Match Quiz: New Testament Geography -- #2

Answer: Jordan River

The correct answer is the Jordan River. Matthew 3:13-17, in the NKJV Bible, reports things this way: "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'."

Scripture states John baptized large numbers of people in the Jordan River, but there is no account of John himself being baptized.

Answer: Damascus

Paul, who was known as Saul at the time, was on his way to Damascus when he had a dramatic encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 9:3-6, in the NKJV Bible, states: "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do'."

Paul would go on to become the main apostle to the Gentiles, this even though he had previously been committing to removing believers in a resurrected Jesus Christ from the scene.

Damascus is in southwestern Syria and, according to Wikipedia, it is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

Answer: Caesarea Philippi

Peter was in Caesarea Philippi when he made the famous declaration that Jesus "is the Son of the living God." Here's how Matthew 16:13-20, in the NKJV Bible, reports what happened: "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ."

Caesarea Philippi is about twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee, near Mount Hermon.

Answer: Gadarenes

The man who had a legion of demons driven out of him by Jesus lived in Gadarenes. (The NIV uses the placename Gerasenes rather than Gadarenes.) Mark 5:1-20 records the demons that inhabited the man begged Jesus for permission to leave him and go into a nearby herd of pigs. When Jesus granted permission to the evil spirits to go into the pigs, the herd went wild and rushed down a steep bank into the lake. The number of pigs that drowned is estimated at 2,000, as per Mark 5:13.

According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Gadarenes is east of the Sea of Galilee.

Answer: Sea of Galilee

The correct answer is the Sea of Galilee. Actually, Jesus calmed two storms on the Sea of Galilee, but I love the account in Mark 6:51-56 telling of what happened after Jesus calmed the second storm and He and the disciples reached Genneseret on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The account reads: "Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well."

In regards to calming storms on the Sea of Galilee, details of the first miracle can be found in Matthew 8, Mark 4 and Luke 8. Details of the second miracle can be found in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. In the first incident, Christ was sleeping in a boat rowed by the disciples when He calmed the storm. In the second incident, the disciples encountered Christ walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee during a storm. In both cases He rebuked the waves and all was placid, Scripture states.

Answer: Egypt

The correct answer is Egypt. Scripture states Joseph, the father of Jesus, was warned in a dream by an angel to take his wife Mary and the child to Egypt as King Herod was plotting to kill Jesus.

According to Scripture, Herod ordered the execution of all male children two and under in Bethlehem and district. All this in an all-out effort to kill the Baby Jesus because Herod feared the Child would grow up and replace him as king.

Matthew 2:13-18, gives this account in the NKJV: "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt I called My Son.' Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
'A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more'."

Answer: Chorazin

According to Scripture, Jesus announced woe on Chorazin as well as Bethsaida and Capernaum. (In the NIV, Chorazin appears as Korazin.) Luke 10:13-16 in the NKJV quotes Jesus as saying: "'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me'."

According to notes in the NIV Study Bible, Korazin, or Chorazin, was near the Sea of Galilee, probably about two miles north of Capernaum. Bethsaida was on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Bethsaida was rebuilt by Phillip the tetrarch, who renamed it 'Julias' after Julia, daughter of Caesar Augustus, according to study notes in the NIV Study Bible. The notes also state Tyre and Sidon were on the Phoenician coast, north of Palestine.

Answer: Nazareth

The people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, attempted to kill Him because of His statement that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, according to Scripture. Luke 4:28-30 in the NKJV states: "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way."

Answer: Capernaum

According to Scripture, Jesus made the well-known declaration that He is the bread of life in Capernaum. John 6:35-40 contains the famous Scripture. Here's how the passage reads in the NKJV: "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day'."

Capernaum was a thriving community on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today it is in ruins.

Answer: Italy

According to Scripture, Aquila, a worker in the early church, was deported from Italy because he was a Jew. Acts 18:1-4 in the NKJV tells of Paul meeting up with Aquila: "After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks."