Advanced inductive analysis of John 6:1-2 into 4 parts

1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee.

If it takes at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, why did John left out the details of the journey?

There may be many reasons why John did not include the traveling details of the journey. This journey and many journeys that Jesus took to and from Jerusalem to other parts of Israel were left out. John 21:25 states, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

John already recorded Jesus’ journey from Judea to Galilee, crossing Samaria in John chapter 4. This is the chapter where Jesus meets the woman at the well, and through her, the entire town came to Jesus and believed in Him as the Messiah for his teachings. Thus, Jesus must have made numerous trips to and from Judea to Galilee, crossing Samaria.

John does not mention all these trips because he probably healed the sick, drove out demons, and taught along the way in Samaria. The Samaritans welcomed him and his acquaintances because they believed Jesus to be the Messiah.

How did the Jews travel in those days?

Ordinary Jews traveled the region on foot during those days. They packed food and prepared for the journey. Sometimes they take donkeys to carry their luggage.

The great multitude that followed Jesus traveled on foot to Jerusalem and followed Jesus into Samaria on foot in a great multitude.

Why did Jesus travel so much from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee to go back to Jerusalem at a later date for the feasts of the Jews?

We can speculate why Jesus traveled so much, going North and South in Israel.

Everywhere Jesus went to preach the good news of the gospel, cast out the demon, and healed the sick. These were Jesus’ ministry. Jesus paired his disciples in two and sent them out to do the same throughout Israel. From these accounts, we can imagine that Jesus wanted to reach as many people as possible. He traveled by foot, and all his followers eagerly followed him on foot. Everywhere Jesus went, there was a great multitude of followers. Some wanted to make him a king, while others wanted to hear what he has to say.

During the three short years Jesus ministered in Israel, he traveled throughout Israel on foot, reaching as many as he could physically.

2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them

How do we know that Jesus healed all of them?

Jesus had great compassion towards all who sought him. The woman who touched the edge of his garment in faith to heal her infirmities were healed, and even the woman’s daughter, who Jesus harshly criticized as a “dog, which does not deserve the blessings of Abraham,” were delivered because Jesus had compassion on them. During his three years of ministry, he was full of compassion, and the only time he marveled because he could only heal a few in a town was when he visited his hometown because of their unbelief.

Who are these great multitudes?

These great multitudes went up to the feast of the Jews in Jerusalem and met Jesus there. We discover that these great multitudes followed Jesus because Jesus healed the sick among the multitudes from verse two. These multitudes came to Jerusalem to observe their religious duties and customs, and there they met Jesus healing the man who was sick for 38 years and arguing and teaching against the Jews.

Were these multitudes mainly the Jews?

Since John 5 occurred during the feast of the Jews, most likely, the multitudes were Jews who traveled from other parts of Israel who came to Jerusalem to observe the feast of the Jews. In addition, some who were not Jews came to Jerusalem to conduct business in Jerusalem as many people were gathered in Jerusalem.

Were the great multitudes related to one another?

During the three feasts of the Jews, all males are to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. Samaritans cannot go to Jerusalem, so they go to Mount Gerizim. Because all males are to appear during the three feasts of the Jews, the father would take their sons and, at times, take their entire family to Jerusalem. Also, this was done in groups within the villages. Thus, we can find the account of Jesus when he went up to Jerusalem for the first time, and Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was with the crowd on their way back to their town. Most likely, the multitudes were related to one another as relatives and or knew each other very well as their neighbors.

How big were the great multitudes?

Later part of chapter 6, we find that Jesus feeds five thousand males with two fishes and five barley loaves. Israelites did not count women and children in their numbering, and many scholars believe that the account in chapter 6 was over 20,000+ if women and children were included. Perhaps, the many multitudes might be greater than 20,000+ in chapter 6 verse 1, as Jesus went through Samaria, some might decide not to follow Jesus into Samaria while others went their ways.

What were the interests of these multitudes?

From verse 2, we find that they were following Jesus because Jesus performed many miracles, and it resulted in healing those who were diseased among them.

They were interested in Jesus because Jesus healed the sick. So the multitude followed Jesus from Jerusalem across Samaria and to the Sea of Galilee. Jesus healed all those who came to him for healing. Some followed him from the time Jesus healed the man who was ill for 38 years, while others followed him as Jesus argued against the Jews. Later in chapter 6, we find out that the multitude filled with the bread and fish wanted to make Jesus king by force.

Not only Jesus healed all the sick, fed them, and taught well, he was speaking against the rulers and authorities that were oppressing the commoners. Even the twelve disciples were fascinated by Jesus. They followed him because they believed Jesus would free them from Roman occupation and establish a new Jerusalem where the twelve disciples will rule.

Did they work?

The multitudes were on their way back to their home towns after the feast of the Jews was over when they followed Jesus. Most of them were farmers and shepherds. The feast of the Jews was done after the harvest, so they could spend some time following Jesus before they replant the seeds.

Why were they in Jerusalem?

They were in Jerusalem to observe the feast of the Jews, as prescribed by God by the Law of Moses. Some may have come to Jerusalem to conduct business, but during the feast of the Jews, Jerusalem was a bustling city packed with people.

What caught their attention that they followed Jesus?

Jesus healing the man who suffered infirmities for 38 years caught everyone’s attention. Then, Jesus spoke among the Jews in the temple about the things of God, and people were captivated by Jesus’ teachings. Finally, the great multitude followed Jesus because they saw Jesus completely healed their friends’, neighbors’, and relatives’ sicknesses through Jesus’ miracles.

They followed Jesus from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee.

Where were the twelve disciples of Jesus?

John did not give any information about what the twelve disciples were doing when these things were happening. The twelve disciples were mentioned in chapter 4 as they went to Samaria to look for food, and in chapter 6, they were ordered by Jesus to sit the multitude in the grass area to feed them. In the accounts between chapter 4 and chapter 6, we discover that John is highlighting Jesus’ actions and hides the disciples to focus on Jesus’ teachings. The twelve disciples were not the main character that John wanted to illustrate because Jesus was conducting the core of his ministry.

Also, the twelve disciples were Jews who had to present themselves before the Lord during the feast of the Jews. Thus, their visit to Jerusalem was a common event for them since their youth. They did what the traditional Jewish customs required them to do, and as Jesus left Jerusalem, the disciples followed Jesus, and the great multitude followed them into Samaria.

3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the usual way that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4.

Did Jesus take the shortest route cutting through Samaria?

In John chapter 4, we find Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, which dumbfounded the twelve disciples. The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, especially Samaritan women. From other accounts of Jesus, Jesus often visited the home of Lazarus of Bethany and even resurrected Lazarus. From the four gospels, we can find that he liked to visit the same place multiple times and spend time with those he especially loved.

The logical conclusion that we can draw from the Samaritan woman in John 4 is that every time Jesus went to and from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, he went straight across Samaria, visiting the town where he ministered in chapter 4.

The Jews did not have anything to do with the Samaritans, and because the Samaritans were mixed with other races, they were not allowed to go to Jerusalem during the three feasts of the Jews. So instead, they went to Mount Gerizim to celebrate the three feasts of the Jews.

If he did, why did he do that?

After chapter 4, Jesus broke the barrier between the Jews and the Samaritans, and Jesus has no reason to use the traditional route that the Jews used to avoid Samaria after his ministry in chapter 4.

What effect did the account of John 4 of the woman at the well in Samaria have on this journey for Jesus and his disciples?

In chapter 4, we find that when the twelve disciples came back to where Jesus was, they saw Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman and were shocked. But after Jesus spoke with her, and she brought out the people of Samaria to Jesus, they all heard Jesus’ teachings, and they all accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

When Jesus visited Samaria in this journey, the content of the journey is not recorded, but this was the first time Jesus visiting Samaria after his ministry in Samaria in chapter 4. The twelve disciples were the eye witness to Jesus’ previous ministry in Samaria, and they probably were one of the first few Jews to enter Samaria. The second visit of Jesus into Samaria with the great multitude must have surprised the Samaritans, and the Samaritans must have welcomed them with great hospitality.

Why did the Jews avoid the Samaritans?

Josephus reports several unpleasant events; the Samaritans harass the Jewish pilgrims traveling through Samaria between Galilee and Judea. Also, the Jews hated the Samaritans as the Jews did not condone their religious practice. Therefore, when the Jews go to and from Jerusalem to Northern Israel, they will take a longer journey around Samaria to not come in contact with the Samaritans.

How would the Samaritans react to the Jews hating on them?

The Samaritans, too, hated the Jews, even though they are blood-related. They did not have any dealings with the Jews and also attacked the Jews traveling around Samaria.

If the woman at the well in Samaria was the reason for Jesus going through Samaria, did Jesus visit this place often?

From the journeys that Jesus took during his three years of ministry, we can easily see that his trips went across Samaria many times. He spent a lot of his time in the Sea of Galilee, but as a Jew, he went down to Jerusalem during the feasts of the Jews. Jesus must have crossed Samaria often, and every time the Samaritans welcomed him and his disciples and wanted to hear from him.

Then, why did John not record these journeys in detail?

John 21:25 states, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

John seemed to have selected which accounts to be put into the records while leaving some out redundant. Jesus’ three-year ministry was short but was full of impact and covered large areas of Israel. Jesus traveled all corners of Israel to heal the sick, cast out the demon, and taught the Word of God to the people.

Instead of recording each journey in detail, John highlights an account, for example, in chapter 4, the Samaritan woman at the well. Instead of repeating similar reports, he states, “After this,” and moves on.

4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the great multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee.

Were the great multitudes Jews?

Most likely, the vast multitudes of John 6 were Jews. In chapter 5, we find that the vast multitudes followed Jesus after they had observed the feast of the Jews. Jews who were visiting Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Jews met Jesus and followed Jesus from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee.

If they were, why did they go through Samaria following Jesus?

When the great multitude followed Jesus into Samaria, they were perplexed at the route Jesus took. Some might have gone back to their home town while others hearing Jesus is going to the Sea of Galilee, took the long journey around Samaria to reach there.

But those who followed Jesus ended up enter Samaria. Jesus must have taught them along the journey and healed those who were sick and demon-possessed. This confirmed the great multitude’s belief that following Jesus even into Samaria is something they should do.

If they followed Jesus into Samaria, it must have been their first time in Samaria. What were the responses of the Jews and Samaritans in their first interaction?

Jews do not have any dealings with the Samaritans, and the same goes for the Samaritans. However, when the great multitude arrived in Samaria with Jesus, they were welcomed by Samaritans. Generally, Middle Eastern culture welcomes anyone who visits them with a warm welcome and takes care of the visitor until they leave.

The Samaritans must have seen large dust forming at the horizon as Jesus was bringing the great multitude into the city. As the Jews came into the city, some might have thought about building a defense against them, but this quickly dissipated as they saw the great multitude following Jesus.

The Samaritans must have welcomed the Jews with a great warm welcome and gave them water to wash their feet. The water they drew from the well that Jesus met the woman in John chapter 4. As the Jews saw the Samaritans giving them a warm welcome, they were refreshed with the food and drinks that the Samaritans gave them.

Jesus gave them teachings and healed all sick and in need before departing to the Sea of Galilee.

What were their prejudices against the Samaritans that were shattered when they come into the town?

The Jews believed the Samaritans as the savages and were uncleaned. However, as they saw Jesus teaching, healing, and ministering to them, they must have let their guards down. The Jews were welcomed with the same warm welcome that Jesus received, and even though a great multitude in the city was a constraint to the city, the Samaritans greeted them with a warm welcome until they departed out of the city.

What did Jesus do in Samaria?

Most likely, Jesus did what he did in all other towns: heal the sick, drive out the demons, and teach them about the Kingdom of God.

If Jesus healed the sick, cast out the demons, and taught in Samaria, what were the responses of the mixed crowd of the Jews and the Samaritans?

Perhaps, in the beginning, the Jews might have felt uncomfortable that Jesus, who was a Jew, ministering onto the Samaritans. But as they received food and hospitality from the Samaritans, their prejudices were shattered, and good relationships began to form.

Did the Samaritans harbor hate against the Jews that they did not feed or shelter them, or they welcomed the Jews because of Jesus?

In John 4, the Samaritans received Jesus’ teachings and accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Jesus was a Jew, and the fact that the Samaritans accepted him shows that the Samaritans began to open their hearts towards the Jews. When they saw the great multitude of the crowd coming towards their city from the direction of Jerusalem, perhaps they might have thought they need to defend their city. However, when they saw that the front was Jesus, they quickly began to prep the city for the great multitude.

The Samaritans welcomed the great multitude of Jews, who were weary from the journey from Jerusalem and must have shared the food they had prepared for their feast at the Mount Gerizim. By sharing such food and spending time together, Jesus brought the two opposition to unity.

After this event, did the Jews return to Samaria and visit them, as they have become friends?

After this event, some Jews had to return to Jerusalem from the Sea of Galilee. Some followed Jesus, and Jesus went back to Jerusalem after his ministry in the Sea of Galilee for the feast of the Jews, Passover. The Jews probably crossed Samaria from that time forward, and they have become friends. Although the Samaritans cannot come to Jerusalem to worship or to celebrate the feasts of the Jews, the Jews who visited Samaria shared their experiences in Jerusalem worship.

The Jews who came into Samaria continued to go through Samaria when they went to Jerusalem or revert to their old ways of avoiding Samaritans?

Some traditional Jews might have refused to go through Samaria. However, Jesus traveled across Samaria many times during his three years of ministry, and his followers and the great multitude must have followed him through Samaria.