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Part 10 of the Series:
“search the scriptures” John 5:39
Bethsaida joins Jerusalem and Capernaum among the New Testament’s most prominent cities. Rather than its size or location, it was significant because of the Lord Jesus’ momentous ministry in and around it. At least three of the twelve disciples - Peter, Andrew, and Philip - came from the city, John 1. 44, and it was singled out for special censure for its resistance to the extraordinary evidence presented by the Messiah’s sign-miracles, Matt. 11. 20-24. The scriptures record Bethsaida as an especially favoured place for messianic evidence, as well as a solemn warning for neglecting divinely-revealed light.
The exact location of Bethsaida is disputed. In fact, scholars debate whether there are two different towns of that name or merely one.1 Among the Sea of Galilee’s professional anglers the possibility of more than one community called ‘house of fishermen’ would not be unlikely. But only one city has unambiguous mention in the extrabiblical literature - Bethsaida Julias.2 Those who contend for two cities argue that ‘Bethsaida of Galilee’, John 12. 21, was on the west side of the Jordan3river; whereas, ‘Bethsaida Julias’ was on the east side of the Jordan. While interesting, whether or not there are one or two cities does not affect any doctrinal or factual point in the Bible.
Several key miracles in the Lord Jesus’ ministry occurred at Bethsaida. One reads of it in connection with the discipleship call of Andrew, Simon Peter, and Philip. The first of these men was previously a disciple of John the Baptist, John 1. 37, 40, but followed Christ at the prophet’s identification, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’, v. 36. As they followed Him, He dialogued with them, asking them what they were looking for. This is a fundamental question for all human beings. Happily, these two men wanted to spend time with the Lord in His domicile. To desire communion with the Lord is the highest aspiration of human existence. He welcomed them, saying, ‘Come and see’, v. 39. Andrew then invited his brother Simon - soon to be nicknamed ‘Peter’ - to meet Jesus. Carson observes, ‘He thus became the first in a long line of successors who have discovered that the most common and effective Christian testimony is the private witness of friend to friend, brother to brother’.4
On the next day, Christ sought out and called Philip - a man who became a habitual witness for Him.5This Bethsaida citizen sought out his friend Nathanael, and bade him ‘Come and see’ - using the same words that the Lord used earlier.6Sincere seekers find that ‘the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’, Luke 19. 10 NKJV. In conversation with Nathanael, the Lord revealed His messianic omniscience, commenting on the guileless Israelite’s past, present, and future, John 1. 47-51. This led the seeker to believingly confess, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel’, v. 49 NKJV.
The feeding of the 5, 000 and a difficult journey on the sea of Galilee are two notable incidents that occurred around Bethsaida; collectively, they respectively demonstrate the Lord’s provision and protection of His people. One author maintains, ‘These two miracles form one parable. The Bread of Life by His death brings hungry souls who receive Him into eternal blessing. As High Priest, He intercedes for His own, soon to come to where they are amid the storm scenes of this world, and take them to be forever with Himself’.7
The feeding miracle is contrasted with Herod’s sordid birthday banquet - a party that included a dissipated dance and John the Baptist’s subsequent murder, Mark 6. 14-29.8 Rather than be unwitting spectators to debauchery and cruelty, the people who sat down on the grass were privileged to feast on the Bread of Life’s perfect provision, Mark 6. 42. The former brought its guests into soul-corroding darkness; the latter meal produced soul-satisfying fellowship. Our Lord’s miraculous feeding revealed His care for the hungry multitudes. By contrast, Herod showed his unbridled lust and overweening ego, which led to a self-snaring oath to murder God’s faithful prophet. God’s king was compassionate; Rome’s vassal-monarch was cowardly and cruel.
After feeding the 5, 000, the Lord sent the disciples to Bethsaida by ship. He remained behind to dismiss the crowds, showing how He does things decently and in order. As the disciples toiled in rowing, Christ prayed on a nearby mountain, vv. 45-47. This is a lovely picture of our High Priest’s faithful intercession from on high on behalf of His people, Heb. 7. 25. He saw them labouring against the opposing winds and approached them in the night’s darkest hour, Mark 6. 48. He came to them in their dire need, but they fearfully mistook Him for a spirit. He calmed their fears by calling out, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid’, v. 50 ESV. He came to them, ‘and the wind ceased’, 51. Their terror was displaced by wonder - yet they still did not fully comprehend His power at that time, vv. 51, 52.
Our Saviour has not changed. When we face grave difficulties during life’s storms, He comforts us through His word, His people, and His providential protection. Some day He will come to take His people home to the Father’s house; then storms and adversity will forever be passed.
‘Through waves, through clouds and storms,
God gently clears the way;
We wait His time; so shall the night
Soon end in blissful day’.9
Bethsaida’s next notable incident is recorded in Mark chapter 8 verses 22 to 26, which gives the account of our Lord’s only recorded two-stage miracle: the healing of a blind man who initially saw ‘men as trees, walking’, v. 24, and, after further ministration, saw them clearly, v. 25. Interestingly, the Holy Spirit places this miracle in a section of the Gospel that details the disciples’ unbelief and misunderstanding. Just before this healing, they misinterpreted the Lord’s warning against ‘the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod’, v. 15. After the miracle, Christ revealed Himself further, leading to Peter’s confession of His messiahship at Caesarea Philippi, v. 29. The blind man’s progressive healing mirrored the growing spiritual insight of the twelve under the Lord’s revealing ministry.
The last aspect of Bethsaida’s biblical importance relates to the final judgement. Matthew chapter 11 introduces our Lord’s evaluation, ‘Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you”’, vv. 20-22 NKJV. They were eyewitnesses to astonishing sign-miracles; nevertheless, they obdurately rejected the Saviour’s person and teaching. Spurgeon explained this grievous sin’s gravity, ‘Hearing and rejecting the gospel is the crowning sin of all. Whatever else men are guilty of, if they have not rejected Christ, they have not yet reached the summit of iniquity’.10 Clearly, to see the Lord miraculously feed the masses, still storms, heal the blind, and transform lives was massively evidential. To neglect these works and ignore the Lord’s incomparable teaching and impeccable life was a transgression of the most serious type. Men may regard gross immorality and violence as worse, but God clearly judges iniquity differently. Unbelief in the clear sunshine of Christ’s light is evil of the most serious stripe. Bethsaida was favoured with great revelation, but light neglected and rejected brings a greater degree of punishment.
If Bethsaida and some of its neighbours were singled out for severe reprimand, what should we say regarding countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States? Wycliffe, Tyndale, Whitefield, the Wesleys, Darby, Moody, and others will rise up in judgement against the many people who have easy access to the Bible and the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ yet neglect it. Bethsaida is a solemn reminder that light cannot be trifled with. As the Lord Jesus Himself warned, ‘“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them’, John 12. 36 NKJV.
For an excellent summary of the archaeological and extrabiblical issues, see Gordon Franz, ‘Text and Tell - The Excavations At Bethsaida’, 4 February 2009 on the website Life And Land; here: https://www. lifeandland.org/2009/02/text-and-tell-the-excavations-at-bethsaida/. In personal conversation, brother Franz referred to Bethsaida of Galilee as ‘Jewish Bethsaida’; whereas he contends that Julias was ‘the Roman Bethsaida’. On the archaeology, consider also this quotation, ‘Bethsaida is assumed to be the city (or village) at et-Tell or Khirbet el-‘Araj. Because of Mark 6. 45, compared with v. 53, a second Bethsaida has been assumed. But npoc [pros] in v. 45 suggests only the direction (as opposed to sic: [eis] in 8. 22); besides, “cross over” does not necessarily mean a trip to the other shore; according to Josephus (Josephus Vita 59), one crosses over from Tiberias to Tarichea’. A. Fuchs, in Horst Robert Balz and Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, Eerdmans, 1990, pg. 215. Brackets mine.
‘When Philip, also, had built Paneas, a city, at the fountains of Jordan, he named it Cesarea. He also advanced the village Bethsaida, situated at the lake of Gennesareth, unto the dignity of a city, both by the number of inhabitants it contained, and its other grandeur, and called it by the name of Julias, the same name with Caesar’s daughter’. Flavius Josephus, ‘Ant. 18. 28’, Works of Josephus, Hendrickson, 1987, pg. 478.
Some aver that it is modern El Mesydiah. For a summary of the ‘two city’ view, see William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, Vol. 1, Baker, 1953, pp. 216-218. For a general overview see R. H. Mounce, ‘Bethsaida’, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, Eerdmans, 1979, pg. 475.
D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, IVP, 1991, pg. 155.
For example, Philip and Andrew bringing Greeks to Christ, John 12. 20-22.
One scholar noted, ‘It is throughout the chapter of the Eurekas‘. R. C. Trench, Studies in the Gospels, Macmillan, 1867, pg. 67. ‘Eureka’ is Greek for ‘I have found it / him’. Quotation sent to me by Malcolm Horlock.
E. L. H. Ogden, Day by Day through the New Testament, PSP, 1979, pg. 58.
On Mark 6. 32: ‘The reason why Jesus, together with his disciples, crossed the sea is told in Mark 6. 30-32 and Matt. 14. 12, 13: the disciples had just returned from a missionary tour, and needed rest and an opportunity to be alone with Jesus. On the busy, western shores - especially, in Capernaum -there was no opportunity for leisure. Then also, the shocking intelligence of the Baptist’s cruel death had just reached Jesus. This, too, required reflection and quiet meditation’. Hendriksen, pp. 217, 218.
Paul Gerhardt, Hymns For The Little Flock, #55.
C. H. Spurgeon, ‘Exposition of Luke 10. 1-22’, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Vol. 39, Passmore and Alabaster, 1893, pg. 372.
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