Were all the multitudes who followed Jesus during His ministry true believers?
No. The multitudes who followed Jesus were not all true believers. Many followed for free lunches and healings rather than placing faith in Him. He healed to prove who He was, and after His crucifixion and resurrection about 120 believers gathered in the Upper Room.
Les explains that people are often misled into thinking all the multitudes that followed Jesus everywhere He went were believers. They were not. They followed Him not because they were placing their faith in Him, but because He was handing out free lunches and healing meetings; people then were no different than today. The healings proved who He was and none failed, but the recipients were not believers—they were just a multitude trying to cash in on something for nothing. By the end of His three years, after His crucifixion and resurrection, the group of believers met in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, about 120 names, which Les thinks was all there were in the Jerusalem area.
More Questions
Why did the multitudes follow Jesus if they weren't believers?
The multitudes followed Jesus not because they were placing their faith in Him but because He was handing out free lunches, and people then were no different than today.