The last witness of John the Baptist.

(John 3:22-36).

After the conversation with Nicodemus, which took place in Jerusalem during Passover, “Jesus and His Disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.” Here we have an important indication from Evangelist John that the Lord Jesus Christ spent a considerable time in southernmost part of Palestine, in the region called Judea. The other three Evangelists do not mention this fact. This period spent by the Lord in Judea can be determined from when returning to Galilee and stopping at Samaria, He observed to His Disciples: “Do you not say ‘There are still 4 months and then comes the harvest?’” It can be concluded from these words, that the Lord was returning from Palestine some 4 moths before harvest time, and since harvesting in Palestine takes place in April, then the Lord left Palestine no earlier than November. Consequently, He stayed there no less than 8 months — from April till November. The first three Evangelists make no mention of this initial period of the Lord Jesus Christ’s public ministry: having narrated about His Baptism, fasting and the devil’s temptations in the wilderness, they immediately turn to describing His activities in Galilee.

Being called by the Lord at a much later date, Saint Matthew was not a witness to that which transpired in Judea; and apparently, also not present with the Lord in Judea was Saint Peter — from whose words Evangelist Mark wrote his Gospel; and it appears Saint Luke didn’t have sufficient information on this period of Christ’s ministry. That’s why Saint John felt duty-bound to add that which was omitted and to which he was an eyewitness. There is no indication that the Lord spent the 8 months in some specific area; it has to be supposed that He passed across all of this Holy Land with His sermons.

Saint John informs us that “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His Disciples,” (4:2). This baptism was identical to that performed by John the Baptist: it was with water and not the Spirit, because at that time they did not have the Holy Spirit as “Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 4:39). It was only after the Lord’s resurrection from the dead that they received His directive to baptise in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).

At the same time, Saint John the Baptist continued to baptise “in Aenon near Salim,” in an area which is difficult to determine. However, it appears it was not adjacent to Jordan, otherwise the Evangelist would have no need to add an explanatory note: “there was much water there.” Saint John the Baptist’s followers soon began to notice that there were fewer people coming to hear their teacher than previously. And in their blind, illogical attachment to him, began to envy Him, Who had great success among the people, ie. Lord Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly, these malicious feelings within them were being purposely fomented by the Pharisees, contriving arguments about cleansing, which lead to the debate as to the comparative worthiness of baptisms performed by John and those of Christ’s Disciples. Wishing to vent their envy and sorrow about Christ to their teacher, John’s followers came to him and said: “Rabbi, He Who was with you beyond the Jordan, to Whom you have testified — behold. He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.” The use of the word “all” is applied here with exaggeration, which had been implanted by envy and a desire to arouse envy in John.

Absolutely devoid of any envy toward Christ, the Baptist begins his answer by directly revealing Christ’s greatness in comparison to himself, and gives a new (and final) exultant witness of Christ’s Divine worthiness. In defending Christ’s right to baptise, John states that of all of God’s messengers, no one can assume that which had not been given to him from Heaven. That’s why if Christ baptises, then He has the authority from God. The Baptist reminds them that he is not Christ, but only His Forerunner. Instead of sorrow and envy, John expresses his joy on Christ’s successes. He calls Him the bridegroom and himself, friend of the bridegroom, who does not envy the bridegroom’s pre-eminence but stands before Him as a servant and “rejoices greatly” upon hearing His voice. In the Old Testament, the union of God with the faithful — just as the union of Christ with the Church in the New Testament — was often presented in the form of a marriage (Isaiah 54:5-6, 62:5; Ephes. 5:23-27). Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church, and John — His friend, a close, trustworthy individual, who could only rejoice at the Bridegroom’s success. To the Jews, the friend of the bridegroom played an important role during the time leading up to the wedding. Once the wedding took place and the bridegroom became a husband, the role of the friend ended. So it was with John: he was the main active individual in preparing the people to accept Christ. But when Christ began His public ministry, John’s role ceased. That’s why he states: “He (Christ) must increase, but I must decrease.” Just as the morning star dims in the brightness of the rising sun.

Professing Christ’s pre-eminence over him, John states that Christ is the One “Who comes from above” and therefore “is above all,” ie. that He is greater than all people, even God’s messengers, and that he, John, having an earthly beginning, proclaimed God’s truth only to the extent as one can, being subsistent of the earth; but coming from Heaven, Christ witnesses about the Heavenly and Divine, about which He directly saw and heard — which no earthling is capable of accepting without the grace of God (Matt. 16:17; John 6:44).

Sadly noticing the wicked feelings in his followers, John praises those who accept Christ’s witness, because His proclamations to the people are words of God Himself: he who accepts His words as the truth, accepts the words of God the Father as the truth. God the Father gave an abundance of gifts of the Holy Spirit, beyond all measure, to His Son Jesus Christ. Because He loves His Son, He handed everything over to Him. Consequently, those who believe in the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, have life eternal, while those who do not believe in Him, will not see eternal life but “the wrath of God abides on him.”

Thus, in concluding his ministry, John for the last time triumphantly gives witness to Christ’s Divinity, exhorting everyone to follow Christ. These words require examination as an inheritance from the greatest of all Prophets.