Page 103 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

In the New Testament, Perea was an area visited by Christ, and many commentators speak of Jesus’
“Perean ministry,” as opposed to His Judean and Galilean ministries. The normal route between Galilee
and Judea took a Jewish traveler through Perea (thus avoiding Samaria). Jesus probably visited Perea
during the part of His ministry recorded in Luke 9:51—18:34, although there is also much activity in that
section of Luke that occurred outside of Perea. It also seems likely that Jesus visited Perea in Matthew
19:1 and John 10:40. Matthew relates that Jesus “left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the
other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.”

John the Baptist also went to Perea during his ministry. Evidently, he baptized people in Perea, since
Scripture indicates that he performed baptisms in the Jordan at Bethany, a Perean city (John
1:28; 3:26; 10:40). This Bethany is not to be confused with the city where Martha and Mary lived, near
Jerusalem. Perea is also thought to be the burial place of John the Baptist since he was beheaded in the
Perean city of Machaerus, according to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII, 5.2).

In the first century, the Perean city of Pella proved to be a place of refuge when the Romans attacked
Jerusalem. Christians in Jerusalem fled to Pella when Rome besieged the capital, eventually destroying it
and the temple in AD 70. Jesus had foretold of this destruction: “Some of his disciples were remarking
about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus
said, ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every
one of them will be thrown down’” (Luke 21:5–6). Pella in the region of Perea was a shelter for the
Christians when that happened.

Because of its central location and its connection to the Jordan River, Perea is a region that impacted
both the Old and New Testaments. Although not mentioned by name in the Bible, this land “across the
Jordan” is significant because of its role in the history of Israel and in the ministries of Jesus and John the
Baptist (https://www.gotquestions.org/Perea-in-the-Bible.html).

While in Perea, Jews traveled there to see Jesus perform miracles and hear His teachings. Jesus’
enemies also traveled there as a part of the ploy to get the Romans to move against Him. Jesus
continued to be popular with the masses and the Jewish leaders knew they could not simply spirit Jesus
away to His death without the opposition of the crowds, so they sought to get the Roman authorities
involved in His demise. However, they really could not do that in Perea as they could not influence the
Antipas to take action against Jesus. So, they went there to seek “evidence” against Rome, so that if
Jesus returned to Judea, He could be arrested and killed.

Jesus answered the trickery of the religious leaders in reminding them that it is in Jerusalem that they
killed the prophets of God. He told them that Jerusalem would not see Him until they welcomed Him as
Messiah.

When questioned concerning the number of people who would be saved, Jesus indicated that it would
be only a few (Luke 13:23, 24). Stressing that the way to salvation is more difficult than the way to
damnation, He urged people to enter the “narrow gate”. Contrary to Jewish belief, Jesus insisted that
not every Israelite would be saved, and neither is salvation restricted to Israel – those who are saved will
come from all directions (13:29). It is evident from these passages that each person makes a choice by
his own will to either accept Christ’s soon coming sacrifice for their sins or reject it. Every person will be
held accountable for his own choice. God does not send people to hell; they choose to go there!

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