AFTER LEAVING Jerusalem, at the time of the Feast of the Dedication,
Jesus went across the Jordan, and followed the river upward to the place
twelve or thirteen miles below the Sea of Galilee; the place where he
had been baptized by John, and where soon after his baptism he found his
earliest followers. This place was called by two names, "Bethabara,"
which means, "the town of the ford," that is where one could wade across
the river; and "Bethany beyond Jordan," to keep it distinct from the
other Bethany near Jerusalem, where Martha and Mary lived.
The twelve disciples were with Jesus at Bethabara, and some who came
with him from Jerusalem and Judea. Also when the news went abroad in
Galilee that Jesus was at this place, many more hastened to meet him; so
that soon a large number of his followers gathered around him. Jesus was
now near the border of the land on the east of the Jordan, known as
Perea. This word means "beyond," and the land was so named because it
was "beyond the Jordan" from Judea.
Jesus had never visited this land, although he had preached in every
other part of the country; in Judea on the south; in Galilee on the
north; in Decapolis on the northeast; and even in Samaria, where the
people were not Jews but Samaritans. He made up his mind now to go
through Perea preaching, as he had preached in all the other parts of
the land. But in Perea, his time must be short, because now only three
months remained before the Feast of the Passover, and at that time he
must be in Jerusalem. In order to make the people of Perea ready for his
coming, and to bring together as many as possible to hear him, he chose
the places in that land to be visited. Then he called seventy men from
among his followers, and sent them by two and two to these cities and
the villages around them, to preach to the people and tell them that
Jesus was soon to come among them.
To these seventy preachers, Jesus gave the same commands that he had
given to the Twelve some months before, when he sent them out to preach
in Galilee. He said:
"Do not take with you a purse of money, or a bag for food, or an extra
pair of sandals. Do not stop to give greetings to any who meet you on
the road. Wherever you go into a house, first say, 'May peace be to this
house!' Then if one is there who is in the spirit of peace, your peace
will rest upon him; otherwise it will come back to you. Stay at that
same house while you are in that city, and eat and drink whatever they
offer you, for the workman has a right to his wages. Do not move around
from one house to another. Whatever town you visit, if the people give
you welcome, eat what is given you; cure those that are sick; and be
sure to say to the people everywhere, 'The kingdom of God is coming very
soon.'
"But whatever town you visit, if the people will not receive you nor
listen to your message, go out into the streets of that place and cry
aloud, 'The very dust of your city that clings to our feet we wipe off
as a sign against you; but be sure of this, that the kingdom of God is
coming to you soon.' I tell you that in God's day when he will judge
men, the punishment of Sodom will be easier to bear than the punishment
of that town!"
The seventy men went out from Bethabara, going in pairs, two men
together, making thirty-five pairs. They visited all the cities and
villages in the country of Perea to which Jesus had sent them, the
places which he was expecting to visit later; gave to the people the
message of Jesus, that the kingdom of God was soon to appear, and thus
aroused the people everywhere to an interest in the coming of Jesus.
Their errand was finished in a few weeks, for thirty-five pairs of men
could soon visit many places; and when they came again to Bethabara,
they found Jesus still there.
They told Jesus what places they had visited and how they had wrought
many cures in his name and through the power which he had given them.
With great joy they said to Jesus:
"Master, even the evil spirits obey us when we use your name!"
And Jesus answered them, "Yes, I have seen Satan, the chief of the evil
spirits, fall from heaven like a flash of lightning from the sky.
Remember, I have given you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and to trample under your feet all the power of the enemy; nothing shall
in any way do you any harm. Only, do not rejoice merely because the evil
spirits submit to you; but rejoice more because your names are written
in heaven as the children of God."
[Illustration: A scorpion]
While Jesus was at Bethabara, many people came to see him and to hear
his words. As this was one of the places where John the Baptist had
preached three years before, they compared Jesus with John, and many of
them said:
"John the Baptist never gave any wonderful works as signs that God had
sent him; but he spoke about this man; and all that he ever said of this
man was the truth."
And while Jesus was at Bethabara many people believed in him and became
his followers.
Lazarus Called Out of His Tomb