January 29, 2026 | Be Connected
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
Scripture: John 4:43-45(NIV)
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
Devotional
In Jesus’ time, the land we know as Israel had three territories. In the south was Judea, with the important Biblical cities of Jericho, Bethany, Bethlehem (His birthplace), and Jerusalem. Jesus had traveled to the holy city where he cleansed the temple (John 2) and spoke with Nicodemus (John 3).
In the north was the territory known as Galilee, which contained the cities of Nazareth (His hometown), Cana (His first miracle) and Capernaum (His ministry headquarters).
Between Galilee and Judea was the region known as Samaria, made up of a mixed-race of people with Jewish and foreign blood. They were considered impure people by the Jews from Galilee and Judea. But Jesus didn’t see it that way. He took time to get to know a Samaritan woman and the residents of her village (John 4).
In today’s reading, Jesus simply returns home to Galilee, where he is welcomed warmly. We know from the four Gospels that Jesus had some of His greatest successes (miracles, healings, teachings, recruiting disciples) and some of His greatest challenges (hometown rejection, conflicts with Pharisees, family confusion) in Galilee. He just kept going home.
It can be tempting to only attempt things that we are assured will bring positive results. Many people don’t talk about their faith or invite friends to church or introduce people to Jesus because of fear. Indeed, our fears of failure, rejection, or ridicule outweigh the potential that our neighbors, friends, and family will get saved and become followers of Jesus.
Think about it. Jesus knew that He would have “no honor in his own country.” Yet He returned anyway. Why?
If the Lord told you to pack your bags and move away to a new mission field, what would you say to Him? What about if He told you to swallow your pride and share your faith with somebody right where you live?
Galilee is wherever you live. It is filled with people who will surrender their lives to God if only you help them get there. It is also filled with people who will reject God and you in the process. What will you do about it?
