Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- KJV When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
- BSB Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
- NASB So Jesus, aware that they intended to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself, alone.
- NLT When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Knowing they want to make Him king by force, Jesus withdraws alone to the mountain. He refuses a kingship on the crowd's terms, showing His kingdom is not of this world.
Overview
The crowd's plan would have made Jesus a political messiah, but His mission was the cross, not a throne seized by force (cf. 18:36). His withdrawal reveals both His self-awareness and His submission to the Father's plan. Jesus will indeed reign, but as the crucified and risen King, on God's terms and timing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- John 18:36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
- John 7:3–4His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.
- John 6:15–21Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- Luke 19:38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
- Mark 11:9Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
- Mark 6:45–52Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.
- Matt 14:22–33Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
- John 5:41I don’t receive glory from men.
- John 2:24–25But Jesus didn’t trust himself to them, because he knew everyone,
- John 6:3Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.
- Heb 4:13There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
- John 12:12–15On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 6:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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