Capernaum - Galilee of the Nations

During the time of Yeshua (Jesus), Capernaum was a lakeside town nestled on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. It was a bustling fishing village and a hub for people from all over the Roman Empire because an important trade route, called the Via Maris, passed through it. This was the town that Jesus chose as the home base for His ministry and His choice is profound for several reasons. Firstly, it fulfils the prophecy written in Isaiah 9:1-2: “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea (Via Maris), beyond the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

We know that Capernaum was the “Galilee of Nations” that Isaiah was referring to, because of its unique location along the ancient trade route, and because it was on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. Furthermore, in the New Testament, Jesus is often referred to as the “Light of the World” – so we know that He was the “great light” dawning on Capernaum. This was the perfect location from which to share His message of light from, because His words would have been taken along the Via Maris and spread throughout the world.

Secondly, the Hebrew name for Capernaum is Kfar Naḥum – which translates to, the “Village of Comfort”. In Isaiah 40:1-9 we read: “Comfort, Comfort, my people... Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God... And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' ”

This Scripture is mentioned in all four Gospel books, referring to John the Baptist who proclaimed the coming of Yeshua the Messiah. We read in Luke 2:25, that Simeon, a holy and devout Jewish man, “…was waiting for the Consolation (Comfort) of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.”

The Messiah was, and still is, the only one who can bring true comfort and peace. So, it is appropriate that the place that He chose to dwell and broadcast His message to the world was the Village of Comfort. The primary way that the Messiah comforts Israel and the rest of the world, is through the forgiveness of sin. When God forgives our sin, He opens the way for us to draw close and come into relationship with Him.

One Sabbath in the Nazareth Synagogue, Yeshua stood and read the Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” This was recorded in Luke 4:16-22. This Scripture reveals the different ways in which the Messiah came to comfort Israel - the list is extensive.

After Yeshua read from the scroll, it says "and returning it to the shammash (servant), He sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him. He started to speak to them: “Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!”

The more we read about the Messiah as a figure of Comfort, the more notable it is that He chose Capernaum – the Village of Comfort – as His home base.