Where Did Jesus Go After Feeding the Five Thousand? Mark 6:53 and John 6:24-25

Question

Where did Jesus go after feeding the five thousand? Mark 6:53 and John 6:24-25

Answer

Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.

John 6:24-25 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

Borchert states: Although the geography is a little vague, it is not too difficult to reconstruct the movement of the people in these verses. Some people apparently remained overnight on the eastern side, or the "other side" (John 6:22) of the lake below the Golan Heights. They undoubtedly expected to re-encounter Jesus, whom they knew had remained behind when the disciples left in a boat for Capernaum (John 6:16). In the morning others joined the waiting ones by crossing over the lake from Tiberias on the western side. When Jesus was not to be found on the eastern side where the feeding took place (John 6:23, not the traditional site of Tabgha near Capernaum), the people crossed over to Capernaum on the northeastern side of the lake, which was apparently a home of Jesus' friends or relatives (John 2:12).

Reference

Borchert, G. L. (2001). Vol. 25A: John 1-11 (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Answer by Dr. Joseph R. Nally, Jr.

Dr. Joseph R. Nally, Jr., D.D., M.Div. is the Theological Editor at Third Millennium Ministries (Thirdmill).