Paper 152 Overview: Events Leading up to the Capernaum Crisis

Paper 152 documents a pivotal transition in Jesus' ministry, beginning with his return to Capernaum after healing the Kheresa lunatic. During this period, Jesus performed several notable healings, including restoring Jairus's daughter to life and healing a woman with a chronic hemorrhage. These miracles, alongside many others, continued to spread his fame throughout the region while also intensifying the scrutiny from religious authorities who had sent observers to monitor his activities.

The most significant event of this period was the feeding of five thousand people, which became a turning point in Jesus' public work. When the crowd attempted to forcibly make Jesus king following this demonstration of power, he firmly rejected their efforts and withdrew to pray alone. This rejection marked a clear shift in his ministry, transitioning from the early phase of teaching, training, and healing to the final year that would focus on proclaiming the deeper spiritual truths of the kingdom. The paper concludes with preparations for the crucial sermon at Capernaum that would further clarify Jesus' mission.

When Jesus and his apostles returned to Capernaum from Kheresa, a large crowd awaited them, including observers from the Jerusalem Sanhedrin who sought reasons to arrest Jesus. During this gathering, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, approached Jesus and desperately pleaded for him to come heal his dying daughter. Jesus immediately agreed to accompany him, with the multitude following closely behind them.

As they made their way through the crowded streets, Jesus suddenly stopped, sensing that someone had deliberately touched him and drawn healing energy from him. A woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for years came forward, explaining that she had merely touched his garment with faith that she would be healed. Jesus kindly lifted her up, explaining that it was her faith, not the physical touch, that had made her whole, and sent her away in peace with a blessing.

When Jesus and the distressed father neared Jairus's home, a servant approached with the devastating news that the daughter had already died, suggesting Jesus need not trouble himself further. Undeterred, Jesus encouraged the father to maintain his faith and proceeded to the house with Peter, James, and John. Upon arrival, they encountered professional mourners and family members already engaged in loud lamentation, whom Jesus promptly asked to leave after stating that the girl was not dead but merely sleeping—a statement that was met with derision.

After clearing the room, Jesus approached the girl's bedside with only her parents and three apostles present, and taking her by the hand, commanded her to awake and arise. The child immediately stood up and walked, appearing completely normal, and Jesus instructed that she be given food since she had been without nourishment for some time. Jesus later explained to his apostles that the girl had been in a coma following a long fever, not actually dead, though his followers persisted in viewing the event as a resurrection miracle—an example of how Jesus' rational explanations often failed to overcome his followers' tendency to see supernatural intervention in his works.

After several more healings in Capernaum, Jesus declared a brief furlough so his followers could rest before traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. He and the twelve sought seclusion in a park near Bethsaida-Julias, but crowds quickly discovered their location and followed them. By Wednesday, approximately five thousand people had gathered, many having traveled considerable distances to hear Jesus teach and witness his healings.

As evening approached on the third day, with food supplies dwindling, Jesus consulted with Andrew and Philip about addressing the crowd's hunger. When they suggested sending the people away to find food in nearby villages, Jesus instead instructed the apostles to organize the multitude into groups of one hundred. Taking five barley loaves and two dried fish that a boy had brought, Jesus blessed the food, broke it into portions, and had the disciples distribute it among the people. Miraculously, all five thousand ate until satisfied, with twelve baskets of fragments remaining afterward. This deliberate miracle—the only nature miracle Jesus performed with conscious planning—utilized his power to multiply food elements, though eliminating the normal time factor.

The feeding of the five thousand triggered an immediate and overwhelming response from the multitude, who saw in this miracle the fulfillment of their expectations about the Messiah. Long taught that the coming Messiah would provide manna from heaven as Moses had done, the crowd unanimously decided to proclaim Jesus as their king. This reaction stemmed from their material interpretation of the kingdom, believing that one who could feed thousands could also provide political liberation from Rome.

Standing on a large stone to address the enthusiastic throng, Jesus firmly rejected their intentions, explaining, "My kingdom is not of this world." He clarified that they sought him merely for material provision rather than spiritual truth, and reminded them that his Father in heaven was the true ruler of the spiritual brotherhood he proclaimed. His unambiguous refusal to be crowned king devastated many followers, who abandoned him after this episode. The disappointed apostles, especially Peter and Simon Zelotes, found it difficult to understand his rejection of political power, while the young helper Mark observed simply, "And he refused to be our king."

Following Jesus' refusal of kingship, he directed the disheartened apostles to return to Bethsaida by boat while he retreated to the hills alone to pray. The twelve departed in silence, particularly crushed by the day's events and uncertain about Jesus' apparent rejection of the opportunity to claim leadership. Peter, especially affected by the disappointment, eventually fell into an exhausted sleep in the stern of the boat as his companions struggled against contrary winds.

During his sleep, Peter experienced a vivid dream in which Jesus approached their vessel walking upon the water. In this dream-vision, Peter called out and attempted to join Jesus on the water, only to begin sinking and require rescue. The experience was so real to Peter that he actually arose in his sleep and stepped overboard, requiring his companions to pull him from the sea. Though this event was recognized as a vision by many, including the physician Luke who excluded it from his narrative, Peter maintained throughout his life that it had been a literal experience, becoming one of the traditional "miracles" associated with Jesus' ministry.

The next morning, the apostles found Jesus by the shore with young Mark, and all gathered at Jesus' request. Jesus addressed his followers with unusually stern language, questioning why they remained focused on material concerns rather than spiritual understanding. He emphasized that the feeding miracle, rather than advancing the kingdom, had only revealed how their motivations remained tied to physical needs rather than spiritual hunger.

Jesus continued by explaining that miracle-working and material wonders would never win souls for the spiritual kingdom. The crowd's desire to make him king reflected their wish for continuous provision without labor, not a genuine embrace of the kingdom's true nature. He emphasized that their focus on signs and wonders actually hindered their spiritual growth rather than promoting it. After this sobering assessment, Jesus announced his intention to withdraw for a period of rest before proceeding to Jerusalem for Passover, forbidding anyone to follow him during this retreat.

During their period of rest at a believer's home in the Gennesaret region, Jesus held daily informal conferences with the twelve apostles. This group of followers had become increasingly serious and subdued after recent events, slowly recognizing that their long-held notions about a triumphant Jewish Messiah required adjustment. The process of changing fundamental religious and political beliefs proved challenging for these former fishermen, requiring time for gradual transformation.

Jesus used parables to teach them important truths about the kingdom, particularly emphasizing that appeal to human emotion might arrest attention, but only appeal to the spirit could produce lasting transformation. He warned the apostles about the coming crisis, explaining that religious leaders in Jerusalem were conspiring with Herod Antipas against him. The twelve were beginning to realize that Jesus would not sit on David's throne, and that spiritual truth could not be advanced through material wonders. While not fully comprehending the trials ahead, they were gradually awakening to their true mission as ambassadors of a spiritual kingdom.

Jesus and the twelve traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover using an indirect route through Gerasa and Philadelphia to avoid attracting attention. Upon arriving at Bethany, they separated into smaller groups for lodging, with Jesus and John staying at Simon's home. Jesus specifically instructed them not to engage in public teaching while in Jerusalem, entering the city himself only once during the festival.

The brief sojourn in Jerusalem allowed the apostles to recognize how intense the opposition to Jesus had become among the religious authorities. When they departed on April 24, traveling along the coast through Joppa, Caesarea, and Ptolemais before returning inland to Bethsaida, Jesus immediately arranged to speak at the Capernaum synagogue the following Sabbath. He was fully aware that this would be his final opportunity to address this synagogue, as the conflict with religious authorities was approaching its climax. This upcoming sermon would mark the beginning of the crisis phase of his ministry.