And leaving them, he went out of the city into Bethania and remained here.
και καταλιπων αυτους εξηλθεν εξω της πολεως εις βηθανιαν και ηυλισθη εκει
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
In light of the numerous reasons that stirred the anger of the Jews—like the throngs of people, the overturning of the money changers in the temple, the miracles performed, and the praises sung by the youth—Christ chose to withdraw once more. He refrained from presenting His teachings to them, fearing that their jealousy might lead them to become even more incensed by His message.
After parting ways with them, He left the city and journeyed to Bethany, where He spent the night. The Lord withdraws from those He deems unworthy and moves to Bethany, which translates to ‘house of obedience.’ This signifies His transition from the disobedient to those who follow Him, choosing to dwell among them, as stated, ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them’ (2 Cor. 6:16).
He withdrew from them and went outside the city to Bethany, where He stayed. He left behind those who did not believe, exiting the contentious city to go to Bethany, which signifies a house of obedience, foreshadowing the calling of the Gentiles. He chose to remain there because He could not find a place among the people of Israel. Additionally, this can be interpreted to mean that His poverty and refusal to seek approval prevented Him from finding a welcoming host or accommodation in the large city. Instead, He chose to reside in the humble village where Lazarus and his sisters lived, for Bethany was their home.
To prevent clandestine plots by adversaries and potential chaos among the people, the Lord chose to spend His final nights before His passion and crucifixion outside Jerusalem, surrounded by devoted supporters and friends. However, the setting for His ultimate actions was destined to be Jerusalem, the embodiment of all that is holy and the hub of the nation’s endeavors.
The adversaries and those seeking revenge recalled these words and fell silent. The Lord remained unobstructed in the temple until evening, imparting His teachings to the people. Only after evening did He leave the temple and, along with His twelve disciples, departed the city for Bethany, where He spent the night. "There, surrounded by His friends, He could fully surrender to rest, a necessity after such an exceptional day for both Himself and for Jerusalem,” as Innocent, the Archbishop of Kherson, notes. It is significant that the Lord entered Jerusalem on the very day when a lamb was traditionally selected for the Passover meal.
Those who recognized the Passover lamb as a foreshadowing of the great Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world—such individuals found this timing deeply meaningful. Indeed, after His entrance into Jerusalem, during the days leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus was no longer viewed by the people merely as a sacrificial victim destined for slaughter; rather, these days were spent by Him and His adversaries in preparation for His impending death.
“What does the royal entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem signify?” wonders our St. Philaret. “What is the purpose of such a multitude of miracles? What is the outcome of so magnificent, yet fleeting an appearance by the King of Zion?” Just as lightning momentarily illuminates the heavens, the kingdom of heaven appeared over Jerusalem, only to be swiftly overcome by darkness. While the masses gathered to welcome the just and saving King, unrighteousness was already conspiring against Him and Lazarus, who had brought Him honor. The voices of young ones with pure hearts rang out in the temple, while the rulers and wise men, filled with malice, attempted to mask their outrage. Today, they proclaim to the daughter of Zion: “behold, your King is coming to you,” yet in mere days, this same daughter of Zion—the people of Jerusalem—will declare: “we have no king” (John 19:15), and this very King will refute the tangible facade of the kingdom, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Today, they cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” but soon after, they will shout, “crucify Him!” What does this brilliant yet fleeting display signify? Do you not perceive that within the splendor of this day, a profound mystery must be present? Let St. John Chrysostom illuminate this mystery for you. “By choosing to mount a donkey,” he explains, “Jesus Christ fulfilled two prophecies: one of actions, as He sat upon that donkey, and another of words, as foretold by the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied that the King would ride on a young donkey. In fulfilling this prophecy, He simultaneously enacted another prophecy through His actions, predicting the invitation of the Gentiles—the unclean—who would come to Him and follow Him. Thus, prophecy upon prophecy arose. Here, the donkey symbolizes the Church and the new nation, which was once impure but was made pure after Jesus Christ sat upon it. Observe the exactness of this entire transformation. The disciples released the captives: both Jews and Gentiles were summoned into this new church through the apostles. Our blessed and glorious destiny has stirred envy among the Jews: the donkey follows another donkey. Indeed, after Jesus Christ engages with the Gentiles, the Jews, in their fervor, will also seek Him, as clearly articulated by the apostle Paul: “that hardening has happened to part of Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26). Therefore, it is evident from this discussion that this was a prophecy; otherwise, there would have been no need for such detailed instruction to the prophet regarding the donkey's age. It is apparent from this that the apostles would encounter no challenges in their mission. Just as no one impeded the apostles in leading the animals, so too would no one hinder them from calling the Gentiles when they gathered—the Christ sits upon the donkey covered with the garments of the apostles, representing how the apostles also offer their all, as Paul notes, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15). Furthermore, consider the obedience of the donkey: untrained and unaccustomed to the bridle, it did not bolt, but walked steadily and calmly. This foreshadowed the forthcoming events, illustrating the submission of the Gentiles and their swift transition to a life of comfort. All of this was brought about by the command, “When you have loosed them, bring them unto Me,” and thus the disordered were put in order, and the unclean were made clean.
The witnesses of this occasion certainly anticipated a greater unfolding on that day: the complete establishment of the Messiah's reign. Yet, through His solemn entry, the Lord merely accomplished what had been prophesied about Him and, while maintaining His modest presence, left Jerusalem as evening fell. His adversaries grew emboldened, while others remained in expectation of what might unfold next. In the few days that remained for the Son of Man on earth, He visited Jerusalem in the mornings, engaging the people in the temple, while spending the rest of the time with His disciples, often retreating to Bethany at night to be with His friends.
The furious Jewish leaders fell silent, having faced another accusation of misunderstanding the Scriptures. Jesus, not wanting to engage further with them, departed from their presence. Due to the late hour, He left the city and returned to Bethany, accompanied by His Apostles.
The following morning, He returned to Jerusalem to teach in the temple. As He journeyed, an incident unfolded that dramatically revealed the insincerity and fruitlessness of those who had once been chosen by God but had failed to fulfill their calling. Eager to share His message and not wanting to delay for the crowd that had come to the temple to hear Him, the Savior departed from Bethany before having breakfast. Feeling hunger, He looked around for a fig tree that might provide nourishment. In the distance, a lush fig tree caught His eye, appearing to promise the desired fruit. However, upon approaching it, He found that it was completely barren.
This deceptive representation served as a vivid symbol of the emptiness and deceit prevalent among the Jewish people, especially their leaders, whose expressions of faith had devolved into a hollow display of mere rituals. To illustrate the consequences of such fruitlessness to His disciples, He pronounced a curse upon the tree, declaring, "Let there be no fruit from thee henceforth for ever." Instantly, the fig tree withered away.
Bethany is a village located a short distance from Jerusalem, approximately two and a half miles away, as noted in John 11:18. In this place resided Lazarus, a beloved friend of the Lord, along with his sisters Martha and Mary, as recounted in John 11. It is likely that the Lord stayed with them that evening.
As evening approached and the hour grew late, the Lord departed from the temple and the city, retreating with the twelve disciples to Bethany, His chosen sanctuary for the night until His final vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. In this serene village, surrounded by His close companions, far removed from the bustling crowds of the festival days, He was able to engage in heartfelt conversations with His heavenly Father. He also held intimate discussions with His disciples, aiming to embed in their hearts the significance and magnitude of the final days of His earthly ministry.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 12 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS