John 4:31

In the meanwhile the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.

This urgency on the part of the disciples that Jesus should eat might be the key to the excessive fatigue of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus, caught up in the glorious enthusiasm of the previous days of baptizing great numbers, had not eaten much. Certainly, there was some variation in the case with Jesus from that of his apostles; the apostles were concerned about it and insisted that Jesus eat. But it was not yet time for eating. A great multitude of villagers, visible in the distance, was moving toward the Lord of life; and he would break for them the bread of life before relieving his own physical hunger. What a difference between the Lord of glory and human dignitaries. This writer once attempted to see the mayor of New York but was informed that "His Honor" would be leaving a little early that day for lunch and would be back after three o'clock!