Studies in the Gospel According to John* By R. A. TORREY (These Studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading)
II. The Public Ministry of Jesus Leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1:19— 12:50 (continued).
comes the Jerusalem and Judean min istry. The phrase “ the land of Judea” is found nowhere else in the New Tes tament, but a similar phrase “ the coun try of Judea” (this is translated “ land of Judea” in the Authorized Version) is. found in Mark 1: 5 and elsewhere. Both" expressions draw contrast be tween Judea as a whole and Jerusalem the capital. Jesus seemingly spent some time there. This would be indi cated by the word “ tarried.” While He tarried there, He baptized those who accepted His teaching. This bap tizing was not done by His own hands but through the agency o f His disci ples (ch. .4:1, 2 ); This baptism was not Christian baptism in its fullest sig nificance. This could not come until after the death and resurrection of our Lord. The baptism here admin istered was more like that of John’s, the baptism of repentance, as a prepa ration for the Kingdom. Our Lord’s message at this time, was like that of John, a preparatory message, “ Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matt. 4 :1 7 ; Mark 1:14, 15). At this time, He was preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Grace of God for all people, Jew and Gentile, came later, when the Kingdom was rejected. Of course, this, baptism was a precursor, and a foreshadowing of Christian baptism, which our Lord commanded and es tablished in Matthew 28: 18-20. Though John the Baptizer had pre pared His way for and borne hrs-wit- ness to the Lord Jesus, and thus in some measure had fulfilled his min-
8. John the Baptizer’s Testi mony to Jesus as the Christ, the True Bridegroom, the One Who Must Increase while He, Himself Decreases, the Son of God Who Speaks the Very Words of God.— Ch. 3:22-36 Vs. 22, 23. “A fter these things came Jesus: and His disciples into the land of Judea; and there He tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aen.on’ near to Salim, because there was much water (rather, were many waters) there; and they came and were baptized.” The expression “ After these things” is indefinite. It does not mean imme diately after (cf. ch. 5 :1 ). Just how long a time intervened between what is recorded in the early part of the chapter and what follows we are not told. For the time immediately fol lowing John uses the expression “ A f ter this” (see chapter 11 :7 ; 19:28) not the expression used here, “ After these things.” The first public preach ing of Christ was in the temple. When He was not received there He spoke in Jerusalem, the Holy City; not be ing cordially welcomed there, He goes into the country parts of' Judea and after that into Galilee, which from that time became the center of His teaching and work. This early min istry in Jerusalem and Judea is scarce ly noticed by the synoptic Gospels, though it is hinted at. There is an interval between Matthew 4: 11 and Matthew 4:12, and in this interval ♦Copyright, 1913, by R. A. Torrey
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