23 - Thirsty For God

After a very dramatic confrontation with the temple leaders in Jerusalem (Jn 2:13-25) Jesus left the city and moved His ministry out to the towns and villages scattered throughout the Judean countryside. There He preached and undoubtedly healed and delivered people from spiritual oppression. His disciples also baptized the people. Judging from clues John gives us Jesus apparently remained in Judea for about eight months. But at some point, a warning arrived that the Pharisees, who already shared with the temple leadership a hatred for Jesus (Jn 5:18, 7:1, 25, 30, 47-48; 8:3), had discovered where He was and what was happening. John says they knew that Jesus was “making and baptizing more disciples than John (the Baptist)” (v1) which meant Jesus was now in great danger. Normally the Pharisees despised the temple leaders in Jerusalem (for good reason), but they were also practical enough to partner with them when they needed their political power to punish some offender. So when this report reached Jesus, He took it as a warning that He would soon be arrested. But it was far too early in His ministry to allow that to happen. His disciples needed much more teaching and training, and there were many who had not yet been saved, healed or delivered. So He immediately left Judea and headed back to Galilee by the shortest possible route, straight through Samaria.