[Footnote 5:  John v. 22, 27.]

The success of the teaching of the new prophet was this time decisive.  A group of men and women, all characterized by the same spirit of juvenile frankness and simple innocence, adhered to him, and said, “Thou art the Messiah.”  As the Messiah was to be the son of David, they naturally conceded him this title, which was synonymous with the former.  Jesus allowed it with pleasure to be given to him, although it might cause him some embarrassment, his birth being well known.  The name which he preferred himself was that of “Son of Man,” an apparently humble title, but one which connected itself directly with the Messianic hopes.  This was the title by which he designated himself,[1] and he used “The Son of Man” as synonymous with the pronoun “I,” which he avoided.  But he was never thus addressed, doubtless because the name in question would be fully applicable to him only on the day of his future appearance.

[Footnote 1:  This title occurs eighty-three times in the Gospels, and always in the discourses of Jesus.]

His centre of action, at this epoch of his life, was the little town of Capernaum, situated on the shore of the lake of Gennesareth.  The name of Capernaum, containing the word caphar, “village,” seems to designate a small town of the ancient character, in opposition to the great towns built according to the Roman method, like Tiberias.[1] That name was so little known that Josephus, in one passage of his writings,[2] takes it for the name of a fountain, the fountain having more celebrity than the village situated near it.  Like Nazareth, Capernaum had no history, and had in no way participated in the profane movement favored by the Herods.  Jesus was much attached to this town, and made it a second home.[3] Soon after his return, he attempted to commence his work at Nazareth, but without success.[4] He could not perform any miracle there, according to the simple remark of one of his biographers.[5] The knowledge which existed there about his family, not an important one, injured his authority too much.  People could not regard as the son of David, one whose brother, sister, and brother-in-law they saw every day, and it is remarkable besides, that his family were strongly opposed to him, and plainly refused to believe in his mission.[6] The Nazarenes, much more violent, wished, it is said, to kill him by throwing him from a steep rock.[7] Jesus aptly remarked that this treatment was the fate of all great men, and applied to himself the proverb, “No one is a prophet in his own country.”

[Footnote 1:  It is true that Tell-Houm, which is generally identified with Capernaum, contains the remains of somewhat fine monuments.  But, besides this identification being doubtful, these monuments may be of the second or third century after Christ.]

[Footnote 2:  B.J., III. x. 8.]

[Footnote 3:  Matt. ix. 1; Mark ii. 1.]

[Footnote 4:  Matt. xiii. 54, and following; Mark vi. 1, and following; Luke iv. 16, and following, 23-24; John iv. 44.]