During a dangerous time in which Herod Antipas, who had recently beheaded John the Baptist and was now looking for Jesus, he and his apostles sail to a remote area near Bethsaida.
Bethsaida is on the northeast coast of the Sea of Galilee. It is east of the region of Galilee and north of the region of Perea, which were the two regions that Antipas ruled over for the Romans. Antipas was a son of King Herod, who had died years earlier.
Instead of finding rest and solitude in this remote area, Jesus and his twelve apostles are greeted by thousands of people who have traveled by land to find Jesus.
Instead of leaving the area to find rest elsewhere, Jesus takes compassion on the crowds, teaches them, and miraculously heals them.
This event, as described in the Gospel of Luke:
6 They departed and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him. 10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done.
He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of[b] a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing. (Luke 9:1-11, WEB)
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