The Preparation of the Apostles by King Messiah
The second portion of the Perean ministry lasted about three and one-half months , from the festival of Hanukkah in December 29 AD to His last journey to Jerusalem in the spring of 30 AD. Perea (“the country beyond” in Greek) was the portion of the kingdom of Herod the Great occupying the eastern side of the Jordan River valley (or the Transjordan), from about one third the way down from the Sea of Galilee to about one third the way down the eastern shore of the Dead Sea; it did not extend too far inland.
Jesus now found it necessary to leave Yerushalayim and Judea for a time. The campaign in Judea had profoundly moved the people. But the hatred of His enemies had also grown more vicious, culminating in the renewed attempt to stone Him to death at Hanukkah. All the doors to Christ’s ministry were now closed in Judea. For some time Galilee had also rejected His ministry. There was only one place left for Him to minister for the remaining few months before He faced the cross – Perea, “the country beyond” the Jordan.
There the Lord withdrew with His apostles, choosing Bethany as the center of His evangelistic activities. There, Jesus had been baptized by the Immerser. It was a place of sacred memories – where He had met and won His first talmidim. Messiah had success there, away from the poisoned atmosphere of the City of David. Many poured in from the surrounding countryside to witness His ministry. The good Shepherd ministered to them: preaching, teaching and healing. The report was the same everywhere. When they compared the ministry of Yeshua and Yochanan, as people will do, that John didn’t perform any miracles, but everything he said about the One who would come after him was true. The testimony of the Baptizer had prepared the soil for this last fruitful campaign of the Savior of sinners and many believed in Him.
While He was in Perea, Messiah would carry on a public ministry, but it was largely designed to prepare the Twelve for the ministry that would be entrusted to them following His death and resurrection. Having already been rejected by the Great Sanhedrin (to see link click Ek – It is only by Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, that This Fellow Drives Out Demons), there was no expectation that He could begin His reign. Yeshua ben-David continued His ministry, however, not in hopes of reversing His rejection, but rather, to teach His apostles concerning the ministry on His behalf. Thus did the Prince of Peace spend the time until His appointed hour came when He must go to Tziyon and fulfill the will of the Father.1070
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