What is the Significance of Perea in the Bible?
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The Gospels mention several specific regions where Jesus ministered when he was on earth. One was an area called Perea.
The Bible grounds the redemptive story in our history through real people, events, and places. God promised Abraham that his descendants would not only be numerous but live in the promised land. Abraham wandered that land, but Israel conquered and inhabited it. Through the Scripture, we connect with places like Jerusalem, Egypt, Nineveh, and more. We can still visit these areas today.
God does nothing by accident or randomly. The Old Testament prophesied the place of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Every decision by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through Jesus’ ministry had meaning, including the places he visited and ministered in.
Perea in the Bible may be unfamiliar to most of us today, but as we explore its importance, we will see more of God’s plan in action.
Where is Perea Mentioned in the Bible?
Although not often mentioned by name, Perea stretched beyond the Jordan River to the east, with Jerusalem and Judea on the western side. Jesus conducted parts of his ministry there, and the region fell under Herod Antipas’s rule during the days of Christ. The Bible mentions this area through the accounts of Jesus crossing the Jordan or traveling “beyond the Jordan.” Jesus stayed in Decapolis, or the ten towns, while he traveled with his disciples.
Matthew 19:1 records, “When Jesus had finished these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan,” signaling Jesus leaving one side of the river and entering Perea, where he continued to teach on marriage and divorce. Also, in Mark 10:1, people gathered around him while he taught, attracted followers, and challenged the Jewish traditions.
Perea gave Jesus an area to minister without facing the conflicts with Jerusalem’s religious leaders. In the land east of the Jordan, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God and healed the sick. In Perea, Jesus encountered the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23), delivered parables like the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:13-15), and blessed children brought to him (Matthew 19:13-15).
This area has connections with the Old Testament. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh claimed good, fertile lands east of the Jordan, outside of Canaan. These tribes came to Moses and requested permission to settle there for their large herds and flocks. Moses granted their request on one condition. They had to help the other tribes conquer land west of the Jordan in Canaan (Numbers 32).
What is the Geographical Significance of Perea?
From the Old Testament, the area became known for its fertile soil and rugged hills, good for both herding and farming. Over time, it became known as Gilead and Bashan, regions marked by agriculture. Although the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh were separated from the rest of Israel, they stayed loyal to God and their kin. The territory often served as a buffer zone, facing invasions and conflicts with neighboring people. Due to his people’s sin and idolatry, God began giving parts of Israel over to other nations, and Perea suffered these consequences first.
In the New Testament, Perea’s location between Judea, Samaria, and the Decapolis made it important for both travel and ministry. The Jordan River created a natural separation from the more religious power center of Jerusalem and Judea. Perea gave Jesus a place to minister more freely while also giving quick access to Jerusalem.
North of Perea was Samaria, which Jews tried to avoid due to ethnic and religious tensions between the two peoples. Although some Jews would travel directly through Samaria, many preferred to go through Perea, even if it meant crossing the Jordan twice. This long route made Perea a natural area for Jews to journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. East of Perea was the Decapolis, a group of ten Greco-Roman cities with a large Gentile population. These towns brought Hellenistic culture and pagan gods close to the Jewish population of Perea. Being close to these diverse influences made Perea a unique border land, where various people mixed.
Why Did Jesus Spend Time in Perea?
Jesus expanded his ministry to Perea to avoid increased conflict in Jerusalem. Christ faced conflict with Jewish leaders who considered him a heretic or a threat to their authority, and they eventually sought to kill him. John 7:1 says, “After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.” To manage this, Jesus would spend time in other areas like Perea.
Perea also had important historical ties to Israel, since the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh settled there. In Perea, Jesus not only reached Jews but symbolically reclaimed the land that once belonged to the people of Israel. Jesus came first to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), meaning the Jews. He brought healing and redemption even to territories once part of Israel but now on the outskirts.
While Jesus’ earthly ministry focused primarily on Jews, his work in Perea reveals how the Kingdom of God extends to all nations. Perea had become a diverse region with Jews, Gentiles, and people from different religious backgrounds living closely. The diversity let Jesus reach people from different cultures and races, showing how he came to save the whole world. He interacted with people like the Roman centurion (Matthew 8) and the Samaritan woman (John 4), prophesying how the Gospel would go out to the Gentiles, too.
What Can Christians Learn from Jesus’ Ministry in Perea?
Jesus’ time in Perea reminds us of the dangers of godless or manipulative religion. The leaders in Jerusalem, who should have been the first to recognize the Messiah, instead tried to keep their power and control. Their legalism led them to oppose Jesus and even try to kill him. Religion without true devotion to God in relationship can be just as destructive as a pagan society, sometimes more. We must guard against using Christianity to build our own “kingdoms.” Instead, let’s seek first God’s Kingdom.
This calls us to examine our hearts and motives, making sure our lives reflect loyalty to Christ and love for others. The Pharisees and religious leaders often missed the heart of God’s message, looking at the outside instead of inner transformation. We aren’t immune to this; we can fall into the same patterns of religion and tradition over compassion and humility. The Spirit reveals this truth to us as we search our hearts.
In Perea, we see how God desires to redeem both people and places. In the Great Comission, Jesus told his disciples to go to all the earth and its creatures with the Gospel. All of creation has been corrupted by the Fall, so God’s plan redeems it all. Paul reminds us how creation groans and waits for the restoration of all things God will bring in Christ (Romans 8:19-22). As Christians, we’re called to participate in this redemptive story, living out as the born-again people who point people to Jesus. Ultimately, God will bring full redemption, reconciling all things to himself through Christ (Colossians 1:20). We live as ambassadors of the Kingdom and the future hope.
Jesus’ ministry in Perea reveals our calling as a “sent” people. Just as he stepped beyond his cultural comfort to reach the marginalized, we should reach out to those who might feel distant from God or marginalized by society. Jesus’ ministry included healing the broken, teaching the overlooked, and proclaiming God’s love to all people. We do the same by going outside our own comfort to serve the needy and hurting.
Why is Perea Important in the Bible?
Although it is not mentioned often, Perea holds an important place in both the Old and New Testaments. Located east of the Jordan River, we first see how two and a half tribes of Israel settled in the region. Then in the Gospels, Perea becomes a key area where Jesus taught, healed, and interacted with followers as he traveled closer to Jerusalem. The area provided an interesting setting for Jesus to minister to large crowds and also prepare his disciples for the future.
Beyond the role in Jesus’ ministry, Perea teaches us the importance of lesser-known regions in the Bible. Jerusalem, Judea, and Galilee often take the spotlight. However, just as there are no lesser people, areas like Perea remind us how God’s love reaches out to people and places the world may dismiss. Studying regions like Perea deepens our understanding of the biblical story. God grounds his story and message in real places with their own culture, history, and geography. Understanding the setting and context helps us better comprehend any story, even more so with Jesus and his deliberate choices in regions and people he visited.
Exploring these lesser-known regions from the Bible offers us new scriptural connections and insights. They’re more than background. Each place, including Perea, reveals aspects of Jesus’ ministry and the heart of God—like his compassion for all people, his redemption of all things, and how he cares enough to redeem history and places.
This means he cares about each of us individually, our ethnic peoples, our nations, and the very geography we live in. His love is big enough to encompass it all and redeem it all. And like he intentionally went out of his way to Perea, he willingly takes the initiative and comes to us. He seeks us out in our contexts, speaking Good News to save us today. And even more, he empowers us to take the same message to the world around us.
Peace.
Further Reading
What Happened to Jesus When He Visited Perea?
Perea in the Bible
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