Paper 141 Overview: Beginning the Public Work

On January 19, 27, Jesus and the twelve apostles departed from their headquarters in Bethsaida to begin their public ministry, planning to travel to Jerusalem by way of the Jordan valley. This journey marked the transition from their preparatory phase to active public work, though Jesus was saddened that none of his family except Ruth came to bid them farewell. Jesus's family remained distant due to pride, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings.

The early weeks of their journey included significant teaching sessions where Jesus introduced revolutionary concepts about the kingdom of heaven. He taught that God was a loving Father rather than just a distant ruler, that the kingdom was a spiritual reality within the heart rather than a political regime, and that spiritual unity did not require uniformity of thought. Through encounters with various individuals and groups, including followers of John the Baptist, Jesus demonstrated his wisdom in dealing with different perspectives while maintaining his focus on revealing the Father's true nature.

On January 19, 27, Jesus and his twelve apostles prepared to depart from their headquarters in Bethsaida for Jerusalem, planning to journey by way of the Jordan valley to attend the Passover feast in April. They didn't leave Zebedee's house until nearly noon because many family members of the apostles and other disciples had come to say goodbye and wish them well in their new work. This departure marked the beginning of their public ministry and a new phase in their mission.

Just before leaving, the apostles noticed Jesus was missing, and Andrew found him sitting alone in a boat on the beach, weeping. When Andrew asked if someone had offended him, Jesus explained his sadness was because none of his father Joseph's family had come to bid them farewell. Only his sister Ruth had a legitimate reason for her absence, as she was visiting her brother Joseph in Nazareth. The rest of his family stayed away because of pride, disappointment, misunderstanding, and lingering resentment from hurt feelings.

Jesus decided to journey south with his apostles because he knew Herod would soon take notice of his work. Though over one hundred believers wanted to accompany them, Jesus requested they remain behind; nevertheless, many followers joined them within days. The group first traveled to Tarichea, then to the area near Pella where John had preached a year earlier, remaining there for more than two weeks teaching and preaching to the growing crowds.

During this time, Jesus did not preach publicly but allowed Andrew to organize the preaching activities while he spent evenings reviewing his teachings with the apostles. Many of John the Baptist's followers sought out Jesus to learn more, and the apostles made progress in teaching them without diminishing John's message. However, John's disciples consistently struggled to understand why Jesus, if he was truly the one John had announced, did nothing to free their leader from prison. This first year of Jesus's public ministry was largely spent quietly taking over John's work in Perea and Judea.

The night before leaving Pella, Jesus instructed the apostles about the new kingdom, challenging their traditional expectations. He explained that the kingdom of heaven was not a glorified rule of Jewish people over all nations with the Messiah on David's throne, but rather the realization and acknowledgment of God's rule within human hearts. While there was indeed a King in this kingdom—the Father—the transforming truth was that they were not merely subjects but sons of God.

Jesus differentiated between following God's law as obedient subjects and embracing the Father's will as beloved children. He stated, "When the Father's will is your law, you are hardly in the kingdom. But when the Father's will becomes truly your will, then are you in very truth in the kingdom." This shift from law-based obligation to loving relationship represented elevation from "noble slave subjects" to "free children of God." Though most apostles could not fully comprehend this revolutionary teaching, these words took root in their hearts and would later enrich their ministry.

Jesus and his apostles remained near Amathus for almost three weeks, with the apostles preaching twice daily to the multitudes while Jesus taught each Sabbath afternoon. The demands of their growing ministry required adjustments to their schedule, with Andrew arranging for two apostles to rest each day while maintaining full service during Sabbath. The twelve divided responsibilities effectively, with Peter, James, and John handling most public preaching while others managed personal work, classes, and administrative duties.

Andrew faced the ongoing challenge of reconciling disagreements between John's disciples and Jesus's newer followers. Jesus consistently refused to participate in these conferences or offer specific solutions, saying: "It is not wise for the host to participate in the family troubles of his guests." Jesus displayed remarkable wisdom in all his dealings, exercising tremendous influence through his balanced personality, which combined intellectual strength and spiritual depth. His character exhibited a unique blend of authority, logic, insight, tolerance, patience, tenderness, and fearlessness that appealed to a wide range of people from fishermen to Roman soldiers.

While at Amathus, Jesus devoted considerable time to teaching the apostles a new concept of God. He emphasized that God is a loving Father of individuals, not merely a cosmic bookkeeper recording human sins. Though the Jews had long conceived of God as a king and as Father of their nation, never before had large numbers of people embraced the revolutionary idea of God as a loving Father to each person individually.

When Thomas asked about the God of the kingdom, Jesus replied simply: "God is your Father, and religion is nothing more nor less than the believing recognition of the truth that you are his son." Jesus also worked to free the apostles from the practice of animal sacrifices, though they were slow to understand. He taught them about ministering to three forms of human affliction: physical diseases, emotional and mental disturbances, and possession by evil spirits. Jesus understood the difference between evil spirit possession and insanity, although his apostles did not grasp this distinction at the time.

One of the most significant evening conferences at Amathus addressed spiritual unity. When James Zebedee asked how they could learn to see alike and achieve greater harmony, Jesus responded with unusual emotion: "James, when did I teach you that you should all see alike? I have come to proclaim spiritual liberty so that mortals may live individual lives of originality and freedom before God." He emphasized that he did not desire social harmony at the cost of free personality and spiritual originality.

Jesus distinguished between uniformity and unity, explaining that spiritual unity derives from each person being indwelt and guided by the Father's spirit. He taught that apostolic harmony should grow from their shared spiritual hope and purpose, not from identical thinking patterns. "Your personalities may be refreshingly diverse and markedly different," he told them, "while your spiritual natures and spirit fruits of divine worship and brotherly love may be so unified that all who behold your lives will recognize this spirit identity." True unity, Jesus explained, comes from having a common motive for service and a common goal of finding the Father in heaven.

Near the end of their stay at Amathus, Simon Zelotes introduced Jesus to Teherma, a Persian businessman who had searched for Jesus after hearing about him in Capernaum. Simon had attempted to convert Teherma from what he considered "fire worship," though Teherma explained that fire was merely a symbol of the Divine. After speaking with Jesus, Teherma decided to remain for several days to hear his teaching.

When Simon later asked Jesus why his own efforts to persuade Teherma had failed while Jesus succeeded, the Master provided an important lesson on evangelism: "How many times have I instructed you to refrain from all efforts to take something out of the hearts of those who seek salvation? Lead men into the kingdom, and the great and living truths of the kingdom will presently drive out all serious error." Jesus advised Simon to first bring people into the kingdom through positive truth rather than criticism of their beliefs, explaining that once someone is "safely and securely within the kingdom," then instruction for spiritual advancement would be appropriate. Following this guidance, Simon's approach changed, and Teherma became a believer.

On February 26, Jesus and his followers journeyed to Bethany beyond Jordan, where John had first proclaimed the coming kingdom. They remained there for four weeks teaching and preaching. During the second week, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the hills for three days of rest and advanced instruction about the kingdom of heaven, reorganized here into several key teachings.

Jesus emphasized that disciples should live in ways that make others "kingdom conscious" and inspire questions about the kingdom. He taught that his mission was to reveal God as Father and to lead individuals to become sons of God. Jesus stressed two fundamental truths: salvation by faith alone and human liberty through recognizing truth. He explained that he came not as an example for a few earth creatures but to establish a universal standard of human life. Though he was a powerful teacher who spoke directly to people's souls, Jesus acknowledged that his work on earth was limited by his Paradise brother Immanuel's pre-bestowal instructions. The apostles did not fully comprehend these advanced teachings, but they enriched their later ministry.

Throughout their four-week stay near Bethany beyond Jordan, Andrew regularly assigned pairs of apostles to visit Jericho, where John had many believers who welcomed Jesus's advanced teachings. Following Jesus's instructions, the apostles carried out both public work and personal ministry, visiting every house in Jericho to comfort the afflicted. This marked the first time Jesus's commission to preach the good news and minister to the afflicted was fully implemented.

The apostles discovered that the gospel of the kingdom brought genuine comfort to the sick, and they won many souls in Jericho. On their way to Jerusalem, they stopped in Jericho and encountered a delegation from Mesopotamia who had come to speak with Jesus. Though they had planned to stay only one day, Jesus spent three days teaching these truth-seekers from the East, who returned to their homes along the Euphrates with newfound knowledge of the kingdom of heaven.

On Monday, the last day of March, Jesus and the apostles began their journey up toward Jerusalem. Lazarus of Bethany, who had visited Jesus twice at the Jordan, had arranged for Jesus and his apostles to make their headquarters at his home while in Jerusalem. John's disciples remained at Bethany beyond Jordan, continuing to teach and baptize the multitudes, so only the twelve accompanied Jesus to Lazarus's home.

Jesus and the apostles stayed with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary for five days, resting and refreshing themselves before proceeding to Jerusalem. This was a significant event for Martha and Mary, who were delighted to minister to Jesus and the apostles in their brother's home. On Sunday morning, April 6, Jesus and all twelve apostles went down to Jerusalem together—the first time the Master and all twelve had been there as a group.