V1 He Went Up On The Mountain
“He went up on the mountain” – evokes Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19). Jesus is intentionally being portrayed as the new Moses, the ultimate interpreter and fulfillment of the Law (cf. Matt. 5:17).
1. The Crowd’s Geographic and Cultural Diversity (Matthew 4:25)
"Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan."
These locations are not just a travel itinerary — they are symbolic markers of profound political, religious, and cultural complexity.
A. Galilee – “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1–2; Matt. 4:15)
• Culturally mixed: Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, Hellenists.
• Politically rebellious: Often the source of Jewish resistance movements (e.g., zealots).
• Considered less “pure” than Jerusalem/Judea by the religious elite.
B. The Decapolis – Ten Greco-Roman cities
• Largely Gentile and Hellenized (Greek culture, pagan temples, Roman governance).
• These cities represented the height of Greek philosophy and Roman civic pride — politically and religiously foreign to Israel’s covenantal heritage.
• Yet, here are Gentiles and Greek-influenced Jews drawn to Jesus, not because of conquest or ideology, but because of healing and hope.
C. Jerusalem & Judea
• The religious center of Judaism — Temple, priests, scribes, and Pharisees.
• People here are steeped in Torah, tradition, and expectation of a Davidic Messiah.
• Their inclusion signals that Jesus is not preaching a sectarian fringe message — He's calling the core and the margins.
D. Beyond the Jordan – Likely Perea and Transjordanian regions
• Home to mixed ethnicities: Edomites, Nabateans, Jews, and others.
• Politically controlled by Herod Antipas, but religiously peripheral.
Key Insight: This is not a monolithic Jewish crowd. It’s a gathering of natural-born enemies, socio-religious outsiders, second-class citizens, and Torah-keepers — united under the voice of a carpenter-preacher from Nazareth.
