Jesus taught in their SYNAGOGUES. This is important to note. Jesus wasn't just wandering about sitting on hillsides and near lakes spreading His message. Jesus went into the synagogues to teach and preach. The people needing to hear this message first were in the synagogues. Let's take a look at what a synagogue is--
syn·a·gog (sin'?-gog', -gôg')
n.
1.A building or place of meeting for worship and religious instruction in the Jewish faith.
2.A congregation of Jews for the purpose of worship or religious study.
3.The Jewish religion as organized or typified in local congregations.
A synagogue, also spelled synagog (from Greek: συναγωγή transliterated synagogē,
meaning "assembly"
When broken down, the word could also mean "learning together" (from the Greek συν syn, together, and αγωγή agogé, learning or training).
Synagogues have a large hall for prayer (the main sanctuary), and can also have smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices. Some have a separate room for Torah study, called the beth midrash—בית מדרש ("House of Study").
Synagogues are consecrated spaces that can be used only for the purpose of prayer, however a synagogue is not necessary for worship.
Communal Jewish worship can be carried out wherever ten Jews (a minyan) assemble.
Worship can also be carried out alone or with fewer than ten people assembled together.
However there are certain prayers that are communal prayers and therefore can be recited only by a minyan.
The synagogue does not replace the long-since destroyed Temple in Jerusalem.
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There were hundreds of synagogues in the area Jesus was traveling. Wherever 10 or more Jewish men lived they could form a synagogue. A synagogue was a place of teaching and of worship. No feasts or sacrifices were made in synagogues, those were strictly reserved for the temple. Every synagogue was situated so that when the preacher stood up to preach He faced the direction of the temple in Jerusalem. The focal point was towards the temple, these buildings were not miniature temples in any way. Every synagogue had a ruler-
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Archisunagogos
ar-khee-soon-ag'-o-gos
Definition
1. ruler of the synagogue. It was his duty to select the readers or teachers in the synagogue, to examine the discourses of the public speakers, and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with ancestral usage.
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Now that we've got the picture of a synagogue in our minds we can imagine Jesus entereing one. He would go into a synagogue and observe the service in place, taking part in it as was expected and then he would be chosen to speak, or asked to speak. When He spoke Jesus' words were those of enlightenment. He didn't bring in a new *book*, He didn't bring in some distorted Torah. Jesus would read from the centuries old, well established scrolls and from there He would open up the understanding of the people there listening to Him.
Just imagine it for a moment (Yes, I like to use my imagination a lot :) ). There you are year after year attending synagogue services listening to the preacher as they taught from the Scriptures and you believe you are learning, you have gained knowledge but no true understanding and you're not even aware that your understanding is stunted. Then in walks Jesus and He is called on to preach and suddenly your understanding of words you'd heard many times before now come to life and take on real meaning for you. Just think about that experience. Jesus wasn't preaching crazy ideas or He'd quickly have been put out of the synagogue and word of His craziness would have spread wide and far. Jesus brought LIGHT, true light, true understanding. People sat in darkness, remember? People were near spiritual death and Jesus brought them light and life. The words He spoke were truth and He was able to miraculously push aside the curtain of darkness that the devil had placed over everyone's understanding. Seriously, in the presence of Jesus the heart that wasn't hardened was softened to accept all that He was saying. The truths that were spoken over and over that had seemed to be mere words were now filled with meaning. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever reread something and saw it in a whole new light? I don't imagine it would be truly comparable to the enlightenment Jesus brought to people by far but we can really can imagine how amazing it had to be.
From darkness to light.
From blindness to sight.
From death to life.
This isn't trivial by any means, this is so important for us to comprehend. Why? Because we are living in very, very dark times. We are living in the days of slumber and in slumber you are completely covered in darkness.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Please Lord help us today to be blessed with the Holy Spirit who will enlighten our understanding as Jesus enlightened the understanding of those whose hearts were truly open to His message in the days He preached upon earth. Please Lord bless us because without the Holy Spirit we live in darkness. Without enlightenment our sight is dim. Help us Lord, please!
Amen.
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