The crowds were astounded by Jesus’ witness to his glory. Some of his friends parted company with him in Jerusalem, while many of his followers left him in Galilee. The narrow-minded in the capital would not believe that this young man is the raiser of the dead and the judge of the world, whereas the pious of Galilee were disgusted that eating his flesh and drinking his blood were vital. They failed to understand that these were symbols of the Lord’s Supper.
In Jerusalem, some members of the High Council decided on killing Jesus. They sent order for his arrest, and threatened Jewish believers with expulsion from the synagogue and the exclusion from God’s blessing, if they persisted in following Jesus. Spies from the Council roaming around Galilee began to search and enquire about Jesus. No wonder the crowds withdrew from him, for their choice was persecution from the nation’s leaders, or an indefinite salvation found in Jesus. They chose the here rather than the hereafter, preferring their own security to God’s gift.
The brothers of Jesus feared the prospect of being expelled from the social life of their nation. So they parted from him publicly, to avoid being banned by the Jewish synagogues (Mark 6:3). They further asked him to leave Galilee, to shed their responsibility for him, perhaps to force his hand into revealing his glory in Jerusalem. Having lived with him for years, they would not believe in his divinity, counting his love and kindness as ordinary matters. Sadly, many believers are content to respect Jesus for his love, without grasping his truth.
Jesus’ brothers saw his miracles. Despite this, they did not believe that he was the coming Messiah, to whom every knee would bow. They felt badly about the decline of his movement and the move away of the crowds from him. They tempted Jesus as Satan had done earlier in the wilderness, when he proposed that Jesus should show his glory in the temple before the worshippers, to win them over by a dramatic gesture. Jesus had no love for greatness, he chose humility and the weakness of human nature, not wishing the gaining of converts by grand designs.