the bread into pieces. He kept giving the broken bread to his disciples, who carried it out and served it to the people. He also divided the two fish and gave portions to everyone. Every single person ate until they were completely full and satisfied. When everyone had finished eating, the disciples gathered up the leftover pieces and filled twelve baskets with broken bread and fish. The men alone who had eaten the bread numbered five thousand people.
Jesus Walks on Water
Right after this, Jesus told his disciples they had to get in their boat and sail ahead of him to Bethsaida while he sent the crowd of people home. After he said goodbye to everyone, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When night fell, the boat was far out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was still alone on the shore. He could see his disciples struggling hard at the oars because the wind was blowing against them, making it nearly impossible to move forward. Around three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came out to them, walking across the surface of the water. He was going to walk past them, but when the disciples saw him walking on top of the lake, they screamed out loud because they thought he was a ghost. All of them saw him and were absolutely terrified. But Jesus immediately called out to them, "Be brave! It's me. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and instantly the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were completely amazed and confused, because they still hadn't understood what the miracle with the loaves of bread really meant. Their minds were closed to understanding who Jesus truly was.
Jesus Heals at Gennesaret
After crossing the lake, Jesus and his disciples landed their boat at Gennesaret and tied it up at the shore. The moment they stepped out of the boat, people recognized who Jesus was. Word spread quickly throughout the entire region, and people began running everywhere, carrying sick family members and friends on stretchers and mats. They hurried to bring them wherever they heard Jesus was going. No matter where Jesus traveled—whether to small villages, busy towns, or quiet countryside areas—crowds would gather and lay their sick loved ones in the marketplaces and public squares. These desperate people had one simple request: they begged Jesus to let the sick just touch the edge of his robe. They believed even the smallest contact with him would be enough. And they were right—every single person who managed to touch him was completely healed.