“Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptising and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.”
John 10:39-42 NLT
The tone of John’s account is remarkably downbeat, factual but unemotional and, at times, a bit short on detail. There was Jesus, apparently in the middle of an antagonistic and aggressive crowd, who were wanting to stone Him because they considered His claims about Himself to be blasphemous – “Once again the people picked up stones to kill him” (John 10:31) – yet He was able to escape arrest, walking away and leaving His aggressors behind. And Jesus didn’t have far to go. The exact place where John the Baptist was baptising in the Jordan is debated amongst archaeologists, but the consensus seems to place it about five miles North of the Dead Sea, no more than twenty or so miles from Jerusalem. So Jesus didn’t have far to go before He found a place of safety. John’s account records that “many” followed Jesus there and “many” believed in Him. Away from the legalistic and aggressive crowd in Jerusalem it seems people were more able to listen to Jesus, see His miraculous signs, and come to a belief in Him as the Son of God.
We pilgrims know how difficult it can be, to share the Good News about Jesus with several unbelievers all at the same time. They tend to hold each other back and even resort to ridicule or more aggressive responses. But on their own, without peer pressure, people can be more receptive. The devil has indeed blinded the eyes and stopped the ears of those who otherwise would be open to hearing our testimonies of hope in Jesus, for a future with Him in eternity. Much of our evangelism is focussed on helping people move a little closer to a belief in Jesus, without finally hearing the big “Yes” to become a follower and believer in Him. But the people in Jesus’ day were pre-armed by John the Baptist, who pointed the attention to Jesus, and they remembered what he had to say. John 1:29-30, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me’”. John the Baptist was well respected by the people and they listened to him.
We pilgrims must always take advantage of the occasions where we find a chink in someone’s anti-God life and provide an opportunity to communicate the love of God. There are many lonely or depressed people around us, who have no solution to their misery. The pressures of life have worn them down, and they desperately need to hear Good News, but they turn on their televisions and find even more depressing news and images of distress that contribute to their own problems. Such people would, however, rather turn to hedonistic activities to try and dull the pain, or they try and find a “god” in activities such as alternative religions or practices such as Yoga. They end up seeking medical solutions with pills that treat their symptoms rather than the cause behind them. They may even engage in public demonstrations for lost causes instead of focusing their human efforts towards God, because we know that there is only one Person who has the remedy for their suffering and that is Jesus. The people in our families and communities need to see and feel the love of Jesus and we may be the only people who can help.
In Jesus’ day, the people were drawn by His miracles. In our days, miracles are not quite so obvious but we can tell about the miracle we experienced on that day when we came to believe in Jesus. But there came a time when Jesus had communicated all that He could and it was time for Him to find a place of safety where He could find rest and recharge His spiritual batteries. If Jesus needed to do that then how much more must we, His followers, who are not immune from the pressures of life just because we are believers. We too need to find a place perhaps right back at the beginning when we were baptised. That place when we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. That place when we heard the voice of Jesus saying “come”. And when we arrive there His Spirit will once again flush away the stains of this world, resourcing us for our journey towards the promised land.
Dear Father God. On our knees today we offer to You all the praise, all the worship and all the glory. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 