When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
The Lord learned that the Pharisees had heard his influence was growing beyond John's, with people flocking to hear and be baptized, though the baptizing itself was done by his disciples and not by himself. Upon learning this he stopped baptizing and left Judea, withdrawing toward Galilee and turning toward the Samaritans. He withdrew because Pharisaic jealousy, prejudice and hostility threatened to stir injurious rivalry and division between his disciples and John's and to harm their shared work. His unselfish restraint is the pattern for workers to avoid needless discord, opening a ministry that sets aside separating barriers and prejudice to mingle freely, teach with kindness, and draw hearts by human sympathy.
Words and Context
The verse records that the Lord knew the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John. His influence was growing, disciples were added daily, and people were flocking from cities and villages to hear him and to be baptized, until the report of his success reached the authorities in Jerusalem. On learning what the Pharisees had heard, he stopped the baptizing work in Judea and left for Galilee.
Jesus himself baptized no one; his disciples administered the baptisms and performed the ordinance. John's baptism was unto repentance, while the baptism by Jesus' disciples was for those professing faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unto a new life. The difference in wording stirred Jewish prejudice and led to dispute over the baptismal formula, over whether Jesus' disciples had the right to baptize, and over whether baptism purifies the sinner from guilt of sin. The teachings of John and Jesus were in harmony, though John's disciples feared his influence was waning and became jealous as attention turned to Jesus.
What follows opens in a rocky rural landscape of uneven stone paths, rough walls and sparse vegetation. There robed women come with a large upright water jar.
Why Jesus Withdrew
When the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John, he stopped baptizing and left Judea and withdrew toward Galilee. He himself baptized no one, but his disciples administered the baptisms. His withdrawing opened his turn to the Samaritans, and his journey by way of Samaria belonged to his larger going from Judea to Galilee. His action in leaving another's field under these circumstances is to be studied as the pattern for how one worker should act toward another's established work.
He withdrew because he recognized that Pharisaic jealousy, prejudice, hostility, and determination to stop his growing influence could provoke division and injurious rivalry between the two groups of disciples and harm their shared work. The report of his success stirred Jewish prejudice and jealousy, and the news of his growing influence reaching the authorities in Jerusalem stirred the leaders' jealousy and determination to check it. He left in order to quiet the conflict, to avoid giving occasion for excitement and misapprehension that would injure the work, and to prevent division from damaging the cause held in common by his followers and John's. Those loyal to truth are thus taught to avoid needless discord.
Jealousy had already arisen among John's disciples as his influence seemed to wane while disciples were added daily to Jesus and people flocked from cities and villages to hear and be baptized. A dispute among the Jews and John's disciples over baptism had also arisen, concerning the right to baptize, the baptismal formula, and whether baptism purifies the sinner from the guilt of sin. John's baptism was unto repentance, while the baptism by Jesus' disciples was for those professing faith unto a new life, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the teachings of John and Jesus were in harmony despite the fear of waning influence. His journey through Samaria at this point belonged to his mission to save humanity; though divine, he had taken humanity and knew human weariness, yet weary as he was he kept seeking to bring people out of moral darkness and ignorance to know God and the light he brought.
Example for Ministry
When conflict arose between His disciples and John's disciples, Jesus withdrew from the field, and that withdrawal stands as an example of unselfish restraint. He knew the Pharisees had heard of His success in gaining and baptizing disciples, and He knew their jealousy and hatred could provoke division between His disciples and John's, so He stopped baptizing and withdrew to Galilee to avoid excitement that would harm the work. News of His growing influence had reached the authorities in Jerusalem, and the success of His work stirred the leaders' jealousy and determination to stop it, so He withdrew to Galilee to avoid giving them an opportunity to cause division between His disciples and John's. His response teaches that those loyal to truth should avoid needless discord and misapprehension.
His leaving Judea and going toward Galilee after learning the Pharisees had heard He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John is to be studied as the pattern for how one worker should act toward another's established work. The verse opens His turn to the Samaritans and shows that His work was not to make separating barriers and constantly tell people they were wrong. Though a Jew, He mingled freely with the Samaritans, setting at naught Pharisaic customs in the face of Jewish prejudice. He accepted the hospitality of this despised people, slept with them under their roofs, ate with them at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, taught in their streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy. While He drew their hearts to Him by human sympathy, His divine grace brought them the salvation which the Jews rejected.
The verse introduces the account of His growing number of disciples and the Pharisees' awareness of His ministry, and the chapter beginning here is to be read and considered with earnest prayer, with attention to the Holy Spirit's work on human hearts.
The Lord learned that the Pharisees had heard his influence was growing beyond John's, with people flocking to hear and be baptized, though the baptizing itself was done by his disciples and not by himself.
Upon learning this he stopped baptizing and left Judea, withdrawing toward Galilee and turning toward the Samaritans.
He withdrew because Pharisaic jealousy, prejudice and hostility threatened to stir injurious rivalry and division between his disciples and John's and to harm their shared work.
His unselfish restraint is the pattern for workers to avoid needless discord, opening a ministry that sets aside separating barriers and prejudice to mingle freely, teach with kindness, and draw hearts by human sympathy.
Words and Context
The verse records that the Lord knew the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John. His influence was growing, disciples were added daily, and people were flocking from cities and villages to hear him and to be baptized, until the report of his success reached the authorities in Jerusalem. On learning what the Pharisees had heard, he stopped the baptizing work in Judea and left for Galilee.
Jesus himself baptized no one; his disciples administered the baptisms and performed the ordinance. John's baptism was unto repentance, while the baptism by Jesus' disciples was for those professing faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unto a new life. The difference in wording stirred Jewish prejudice and led to dispute over the baptismal formula, over whether Jesus' disciples had the right to baptize, and over whether baptism purifies the sinner from guilt of sin. The teachings of John and Jesus were in harmony, though John's disciples feared his influence was waning and became jealous as attention turned to Jesus.
What follows opens in a rocky rural landscape of uneven stone paths, rough walls and sparse vegetation. There robed women come with a large upright water jar.
Why Jesus Withdrew
When the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John, he stopped baptizing and left Judea and withdrew toward Galilee. He himself baptized no one, but his disciples administered the baptisms. His withdrawing opened his turn to the Samaritans, and his journey by way of Samaria belonged to his larger going from Judea to Galilee. His action in leaving another's field under these circumstances is to be studied as the pattern for how one worker should act toward another's established work.
He withdrew because he recognized that Pharisaic jealousy, prejudice, hostility, and determination to stop his growing influence could provoke division and injurious rivalry between the two groups of disciples and harm their shared work. The report of his success stirred Jewish prejudice and jealousy, and the news of his growing influence reaching the authorities in Jerusalem stirred the leaders' jealousy and determination to check it. He left in order to quiet the conflict, to avoid giving occasion for excitement and misapprehension that would injure the work, and to prevent division from damaging the cause held in common by his followers and John's. Those loyal to truth are thus taught to avoid needless discord.
Jealousy had already arisen among John's disciples as his influence seemed to wane while disciples were added daily to Jesus and people flocked from cities and villages to hear and be baptized. A dispute among the Jews and John's disciples over baptism had also arisen, concerning the right to baptize, the baptismal formula, and whether baptism purifies the sinner from the guilt of sin. John's baptism was unto repentance, while the baptism by Jesus' disciples was for those professing faith unto a new life, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the teachings of John and Jesus were in harmony despite the fear of waning influence. His journey through Samaria at this point belonged to his mission to save humanity; though divine, he had taken humanity and knew human weariness, yet weary as he was he kept seeking to bring people out of moral darkness and ignorance to know God and the light he brought.
Example for Ministry
When conflict arose between His disciples and John's disciples, Jesus withdrew from the field, and that withdrawal stands as an example of unselfish restraint. He knew the Pharisees had heard of His success in gaining and baptizing disciples, and He knew their jealousy and hatred could provoke division between His disciples and John's, so He stopped baptizing and withdrew to Galilee to avoid excitement that would harm the work. News of His growing influence had reached the authorities in Jerusalem, and the success of His work stirred the leaders' jealousy and determination to stop it, so He withdrew to Galilee to avoid giving them an opportunity to cause division between His disciples and John's. His response teaches that those loyal to truth should avoid needless discord and misapprehension.
His leaving Judea and going toward Galilee after learning the Pharisees had heard He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John is to be studied as the pattern for how one worker should act toward another's established work. The verse opens His turn to the Samaritans and shows that His work was not to make separating barriers and constantly tell people they were wrong. Though a Jew, He mingled freely with the Samaritans, setting at naught Pharisaic customs in the face of Jewish prejudice. He accepted the hospitality of this despised people, slept with them under their roofs, ate with them at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, taught in their streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy. While He drew their hearts to Him by human sympathy, His divine grace brought them the salvation which the Jews rejected.
The verse introduces the account of His growing number of disciples and the Pharisees' awareness of His ministry, and the chapter beginning here is to be read and considered with earnest prayer, with attention to the Holy Spirit's work on human hearts.