Why did the crowds follow Jesus during His earthly ministry?
The multitudes followed primarily for material and physical benefits, not saving faith. They came for free lunches and healings, drawn by the promise of something for nothing. Jesus healed to prove who He was, yet most were not believers; only about 120 gathered in the Upper Room.
Les explains that after Christ's three years of earthly ministry up and down the highways and byways of Israel, the multitudes following Him were not all believers. He says they followed not because they placed their faith in Him but because He was handing out free lunches; promise a free lunch or a healing meeting, and the multitudes will come. Jesus healed to prove who He was and would not have a miscarriage, yet those healed were not believers, just a multitude trying to cash in on something for nothing. By the end, after His crucifixion and resurrection, the believers meeting in the Upper Room in Jerusalem numbered about 120.