“Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.”
4:12
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
A period of time elapsed between the temptation of Christ and the beginning of His public ministry.
Herod put John the Baptist in prison (14:3, 4). Upon hearing this, Jesus launched His public ministry. Jesus did not begin His ministry until the forerunner John finished his.
PRINCIPLE:
When God removes one person from ministry, He provides another.
APPLICATION:
When God finished His ministry with Moses, He raised up Joshua.
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Jos 1:1-2
No one is indispensable in ministry. Israel moved from the proven ministry of Moses to the unproven ministry of Joshua, but God said, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise…” Some of us attach ourselves to a given leader when we must move on to another leader.
