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studies ago Jesus fed more than twenty thousand men, women, and children
using only five loaves of bread and two fish. As Jesus broke off pieces,
the bread and fish were replenished until everyone was full. The experience
was so incredible that the people wanted to make Jesus king and to do
so by force (John 6:14-15). In response, Jesus commanded that His disciples
get into a boat and sail out onto the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:22). It
appears that the disciples had agreed with the massive crowd and complicated
the situation. Then Jesus was able to send the crowd away (Mark 6:45)
and seek solitude up on a mountain (John 6:15). While Jesus was praying
on the mountain, the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee in the
midst of a great storm that threatened their lives. Jesus saw them in
the dark, stormy night even though they were 3-4 miles (3.7-5.6 km) away.
Yet, Jesus waited some time and then went to them. He rescued them from
the storm and danger. But when the waves became calm and the winds instantly
stopped, only then were the disciples astonished (Mark 6:51). What about
the feeding of so many people? Wow, what shortsightedness! The scriptures
say that the disciples’ hearts were hardened. They had not learned
from the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. When we come to
this study, their boat has arrived on the west side of the Sea of Galilee
and landed on the coast of the city known as Gennesaret, which is south
of Capernaum. I wonder what the disciples thought about the events that
followed?All Tied Up. After the boat was tied up, the disciples got out of the
boat and had probably hoped for some rest. But peace, quiet, and an opportunity
for rest were elusive since the gospel of Mark tells us that immediately
a crowd of people recognized Jesus and came after them as soon as they
got out of the boat.
When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to 1the place they heard He was. (NASB) Mark 6:53-55
The crowd did not walk but ran to them. They ran around the country
telling others where Jesus was located. So even more people came: sick
people and people on pallets. No matter where Jesus went, the people
knew He was coming and they lined the streets of villages, cities, and
the roads in the country waiting for Him to come.
Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. (NASB) Mark 6:56 The gospel of Matthew says that the people pleaded for the opportunity to touch His cloak so that they could be cured, and those that did were instantly healed. . . . they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured. (NASB) Matt. 14:36 What a scene - people lining the streets and probably with arms outstretched.
Some crawling, others running, touching and then racing back and a few
others pleading for help. Men, women, and children were desperate to
be healed by One they did not know. Jesus probably stopped on occasions
and took time to personalize the healing.
The popular belief of that era was that power flowed from a person into
their clothes. This explains why they wanted to touch the tassels on
His clothes. There was no healing or prayer service. The gospels do not
tell us that anyone was slain in the spirit. Jesus just walked and people
were healed if they touched Him. It was wonderful! The scene must have
been incredible. If this had occurred today, He would be on television
and reporters would be seeking interviews. I wonder if Jesus would allow
Himself to be interviewed?
The Left Behind Crowd. While all of this was occurring at Gennesaret,
the men and women at Bethsaida were trying to determine where Jesus was
residing. They could not find Him.
The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. (John 6:22) The crowd knew that the disciples had taken the only boat and left the
previous evening. They knew that Jesus did not go with them. They had
assumed that Jesus would still be there, somewhere with them but they
could not find Him. When some other boats arrived that morning, some
of the people got into them and went to the city of Capernaum, Jesus’ headquarters,
in an attempt to find Him. They did not know that Jesus and the disciples
were in Gennesaret.
Their Stomachs. After arriving in Capernaum, they eventually found Jesus
in Gennesaret. When they found Him, they asked a curious question, “Rabbi,
when did you get here?”
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