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V. 25. “ Then (rather, io ) there arose a question (rather, questioning) between some of John’s disciples and the Jews (rather, on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew ) about purify ing.” From the correct translation of this verse, it is evident that the question ing about purifying arose from the fact that Jesus and John were both baptizing. This gave rise to the ques tioning, not only about the religious value of baptism but apparently about the comparative value of baptism as administered by the disciples of Jesus and as administered by John. Evi dently, something was said that caused John’s disciples to be jealous for the honor o f their master and that led them to come to Jesus complaining of the position which Jesus had taken (v. 26). John the Baptist himself had declared his ministry to be a prepara tion for the coming of the Messiah and when the disciples of Jesus, whom John had declared was the Messiah who was to come, began to baptize with a call to repentance similar to that of John, it was almost inevitable that feelings of jealousy should spring up between the disciples who still clung to John and the disciples of Je sus, and that this should lead to a controversy upon the relation o f the two baptisms and the relative value of each. It was also quite natural that the Jew should deny the propriety of baptizing Jews at all, for hitherto the rite of baptism had been reserved for proselytes from heathenism. V. 26. . “And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond (the) Jordan, to Whom thou bearest (rather, hast borne) witness, behold, the same bap tizeth, and all men come to (rather, unto ) him.” The disciples of John were evidently piqued at the growing popularity of
Jesus and at the diminishing crowds that attended upon John the Baptist. To John they applied with emphasis the title, “ Rabbi” ; of Jesus, on the other hand, they speak only as the one who had been with John ( “with thee” ). The implication is that Jesus had been one of John’s associates or disciples, an inferior usually being spoken of as being with a superior. The thought o f John’s disciples was that John was the principal one. They also emphasized the fact that it was “ beyond the Jordan,” i. e. that it was at the scene o f John’s most conspicu ous and successful ministry. There was evidently a feeling of bitterness and disappointment in their hearts. They also emphasized the fact of what Jesus owed to John because John had borne testimony to Him. It did not seem fair to them that the one who owed so much to John should now take John’s work out of his hand and supersede him. John’s noble answer seems all the more noble in the light of the attitude of his disciples. Vs. 27, 28. “ John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, ex cept it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.” The reply o f John to his disciples is one of the noblest that ever fell from human lips. The fact that Christ was attracting crowds brought bitterness to the hearts of his disciples, but it brought joy to the heart of John. In it he saw the success of his own mis sion. His whole aim in life was to point, not to himself, but to another, to Jesus the Christ, and now he saw the purpose and longing of his life be ing fulfilled. He had no desire to have the crowds for himself except that he might win them to the One Whom they were now following. There is an example here for every
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