Perea

John 11:1-5.

One day, as Jesus was teaching somewhere in Perea, a messenger arrived from Bethany in Judea.

He'd traveled about 25 miles to find Jesus, and the message that he gave him quickly said, "He whom you love is sick." That message was from Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, whose home that Jesus loved to visit.

He could relax there with no spies present, listening for something that they could use against him.

Yet be sure of this, the kingdom of God is very near." I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town." So what's the context of this really interesting passage? So Jesus has just started to move towards Jerusalem, so it's actually getting pretty close to the end of Jesus' ministry.

And we're in the part of Luke's Gospel that's often called the Ministry to Judea and Perea.

The episode we're looking at here is often called the Appointment of the Seventy.

So we're going to see here Jesus appoint seventy disciples, and this is only found in Luke.

Some interesting things Jesus does on the way to Jerusalem.

So this next section we're entering into on the way to Jerusalem is often called by scholars the ministry to Judea and Perea.

And it takes up about 40% of Luke's gospel.

Matthew and Mark only spend about a chapter on this same period where Luke spends about 10 chapters on that same time period.

Let's get started.

For the last few days, we've been following Jesus through the region of Perea.

This was a predominantly Gentile region with most of the Jews living on the other side of the Jordan.

In fact, the name Perea actually means the country beyond.

Now, Jesus had done several miracles in this region as a means of drawing attention to his journey to the cross, Jerusalem.

Many of the people here were looked at with disdain by the Jews, however.

That's Luke 15, verse 10.

Sunday, the friend of sinners.

Archelaus was given Judea.

Antipas, the Herod of Jesus' public ministry, received Galilee and Perea with the title of Tetrarch, and Philip received certain territories to the east of Galilee.

Archelaus was banished in AD 6, Antipas was banished in AD 39, and Philip died in AD 33.

After the banishment of Archelaus, Judea was administered by Roman procurators till AD 41, when all Palestine was given to Herod Agrippa I.

Verses 6 through 12 describe Jesus being brought before Herod.

Herod Antipas, son of the Herod who ordered all the male babies killed at the time of Jesus' birth, ruled over Galilee and Perea.

His title was Tetrarch, which means ruler of a quarter.

Historically, he is known for the construction of Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

So Herod the Great's son, called Herod the Tetrarch, and his proper name is Herod Antipas.

He rules over the area of Galilee and Perea.

So he's king over the area where Jesus is born.

He's not king over Judea and Jerusalem, but he is king over Galilee where Jesus was born and does both of his ministry.

Well, let's meet this sinner named Zacchaeus.

Last week, we saw that Jesus had likely crossed the Jordan River along the well-traveled route from Galilee up north across the Jordan into the Decapolis and then down in the southern part, Perea, back across the Jordan near Jericho.

But as we have read through this six-month journey in the last 10 chapters, we saw that he rather regularly crisscrossed Samaria because Jesus loves sinners.

He loves the outsiders, to include the hated Samaritans.

Jesus said, "'He who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.'" He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10, 38-39 Sunday, Persistent Prayer, Luke 11, 1-8 After the Feast of Dedication at the Temple, Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem and returned to the region of Perea.

That was a name beyond the Jordan River, where He had been teaching and healing people before going to Jerusalem this time.

When he returned to his work after that short absence, what did the people say about him? John 10, 40-42 tells us,

For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Now Jesus' work in Perea was more than just teaching and healing the people that crowded around him.

He was also, as we've discussed, teaching his disciples important lessons that they needed to learn before he would leave them just a few months later.

And that begins his final trip to Jerusalem and And also in that trip, we have this travel narrative, and they talk about a lot of different things on their way to Jerusalem, or Jesus does.

He kind of goes through Perea, which is on the east side of the Jordan River, as he's tracking down south, if you will, everybody.

And so in Luke chapter 16, we have this story, if you will.

And we're going to read that today, starting in verse 19.