The Gospel of John: John 3.22-36

Read and meditate on John 3.22-26.
An early challenge to Jesus’ ministry arises, focusing on John the Baptist and his work. To some, it seemed Jesus was shoving the Baptist aside. Those who had committed themselves to the Lord under John’s ministry were understandably concerned.

                             ²²Now some time after this
came Jesus to the land of Judah, His
disciples being with Him. They remained
there, and together baptized all who came
to them. ²³Now John was also baptizing
in Aenon, near Salim, because there being
much water there, and people came and were 
baptized by him. ²⁴(And this occurred before
John was imprisoned.) ²⁵Then an argument 
arose, involving John’s disciples and
some Jews, concerning baptism. ²⁶They came
to John and said, “The Man, the very same
One Who beyond the Jordan was with you –  
concerning Whom you testified – He, too,
is baptizing, and all are coming to
Him!”

- John 3.22-26

Reflect
1.  John’s followers might have seen Jesus as a challenge to John and his ministry. Do leadership conflicts ever arise in churches today? What kinds? How do we typically handle them? Complete this prayer: Lord, I pray for the leaders of our church, that…

2.  Jesus’ disciples immediately took up the practice of baptizing those who came to them, just as John had done (Jesus did not baptize, however, cf. John 4.1, 2). Baptism is a ritual symbolizing important spiritual truths. Which truths (v. 25)? Are rituals like this important? Explain. Lord, I pray that we might all consider the rituals of our church more carefully, so that…

3.  Evidently, John continued his ministry, even though he knew who Jesus was and what his role was in relationship to Him. Was John right to do this? Do you suppose John’s ministry changed at all after Jesus began His? Note the mention of John’s imprisonment in verse 24. In what ways can we see the hand of God in this? The Gospel is about Jesus, Lord, not about me, our church, or…

4.  We note that John’s followers addressed him as “Rabbi,” just as the first disciples had addressed Jesus (cf. Jn. 1.38). In Jewish religion of that day, many rabbis, or teachers, were acknowledged as such, and gathered loyal followers around them. Traditions of interpretation developed around some of the more gifted and respected leaders, but most of the rabbis were local in their ministry. John had testified of Jesus (v. 26), and some of those who followed him turned to follow Jesus. What does this suggest about those who were appealing to John at this point? Lord, keep me from being attached to human leaders! Let my loyalty always be…

5.  We will see how John handles this challenge, and how God Himself steps in to minimize the confusion about Jesus and His ministry. What would you suggest to church leaders as the best ways to keep leadership conflicts from arising in your church? Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“Why, when the disciples of Jesus were baptizing, didn’t John stop baptizing? Why did he continue even until he was led to prison?… He would have made the disciples of Jesus seem the more revered if he had stopped when they began.… But he did so because he did not want to excite his own disciples to an even stronger rivalry and contention than there already was between the two. For even if he had proclaimed Christ ten thousand times and given him the chief place, making himself much more the inferior, he still would not have been able to persuade his disciples to run to Christ.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

Throughout the course of His ministry, Jesus will face challenges to His authority. We’ve already seen this in John 2, and now here it is in a subtler form at the end of John 3. Jesus asserts authority in everything He does, and they who prefer to pick and choose their authorities – making themselves the final authority in everything – will naturally resist Him. Can we expect that we, too, will balk at Jesus’ authority from time to time? Explain.

Closing Prayer
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

Psalm 2.1-6

Psalm 2.1-6 (Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High!)
Why do the nations vainly rage, conspiring together from age to age?
Earth’s kings and all of their counselors stand against the Lord and His Right Hand:

“Now let us cast His yoke below, His Kingdom authority overthrow!
Throw off His Law, reject His Word; no more be governed by this Lord!”

The Lord in heaven laughs in wrath at all who embark on this cursèdpath.
His angry Word to them is plain: “Yet shall My King in Zion reign!”

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.