After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (John 2:12-13)

The Physical Stamina Of Jesus

In the days of Jesus, Palestine represented the provinces of Judaea, Samaria, Galilee, Peraea, and Decapolis. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, five miles southwest of Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth, eighty miles north of Jerusalem, to register for the census in Bethlehem as decreed by Caesar Augustus. When Jesus was around two years old, wise men from the East visited the family, and shortly afterward, warned by an angel of God that King Herod sought to kill Jesus, the family fled to Egypt two hundred miles away. After the death of Herod, Joseph took his family back to Nazareth, where Jesus became known as the son of a carpenter.

Jesus began His ministry by going to the Jordan east of Jericho, a trip more than fifty miles, to be baptized by John. He would return home, where He attended a wedding at Cana, ten miles north of Nazareth. Jesus went to Capernaum, fifteen miles to the East, where the Lord would spend much of His time. The gospel writers do not take the time to emphasize the distances in the life of Jesus, but when John remarks that Jesus went down to Capernaum and then traveled up to Jerusalem, the apostle speaks of more than one hundred miles. Palestine was the only place Jesus traveled, going as far north as the regions of Tyre and Sidon and south to Bethany, a couple of miles south of Jerusalem.

The Romans were known for their excellent roads, which had built more than 50,000 miles throughout the empire. Palestine was the ‘backwater’ of the empire with fewer paved roads, leaving travelers to journey on the old ‘roads,’ unsurfaced and worn by travelers over the centuries. In the days of Jesus, most journeys were made on foot. Having a pack animal would be costly; even if a family had a donkey, someone would have to walk. Wagons would be seen traveling on the roads filled with merchandise.

Jesus covered considerable distances during His ministry. As a boy growing up in Nazareth, the yearly journey to Jerusalem was more than 160 miles round-trip. His ministry took Him from cities throughout Palestine, including trips across the Sea of Galilee. The nearly three years of preaching, teaching, healing, instructing His disciples, and carrying out the work of His Father was an exhausting journey of innumerable miles. It must have been a grueling schedule that Jesus kept as the day of His Hour drew closer. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus was already fatigued and exhausted. After he was arrested, the officials drug Him into the city, from place to place, and then out to Golgotha, where they crucified Him. It was no small task for the Lord to walk that distance, explaining why He could not bear the cross to Golgotha. The patibulum was the crosspiece used in crucifixion, weighing as much as eighty pounds. Jesus could not bear the cross, and the soldiers compelled Simon, a Cyrenian, to bear it after Jesus.

The Son of God was in human form, enduring the many miles of His ministry to accomplish the will of His Father. His physical stamina was amazing, considering the people He taught, the thousands He healed, and the journey back and forth to and from Jerusalem. Jesus had a strong physical stamina to work very hard for three years in the mission of an eternal plan. God endured the challenge of walking mile after mile. Following the footsteps of Jesus would not have been an easy task. Jesus walked those many miles to open a pathway to Heaven for those willing to walk in His steps. The Christian walk may not consist of the league of miles, but it is a journey that requires spiritual stamina. Are you up for a walk to eternity?