John 3:22

After these things. Greek meta tauta, a common transitional phrase (see chs. 5:1; 6:1; 7:1). “These things,” the events of chs. 2:13 to 3:21, took place at the Passover of A.D. 28 or soon thereafter.

His disciples. John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael (see ch. 1:40-45).

Into the land of Judea. The events of chs. 2:13 to 3:21 occurred in or near Jerusalem. From Jerusalem, Jesus now extended His ministry to the towns and villages of Judea, where He labored for a period of some eight months, from about April to December of the year A.D. 28 (see The Duration of Christ’s Ministry, Opening of the Galilean Ministry, The Ministry of Our Lord; see Additional Note on Luke 4). Except for the brief account of John 3:22-36 the gospel record is silent concerning the details of this period of our Lord’s ministry.

Jesus devoted the opening phase of His public ministry to Jerusalem and Judea, with the specific objective of giving the leaders an opportunity to witness the evidences of His divine mission, to accept Him as the Messiah, and to lead the nation forward to the accomplishment of its divinely appointed task (DA 231; see Vol. IV, pp. 26-30). But despite seeming success the early Judean ministry was largely barren of practical results (see DA 194, 245). In fact, more true conversions occurred on the day of Pentecost than throughout Christ’s earthly ministry (see EGW Supplementary Material on Acts 2:1-4, 14, 41). Jesus’ great popularity (John 3:26) aroused the jealousy of John’s disciples for their master, who was simultaneously preaching and baptizing in the same region. Accordingly, about the month of December, Jesus retired temporarily to Galilee (ch. 4:1-3). He returned to Jerusalem for the Passover of A.D. 29, when His early Judean ministry came to a formal close and He transferred His efforts to Galilee (see Additional Note on Luke 4; the Opening of the Galilean Ministry; see on Matt. 4:12; Luke 4:16).

Tarried ... baptized. The Greek verbs indicate a protracted ministry. By baptizing, Jesus gave His own approval to the ministry of His forerunner, but He Himself left the actual baptizing to His disciples (ch. 4:2). Like John, Jesus no doubt sought localities where there was “much water” (ch. 3:23). Concerning the rite of baptism itself see on Matt. 3:6.