How Many Cities Believed In Jesus?
Many remember the times that Jesus taught multitudes of people. It is recorded once he spoke to 4,000 and another time 5,000 people. But during Jesus’ time, the practice was to only count the men in the crowd. It was quicker that way, and since most people were married, and older parents lived with their children, it was easy to accurate estimate the size of the crowd. For example, let say each married couple had on average 3 children (A low estimate for the time) and one parent living with them. That would mean that for every male at one of these events, there would have been 4 additional people, or 5 in total. That would translate to 20,000 people when Jesus spoke to the 5,000; and 15,000 people when he spoke to the 4,000. Some people think with these numbers that Jesus must have won over a number of villages, towns, or cities during His time on earth. The answer, however, is surprising.
How many times did many people within a city believe in Jesus during His time on earth? The asnwer is only one, and it was a Samaritan, not a Jewish city. It was the city, early in Jesus ministry when he met the woman at Jacob’s Well.
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Q&A Topic 47
Jn 4:39-40 | And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified,[1]“ ‘He told me all that ever I did.’ ”
So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. |
Jn 4:41-42 | And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman,“Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” |
[1] This is only time it is mentioned many people in a city believed in Jesus. The city, Sychar, was a city of Samaria and was not a Jewish city.