Jesus’ withdrawal showed both the threat he faced and his deliberate act of retreat, so when the crowds followed
him, this showed their continued loyalty to John’s successor, siding with the man whom Herod saw as an enemy. When Jesus went by boat across the sea, they followed him on foot along the shoreline from every city, seeking to share in his solitude.
Since Jesus withdrew at that particular moment, the emphasis falls on both the threat he faced and his purposeful act of retreat. Therefore, when the crowds followed
him, their action carried special significance. It was an expression of their continued solidarity with the successor of John the Baptist. They chose the side of the man whom the tetrarch Herod had now placed on the list of dangerous individuals. While Jesus travelled by boat across the sea, they followed him on foot along the shoreline from every city, seeking to share in his solitude.1
12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.