Afterwards being in a ship, and the multitude standing on the shore, he spake to them three parables together, taken from the seeds-men sowing the fields, Matthew 13:by which we may know that it was now seed-time, and by consequence that the feast of Tabernacles wa past. After this he went into his own country, and taught them in their Synagogue, but did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Then the twelve having been abroad a year, returned, and told Jesus all that they had done: and at the same time Herod beheaded John in prison, and his disciples came and told Jesus; and when Jesus heard it, he took the twelve and departed thence privately by ship into a desert place belonging to Bethsaida: and the people when they knew it, followed him on foot out of the cities, the winter being now past; and he healed their sick, and in the desert fed them to the number of five thousand men, besides women and children, with only five loaves and two fishes, Matthew 14; Luke 9; at the doing of which miracle the Passover of the Jews was nigh, John 6:4. But Jesus went not up to this feast; but after these things walked in Galilee, because the Jews at the Passover before had taken counsel to destroy him, and still sought to kill him, John 7:1. Henceforward therefore he is found first in the coast of Tyre and Sidon, then by the sea of Galilee, afterwards in the coast of Caesarea Philippi; and lastly at Capernaum, Matthew 15:21, 29, 16:13, 17:34.
Afterwards when the feast of Tabernacles was at hand, his brethren upbraided him for walking secretly, and urged him to go up to the feast.
But he went not till they were gone, and then went up privately, John 7:2; and when the Jews sought to stone him, he escaped, John 8:59. After this he was at the feast of the Dedication in winter, John 10:22; and when they sought again to take him, he fled beyond Jordan, John 10:39, 40; Matthew 19:1; where he stayed till the death of Lazarus, and then came to Bethany near Jerusalem, and raised him, John 11:7, 18; whereupon the Jews took counsel from that time to kill him: and therefore he walked no more openly among the Jews, but went thence into a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there continued with his disciples till the last Passover, in which the Jews put him to death, John 11:53, 54.
Thus have we, in the Gospels of Matthew and John compared together, the history of Christ’s actions in continual order during five Passovers. John is more distinct in the beginning and end; Matthew in the middle: what either omits, the other supplies. The first Passover was between the baptism of Christ and the imprisonment of John, John 2:13; the second within four months after the imprisonment of John, and Christ’s beginning to preach in Galilee, John 4:35; and therefore it was either that feast to which Jesus went up, when the Scribe desired to follow him, Matthew 8:19; Luke 9:51, 57; or the feast before it. The third was the next feast after it, when the corn was eared and ripe, Matthew 12:1; Luke 6:1. the fourth was that which was nigh at hand when Christ wrought the miracle of the five loaves, Matthew 14:15; John 6:4, 5; and the fifth was that in which Christ suffered, Matthew 20:17; John 12:1.
Between the first and second Passover John and Christ baptized together, till the imprisonment of John, which was four months before the second.
