Matthew 19:1
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Matthew 19:1
“And it was, when Jesus completed these words, He after-lifted from the Galilee, and He came unto the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus ended Chapter 18 with a note about the forgiveness of a brother for his trespasses. Chapter 19 begins with the words, “And it was, when Jesus completed these words, He after-lifted from the Galilee.”
Here is an exciting word that is seen for the second and last time, metairó, to after-lift. It is derived from meta, after or with, and airó, to lift. There is no exact English word, but the idea of a plane taking off is somewhat analogous.
There is a purposeful intent of getting up and removing oneself from one place to another. The word was minutely explained at its introduction into Scripture in Matthew 13:53. It would be good to return there to reacquaint yourself with its intent.
In both instances of its use, there is a transition in the narrative. In Chapter 13, the transition was from instruction in parables to Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth. Now, there is a transition from parables concerning community ethics to a southward journey which will culminate in Jesus’ passion. It is a rejection that goes beyond that of Nazareth. In this rejection, it will be by His nation.
As has been seen, the Galilee is a circular area. The name comes from the Hebrew Galil. It is identical to galil, to pivot or turn. That, in turn, comes from galal, to roll away. Thus, the meaning is Liberty. In the Hebrew, the name is normally preceded by the definite article, ha’galil, the Galilee. Of Jesus’ after-lifting from this area, it next says, “and He came unto the borders of Judea.”
Ioudaia, Judea, is the feminine form of Ioudaios, Jews. As such, it is the land of the Jews. The word is derived from the fourth son of Israel, Judah. His name is derived from odeh, a verb signifying I will praise (or thank). Thus, the name means Praise. One can think of Judea as the land of praise. The narrative continues, saying, “beyond the Jordan.”
The meaning here is not obvious without consideration. Judah does not lie beyond the Jordan. As such, the intent must be derived from what it says as Mark 10 begins –
“Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.” Mark 10:1
Therefore, Matthew’s words are elliptical. The thought should be, “And it was, when Jesus completed these words, He after-lifted from the Galilee and He came unto the borders of Judea [having traveled that way] beyond the Jordan.”
In Hebrew, the Jordan is ha’yarden, the Descender. The Jordan is a picture of Jesus in His incarnation, descending from heaven (symbolized by Mount Hermon where the Jordan’s water comes from), traversing through Israel, and ending at the Dead (Salt) Sea. A picture of Christ’s incorruptible death, symbolized by salt.
No water flows out of the Dead Sea, instead it “after-lifts” through the process of evaporation an unseen process by which the water ascends. A wonderful picture of Christ’s resurrection. What a wonderful picture. And just as evaporation is not directly seen while it happens, but must be understood and accepted by faith, so too the resurrection is something we receive by faith: unseen to the natural eye, yet real, powerful, and life-giving.
As has been seen, to travel “beyond the Jordan” thus forms a picture of time before Jesus’ incarnation.
Life application: Based on Jesus’ movement from Galilee to Judea through the region of Perea instead of Samaria, a picture is being developed. Paying heed to such movements by the Lord will help open the narrative to see what is on God’s mind. Thus, Chapter 19 will require careful attention to hopefully understand what He is telling us.
As we progress through the chapter, pay attention to the details. Jesus is heading to His passion. This culminates in His crucifixion and resurrection. However, as He goes, we will be given information about other things through His movements and interactions. God is using typology to convey spiritual truths as He has done throughout Scripture.
Let us journey together through the chapter, attempting to discern what is being conveyed.
Lord God, what a treasure Your word is. It directs us to new insights and understandings if we will just pay heed and follow the details carefully. Open our eyes, O God, to see wonderful things in Your word. Amen.
