John 3:22 http://bookofjohnbible.com Fri, 25 Dec 2020 20:16:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 194844642 John 3:22 http://bookofjohnbible.com/john-322/ Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:51:20 +0000 http://bookofjohnbible.com/?p=247 Continue reading "John 3:22"

]]> After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptised.

Why did Jesus leave Jerusalem? Why did He go from the populated center of the Jewish nation into the desolate countryside? Perhaps for three reasons:

  1. His miracles and preaching got more attention in Jerusalem, but they did less good there. They were going to stir the people into trying to make Him an earthly king. In the country, they just met the needs of the people.
  2. The timing was not right. Jesus always followed the will and the timing of His Father.
  3. To make disciples of those willing to give up everything to follow Him. He needed to train, teach, and let them get to know Him better.

“tarried” (KJV) means to rub between or to rub hard, so as to wear away; indicates a lengthy period of time because it takes a lengthy period of time to wear something away by rubbing it hard with something else.

Jesus spent an unhurried period of time away from all distractions with His disciples for the purpose of them getting to know Him better. Is it any different today? We need to set apart time to spend with Jesus, talking to Him and listening to Him. The goal of our lives should be that of Paul as recorded in (Php 3:10), “I want to KNOW Christ.” The only way of becoming a disciple of someone is to spend quality time with them.

Php 3:10  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Secondly, the great commission Jesus gave us as believers was to make disciples (Matt 28:19). That can only be accomplished by spending time with them and encouraging them to spend time with Jesus.

Matt 28:19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

“baptized” was probably a continuation of the baptism of repentance of John. Actually it was not Jesus, but His disciples who did the baptizing. (John 4:2) Note than when we do something in the Name of Jesus and by His direction, it is the same as if He had done it Himself.

John 4:2  although in fact it was not Jesus who baptised, but his disciples.

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