The Perean Tour Ends for Jesus 

When Jesus and the twelve left the Pella camp on March 13, 30 CE, they traveled through the southern Perean region and visited all the towns where Abner and the seventy were working. This area was largely the domain of the gentiles; few of the populace were going to Jerusalem for the Passover, so their kingdom work continued uninterrupted.

When Jesus and Abner met in Heshbon, Jesus advised Abner that he and the seventy were to continue their labors in this Perean region, no matter what was going to happen in Jerusalem over the Passover. He also asked that Abner permit members of the Women’s Corps to go to Jerusalem for Passover if any of them desired to go. Jesus' farewell to Abner was: "My son, I know you will be true to the kingdom, and I pray the Father to grant you wisdom that you may love and understand your brethren."

Jesus and Abner were never to meet again in the flesh. There was no formal ending to the Perean Mission. Abner and his associates continued their labors, but for Jesus, his participation in the mission ended when he reached Jerusalem shortly after their last meeting.

Of the large number of disciples that went with the apostolic party from the Pella camp, only about two hundred remained. The rest had gone on to Jerusalem in advance of the Passover.

The apostles were in a state of alert and expectancy – a distinct change from the time when Jesus had decided to go to Bethany and minister to Lazarus. Then, they were filled with fear and dread that the Master would be apprehended by his enemies. But since Lazarus’ resurrection, these apostles felt that, if needed, Jesus would exert his divine power and leave the authorities in disarray, as he had done in the past. This idea gave them the courage to go into Jerusalem with him, even though the Sanhedrn’s sentence of death still hung over the Master’s head. They just could not believe that it was possible for Jesus to die. They believed him when he said that he was "the resurrection and the life." They thought of him as already being immortal and victorious over death.

About two weeks later, on the evening of Wednesday, March 29, the apostolic party and disciples were nearing Jerusalem after having visited many Perean cities. As they approached the town of Livias, they stopped to camp for the night. Sometime during the night a delivery of weapons – one hundred swords – was made to Simon Zelotes and Simon Peter, who had worked together to arrange this shipment. The two apostles received the weapons and gave out the swords to all the men who wanted them, and they all concealed the swords under their outer cloaks. Simon Peter was still wearing his weapon the night that Jesus was betrayed in the garden.

Early the next morning, Jesus woke Andrew and told him to awaken the others because he had something to say to them. Jesus knew about the swords; he knew which of the apostles had them and were wearing them. But he did not say anything to them about that. When everyone was assembled, Jesus told them again, very plainly, that they were all going up to Jerusalem; that he had been condemned to death; that he would be delivered into the hands of the priests and rulers; and that they would condemn him and hand him over to the gentiles. He explained in detail that he would be mocked, spat upon, scourged, and delivered up for the death sentence. He admonished them not to put faith in any kind of defense that they might mount against these inevitabilities. But then he reminded them: "When they kill the Son of Man, be not dismayed, for I declare that on the third day, he shall rise. Take heed to yourselves and remember that I have forewarned you."

Even though Jesus was very explicit about what was to come, the apostles still could not grasp that what he said was literally true. They were amazed and troubled, but they just could not believe that the Master meant what he said.

After breakfast that morning, Jesus had a visit from some friendly Pharisees who warned the Master to leave the area. He told Jesus that Herod had decided that Jesus must die. The Pharisees said that Herod wanted Jesus dead because he feared his popularity with the people might cause them to rise up against the authorities. They said: "We bring you this warning that you may escape."

Of course, Jesus knew all about Herod and his fear of the kingdom gospel. He replied to the Pharisees that the last thing Herod wanted was to be held responsible for the death of the Son of Man, especially since his hands were still stained with the blood of John the Baptist. He knew that Herod preferred that Jesus go to Jerusalem and let the chief priests and rulers execute him and relieve Herod of the responsibility of the Master’s death. Jesus said: "Go and tell that fox that the Son of Man preaches in Perea today, tomorrow goes into Judea, and after a few days, will be perfected in his mission on earth and prepared to ascend to the Father."

Then Jesus again began speaking to his apostles about what was to come. He told them that it was appropriate that he was going to be offered up to die in Jerusalem just like the olden prophets of Scripture – he was to be killed as a result of bigotry, prejudice, and spiritual blindness. And then he said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets and stones the teachers of truth! How often would I have gathered your children together even as a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, but you would not let me do it! Behold, your house is about to be left to you desolate! You will many times desire to see me, but you shall not. You will then seek but not find me." But then he said: "Nevertheless, let us go up to Jerusalem to attend the Passover and do that which helps us in fulfilling the will of the Father in heaven."

The apostles were still trying to reconcile what the Master was saying about dying and rising again in three days. They just could not, or would not, grasp what Jesus was plainly telling them. They tried to analyze and dissect his words to mean anything but what they really meant. These men had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, but the idea of a suffering Messiah was unheard of. It was just not possible for them to understand the full implications of the Master’s death and its far-reaching effects.

For the apostles, Lazarus' resurrection gave them the courage they needed to carry on with Jesus into Jerusalem, hoping that when things got too extreme, the Master would triumph in divine power as he had done before. But for Jesus, it was the memory of the Transfiguration that gave him the strength to face the trying days ahead of him.