John 3:24 fixes the time of the surrounding events as before John the Baptist was put in prison. At that time his public work was still going on and overlapped with the work of Jesus after Jesus came from Jerusalem to the region about the Jordan, with Jesus' disciples baptizing while John was still ministering. Day by day the crowds around John lessened while the people flocked to hear Jesus, the number of His disciples increased daily, and many came to be baptized. While Christ Himself did not baptize, He sanctioned baptism by His disciples and thus set His seal upon the mission of His forerunner.
The disciples of John looked with jealousy on the growing popularity of Jesus, stood ready to criticize His work, and complained that all men came to Him. They disputed with the Jews whether baptism availed to cleanse the soul from sin, maintained that the baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of John, and disputed with Christ's disciples about the form of words proper to use at baptism and about their right to baptize at all.
Through that turning of popularity Satan brought temptation upon John to sympathize with himself, express grief at being superseded, encourage envy and jealousy, sow dissension, and seriously impede the progress of the gospel, though his mission seemed about to close. But with the evidence of Christ's power before him, John steadfastly refused ambition and directed attention fixed upon himself to Another. His mission was to point people to Christ, and he rejoiced at Christ's success.
John 3:24 fixes the time of the surrounding events as before John the Baptist was put in prison. At that time his public work was still going on and overlapped with the work of Jesus after Jesus came from Jerusalem to the region about the Jordan, with Jesus' disciples baptizing while John was still ministering. Day by day the crowds around John lessened while the people flocked to hear Jesus, the number of His disciples increased daily, and many came to be baptized. While Christ Himself did not baptize, He sanctioned baptism by His disciples and thus set His seal upon the mission of His forerunner.
The disciples of John looked with jealousy on the growing popularity of Jesus, stood ready to criticize His work, and complained that all men came to Him. They disputed with the Jews whether baptism availed to cleanse the soul from sin, maintained that the baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of John, and disputed with Christ's disciples about the form of words proper to use at baptism and about their right to baptize at all.
Through that turning of popularity Satan brought temptation upon John to sympathize with himself, express grief at being superseded, encourage envy and jealousy, sow dissension, and seriously impede the progress of the gospel, though his mission seemed about to close. But with the evidence of Christ's power before him, John steadfastly refused ambition and directed attention fixed upon himself to Another. His mission was to point people to Christ, and he rejoiced at Christ's success.