Matthew 4:25

Berean Standard Bible

Large crowds followed Him, having come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

King James Bible

And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

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This verse serves as the concluding statement of a summary passage in Matthew’s Gospel, describing the initial phase of Jesus’ public ministry. Though brief, it is rich in implications and theological insight. It reveals the wide-reaching impact of Jesus’ presence and power, as well as the early magnetism of His person. It also sets the stage for the teachings that follow in the Sermon on the Mount, giving us both a geographical and spiritual context for the audience that Jesus addresses.

We begin by noticing the emphasis on the great crowds that followed Jesus. This phrase indicates more than mere numerical size; it speaks to the phenomenon of mass movement, of a growing public awareness and responsiveness to Jesus’ ministry. The attraction was not limited to the content of His teaching alone, though His teaching was unlike anything the people had ever heard. Rather, it was the combination of word and deed—the proclamation of the kingdom and the visible signs of its arrival—that drew people to Him. This crowd is the fruit of what Matthew has just described: Jesus going throughout Galilee, teaching, proclaiming, and healing. It is no surprise that such actions would spark massive interest and urgent following.

The nature of the crowd itself must also be noted. In the Gospels, crowds are complex. They are not always faithful. They are often fascinated, occasionally fickle, and sometimes misguided. Yet their presence signals something significant: Jesus could not be ignored. The kingdom was no longer hidden in the wilderness or locked in private piety. It had gone public, and the people were stirred. The magnetism of Jesus was not manufactured by political or religious power; it was rooted in the authority He carried, the compassion He showed, and the power He wielded. His fame was not self-promoted but God-ordained. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, and it was evident in every step He took, in every word He spoke, and in every person He healed.

The list of regions from which the crowds came is particularly important. Matthew names Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. This is not a random sampling of geography—it is a deliberate theological signal. Galilee, already the primary setting of Jesus’ early ministry, was a mixed region, home to both Jews and Gentiles. The Decapolis, a collection of ten Hellenistic cities east of the Jordan River, was heavily Gentile in culture and influence. Jerusalem and Judea represent the heart of Jewish religious identity and national history. “Beyond the Jordan” points to regions like Perea and other territories east of the river, again containing both Jews and Gentiles.

Taken together, this list reveals that Jesus was drawing followers from a diverse and expansive area. His appeal transcended regional boundaries, cultural divisions, and religious expectations. This anticipates the later Gentile mission and reinforces the Matthean theme that the gospel is not limited to Israel, though it begins there. Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant to Abraham—that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. The inclusion of regions outside Judea points to the universal scope of His mission. The light that dawned in Galilee was already shining into the nations.

There is also deep irony in this verse when contrasted with later developments in the Gospel. Early on, large crowds flock to Jesus. They are drawn by His miracles, intrigued by His teaching, and perhaps hopeful that He might be the political deliverer many anticipated. Yet as His teaching becomes more challenging, and His mission more clearly about the cross than the crown, many fall away. The same crowds who once followed Him with enthusiasm will later be absent or even hostile. This underscores a critical truth about discipleship: the initial impulse to follow Jesus is not the same as persevering faith. Curiosity is not commitment. Fascination with Jesus' power must be met with submission to His lordship. The crowds here are real and eager, but not all who follow will remain with Him.

From a theological standpoint, this verse functions as a hinge. It concludes the summary of Jesus’ early ministry and opens the way to the Sermon on the Mount, which begins in the very next verse. The mention of the great crowds helps explain why Jesus “went up on the mountain”—both to teach the people and to withdraw slightly so He could address His disciples with gravity and clarity. The crowd, then, is not only a backdrop—it is a participant in the unfolding revelation of the kingdom. Jesus does not shy away from the multitude. He does not retreat into elitism or cloistered circles of influence. He engages the people where they are but leads them into deeper truth. He will challenge their assumptions, reshape their expectations, and call them to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

On a practical level, this verse invites us to consider how the presence of Jesus disrupts normal life. People left their homes, their towns, their regions—some traveled significant distances—to seek Him out. They were compelled to come, not out of mere curiosity, but out of the deep hunger that resides in every human heart. Jesus had not performed these signs in secret. He had not offered healing behind closed doors. His ministry was visible, touchable, audible. And those who heard of Him came, carrying their wounded, their sick, their broken, and themselves. This is the image of the Church’s mission: to be so saturated with the presence and truth of Christ that the world cannot help but notice, and that the broken are drawn to the one place where healing and truth meet.

Furthermore, this verse serves as a mirror for us. What is it that draws us to Jesus? Is it what He can do for us? Is it fascination with His power? Is it hope for physical blessing or relief from suffering? Or do we come to Him because He is the King, the Son of God, the One in whom all truth and grace reside? The great crowds came to Him for many reasons—but the Gospel of Matthew will go on to show that the true disciples stay with Him through trial, offense, and even the scandal of the cross. The test of true following is not in the initial excitement, but in enduring love and obedience.

Finally, Matthew 4:25 affirms that Christ’s presence is never confined. His fame cannot be contained. Wherever He is truly known—wherever His word is proclaimed in truth and His works are displayed in love—people will come. And wherever people come, Christ meets them not with rejection but with invitation, calling them to repent, believe, follow, and be changed. This one verse captures the heart of the gospel’s movement: from a carpenter’s son in a backwater town to the Savior drawing nations. From local to global. From obscurity to divine revelation.

In this way, Matthew 4:25 is not merely historical. It is prophetic. It invites us into the ever-expanding story of Christ’s reach. His name still spreads—not by human fame, but by divine power. His healing still draws, His word still speaks, and His call still goes forth: “Follow Me.” And the wise still come, from every place under heaven, not simply to see miracles, but to know the One who performs them, to sit at His feet, and to be made whole.

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To all who are beloved of God and called to be saints in Christ Jesus across every land and nation, grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is advancing even now in the earth, and whose light has shone into the darkness, gathering to Himself a people from every tribe and tongue.

Beloved, I write to you not as one with authority of myself, but as a servant of the gospel, a fellow partaker in the grace that has been revealed in Christ, and a witness to the calling that beckons all men to come and follow the One in whom the fullness of life resides. As I meditate upon the testimony of the Holy Spirit recorded by the evangelist Matthew in chapter four, verse twenty-five, I am stirred to share with you the deep and living truths embedded in this simple yet profound sentence: “And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

We see in these words the early response to the manifest presence of Christ. The Son of God had begun to unveil the kingdom—not with swords or banners, but with the authority of His voice, the power of His healing, and the mercy of His touch. The light that had dawned in Galilee did not remain stationary. It moved. And as it moved, it drew people from every direction. The fame of Christ was not the result of worldly promotion, but of heavenly demonstration. His power drew not only the sick, but also the hungry, the searching, the broken, and the spiritually blind. And great crowds came. They left their towns and their routines, their homes and their securities, to follow the One who had no earthly throne but who carried heaven in His words and heaven in His hands.

Brothers and sisters, this movement of people—the great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan—is a testimony to the wide reach of Christ’s appeal. It was not merely the religiously devout or the theologically trained who came. It was the ordinary, the wounded, the unclean, the foreign, and the forgotten. They came from Jewish regions and Gentile cities alike. Already in these early days, the universality of Christ’s mission is foreshadowed. Though He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel, the magnetic pull of His presence could not be confined. His fame reached beyond borders because His mission was to redeem people from every place. This is the kind of Savior we serve—not tribal, not provincial, not limited by geography or tradition, but the Redeemer of all who would come.

And what compelled them to follow Him? Not comfort. Not certainty of reward. Not social status. No, they were compelled by the evidence of the kingdom breaking in. The sick were being healed. The tormented were being delivered. The Scriptures were being opened with authority, and the words of the prophets were being fulfilled before their very eyes. What else could they do but follow? When the Messiah walks through your town, the only sane response is to leave what you have and go where He leads.

Yet let us not romanticize the crowd. The Gospel writers are careful to show us that though many followed, not all believed. Though many walked with Him, few remained when the road grew narrow. Crowds can gather for many reasons—curiosity, hope, desperation, even entertainment—but only a few press through to genuine discipleship. So this verse is not only an invitation; it is also a challenge. What kind of followers are we? Do we follow Christ as the crowds did—drawn by His power, moved by His presence, but unwilling to endure when the call becomes costly? Or do we follow Him as disciples—laying down our nets, taking up our crosses, and trusting that He is worth more than all the world?

Dear friends, let this verse stir us from complacency. Let it remind us that Christ is still drawing great crowds, but He is not interested in shallow allegiance. He calls us to follow with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. He calls us to come not merely when the miracles flow, but even when the teaching offends, the way narrows, and the cost is high. He does not call us to remain in the crowd, but to step out of the multitude and into the narrow path of obedience. The crowds followed, but only a few were changed. Let us be among those few who are transformed by following Him not merely with our feet, but with our whole lives.

And what of the cities mentioned—Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan? Are these not also symbolic of the world we now live in? There are “Galilees” around us—places familiar and near, where Christ is known but not always honored. There are “Decapolises”—cultural centers where Greek thinking dominates, where idols abound and many are far from the God of Israel. There are “Jerusalems”—religious strongholds where people cling to tradition yet reject the living Christ. There are “Judeas”—faithful yet hardened lands where the Word is known but not always received. And there are places “beyond the Jordan”—forgotten margins and borderlands, where few expect the gospel to go. Yet from every one of these places, people came. And today, from every context, Christ still calls.

So let us not draw lines where He has drawn none. Let us not assume who will come and who will not. Let us not limit the gospel to our tribe, our background, or our expectations. The same Jesus who drew multitudes then is drawing people still. He is calling the religious and the rebellious, the native and the foreigner, the near and the far. And His fame spreads not through signs alone, but through the testimony of those who follow Him with sincerity and truth. That is our task: to make Him known, to live lives so shaped by His grace and presence that others are drawn, not to us, but to Him.

Let us, therefore, be a people who carry His fame not by seeking attention, but by embodying His mercy. Let us follow Him not only when the crowd follows, but even if we must follow alone. Let us welcome those who come from every place, knowing that the kingdom of God is wide enough for all who respond to His call. And let us never forget that the One who drew crowds with healing hands now draws His Church into deeper faithfulness, into greater boldness, and into the unshakable hope of His unending kingdom.

May the Lord strengthen your hearts, root you in His Word, and keep you in His love as you follow the Savior who still walks through every land, still calls every sinner, and still heals every wound.

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O Most High God, enthroned in eternal glory, yet drawing near to the lowly and humble in heart, we lift our voices to You in reverence and gratitude, beholding the mystery of Your Son, who walked among men and gathered the multitudes by the power of His word, the touch of His hand, and the authority of His presence. You who dwell in unapproachable light made Yourself known in the dust and roads of Galilee, and the fame of Your beloved Son spread not through royal proclamation or military conquest, but through the mercy that flowed wherever He went. And great crowds followed Him—not drawn by worldly promises, but stirred by glimpses of heaven come down to earth.

We behold, O Lord, the scene set before us in the gospel—crowds from Galilee and the Decapolis, from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan—all converging toward the One in whom life and truth reside. What drew them, but the scent of hope long buried? What compelled them, but the stirrings of ancient promises now fulfilled? You, O God, who spoke through the prophets, were now speaking through Your Son—not in types and shadows, but in flesh and blood. And the people came. The weary came. The sick came. The poor in spirit came. The Gentiles and the Jews, the learned and the simple, the devout and the outcast—they came. And He received them.

We praise You, Father, that Your mercy knows no boundary and Your kingdom knows no border. From north to south, from east to west, You call all men to behold Your Son and to find in Him the fulfillment of every ache, every longing, every groaning of creation. The great crowds that followed Him are not just a scene of history—they are a picture of Your eternal intent: to gather to Yourself a people from every nation, a multitude no man can number, united not by race or language, but by grace and faith in the One You have sent.

O Christ, we magnify You—the One who could not be ignored, whose fame spread because healing followed Your footsteps and truth poured from Your lips. You did not seek celebrity, yet the world came to You, because in You was life, and that life was the light of men. You walked not with pride but with compassion, and the multitudes pressed in because they saw what the heart of God looked like in human form. And still You draw us, still You call, still You walk the roads of our lives, bidding us to leave all and follow.

We confess, Lord, that we are often like the crowds—drawn by the promise of help, stirred by the hope of healing, yet hesitant to surrender. We want to follow, but we fear the cost. We are eager to be near You in the blessing, but slow to stand with You in obedience. Forgive us, Lord, for approaching You only as problem-solvers or seekers of miracles. Teach us to follow not merely for what You do, but for who You are. Let our hearts not be like shifting crowds, swayed by emotion or need, but be established in steadfast faith, rooted in the truth that You alone have the words of eternal life.

Father, we pray for the Church in our day, that she would again be marked by such a presence of Christ that the multitudes would be drawn—not to human charisma or cleverness, but to the unmistakable power and compassion of Your Son revealed in us. Let His fame spread again, not for our sake, but for Yours. Let the poor, the sick, the confused, the broken, the weary, and the desperate come—not to buildings or brands, but to the living Christ shining through His body on earth. Let us become conduits of His mercy, vessels of His truth, bearers of His name in purity and power.

And Lord, we intercede for the many who are still “beyond the Jordan”—those far off in heart, those alienated by culture or crushed by religion, those forgotten by the world and unseen by society. As the crowds came then, so we ask that You would gather many now from every direction. Break through every wall, reach across every divide, and draw the nations to the light of Christ. Let the witness of Your Church shine brightly, that all may see and know there is One who heals, One who speaks truth, One who reigns with justice and mercy.

We do not ask these things because we are worthy, but because You are gracious. We do not claim greatness for ourselves, but we proclaim the greatness of the One who, even now, calls out, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” And so we come. And we bring others. And we trust that You will receive all who respond to the call.

Glory be to the Father who sent the Son,

glory to the Son who gathers the nations,

and glory to the Spirit who opens the hearts of men.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.