While it says Jesus was baptizing, the text hints that it was actually his disciples doing the baptizing under his direction. This shows Jesus delegating and training his followers, even in these early days, for the mission ahead.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following His encounter with Nicodemus and the Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples moved into the broader region of Judea. While there, He and His disciples engaged in baptizing, continuing a ministry of preparation and drawing people to Him as John the Baptist also continued his work nearby. This period highlights Jesus' public ministry extending beyond the capital, setting the stage for John's disciples to question Jesus' growing popularity.
Why did Jesus leave Jerusalem after meeting Nicodemus? The text hints at a strategic shift in His ministry.
Ministry Expansion
After the significant encounter with Nicodemus in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples didn't linger in the capital. They moved into the "Judean countryside." This wasn't just a casual stroll; it marked a deliberate expansion of His ministry beyond the religious heart of the nation.
Reaching the Countryside
The scholars suggest that Jerusalem's leadership was already becoming resistant. Moving into the broader region of Judea allowed Jesus to connect with people less influenced by the political and religious elite. It was a way to spread the message to the common people, the farmers and villagers, before His hour had fully come.
A Time of Growth
This period in Judea was a time of quiet but active ministry. While the disciples, under Jesus's direction, administered baptisms, Jesus Himself was teaching and building His early following. It was a crucial phase for solidifying His message and gathering those who would later carry it forward.
Did Jesus Himself baptize, or was it someone else? The text and context offer clarity.
Delegation and Authority
While the verse says "he... was baptizing," the context, particularly John 4:2, clarifies that it was primarily the disciples who administered the baptism. This highlights Jesus's understanding of delegation, entrusting significant aspects of His ministry to those He was training.
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Attribution to Christ
Even though the disciples performed the physical act, the Gospel writer attributes the baptizing to Jesus. This is common in Scripture – the actions of servants are often credited to the leader who commissioned and directed them. Their work was done "by his direction and authority."
A Preparatory Rite
This baptism, administered by the disciples, was an extension of John the Baptist's ministry. It served as a preparatory rite, symbolizing repentance and cleansing, aligning with the early stages of Jesus's public work before the full inauguration of His kingdom and the coming of the Spirit.
Understand the original words
baptizō · Greek Verb
Refers to the public act of immersion or washing as a sign of repentance, identification with a movement, and preparation for the kingdom of God. In the NT, it signifies a transition or cleansing in anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah and the pouring out of the Spirit.
This period shows Jesus and John the Baptist operating in tandem, a crucial, albeit brief, phase before Jesus' ministry fully shifts to Galilee and John's is tragically cut short. It highlights the preparatory nature of both ministries.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus' Passover Visit to Jerusalem
Following his baptism and temptation, Jesus attends the Passover in Jerusalem, encountering Nicodemus and beginning his public ministry. His disciples are also present and actively baptizing.
c. AD 28
Jesus' Ministry in Judean Countryside
After the Passover, Jesus and his disciples move from Jerusalem into the wider Judean region, continuing his teaching and baptizing ministry, drawing crowds and attention.
c. AD 28
John the Baptist's Ministry in Aenon
Simultaneously, John the Baptist is ministering and baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, a location with abundant water, indicating a period of overlapping ministries.
c. AD 28
Dispute over Ritual Purification
A theological dispute arises between John's disciples and Jewish authorities concerning the meaning and practice of purification rites, highlighting the distinctiveness of John's and Jesus' baptisms.
c. AD 28
John's Disciples Question Jesus' Popularity
John's disciples express concern to him about Jesus' growing following and baptismal ministry, prompting John's famous testimony about his own subordinate role to the Messiah.
c. AD 28 - AD 29
Herod Imprisons John the Baptist
John the Baptist is eventually imprisoned by Herod Antipas, marking a significant shift and the eventual end of his public ministry.
This passage directly follows John 3:22 and clarifies that while Jesus remained in Judea and was associated with baptizing, it was actually His disciples who administered the rite, showing a shared ministry and transition of leadership.
Matthew 3:13-17This account of Jesus' own baptism by John the Baptist parallels the theme of Jesus initiating a baptismal ministry, highlighting the significance of this rite at the beginning of His public work.
John 3:25-26This immediately following section explains the context for Jesus' ministry in Judea, revealing that John the Baptist's disciples noticed Jesus' growing impact and baptismal activity, which caused a stir and led to John's testimony about Jesus.
Acts 1:5This verse explicitly states that John baptized with water, contrasting it with the baptism with the Holy Spirit that Jesus would later bestow, further contextualizing the nature and purpose of Jesus' early baptismal ministry.
ellicottJohn 3:22: "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized."
(22) After these things. —Not implying that He left Jerusalem at once. The “land of Judæa” is the province as distinct from the capital. This verse points to a work in Judæa of which we know nothing more. It was probably not confined to one place. We have to think of Christ as continuing His teaching, of large numbers influenced by it ( John 3:26 ), and of these as…
barnesJohn 3:22: "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized."
Land of Judea - The region round about Jerusalem. And baptized - Jesus did not Himself administer the ordinance of baptism, but his disciples did it by his direction and authority, John 4:2.
While it says Jesus was baptizing, the text hints that it was actually his disciples doing the baptizing under his direction. This shows Jesus delegating and training his followers, even in these early days, for the mission ahead.
Following His encounter with Nicodemus and the Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples moved into the broader region of Judea. While there, He and His disciples engaged in baptizing, continuing a ministry of preparation and drawing people to Him as John the Baptist also continued his work nearby. This period highlights Jesus' public ministry extending beyond the capital, setting the stage for John's disciples to question Jesus' growing popularity.
Following His encounter with Nicodemus and the Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples moved into the broader region of Judea. While there, He and His disciples engaged in baptizing, continuing a ministry of preparation and drawing people to Him as John the Baptist also continued his work nearby. This period highlights Jesus' public ministry extending beyond the capital, setting the stage for John's disciples to question Jesus' growing popularity.
"After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptiz…" — While it says Jesus was baptizing, the text hints that it was actually his disciples doing the baptizing under his direction. This shows Jesus delegating and training his followers, even in these ear…
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Last reviewed October 2026
