Well, I found out the number and order of events in Jesus' journey throughout Perea is not as absolutely definitive as I thought, but there is some generally accepted chronology that we will use which can give us a good idea of the flow of His life and teachings. These verses above speak of Jesus going beyond the Jordan which is the region of Perea, a territory east of the Jordan river ruled by Herod Antipas. It is inhabited by the Israelite Tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. The Perean ministry began with Jesus' departure from Galilee and ended with His final trip to Jerusalem. And even though it began in Perea Jesus did not always stay in that region, during this time He also traveled to Bethany, Ephraim, Galilee, and Jericho. In His heart and mind though He was always "making His way" ultimately to Jerusalem. Luke is the gospel most closely associated with this period of Jesus' ministry. The other gospels make mention of various teachings and events but Luke offers the main source of information for this period. Jesus' teachings during this time cover a broad range of subjects but He is primarily teaching His disciples what is required to be a follower of His. He uses a number of parables to give understanding on our relationship to money, people, and life in general. There are only four recorded miracles throughout this last three months the emphasis seems to be on strengthening His disciples for what the future holds. As I am reflecting on this aspect of Jesus ministry It seems pretty apropos to what I and maybe others in the body of Christ need at this time and I can't wait to get into the heart of His teaching. This is going to be a good Spring Training I do believe. I also wanted to draw your attention to the passage in John 10:40-42 when Jesus went back to where He was baptized. It says in verse 42, "and many believed in Him there"...it seems significant, what do you think?
P.S. See you Monday...just a reminder...lent is observed six days a week and doesn't include Sunday since that day represents a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death. Lent rather is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance, giving, and self-denial for the annual commemoration of Easter or in our case Spiritual Spring Training for our daily walk with our Redeemer with a special emphasis on His Resurrection from the dead.
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