God is a God of places and times. Here we see Jesus escaping out of the hands of His opponents. Where does He go? He goes back to where it all started. He goes to the spot where John began baptizing people. As a human, I’m sure that Jesus was a partaker of the feelings of mystery and awe which surround places that are important to us. (Isn’t that why Holy Land tours still exist and historical monuments worldwide get millions of visitors?) Perhaps He took some solace in remembering the beginnings of His ministry and the ministry of John.
But as Son of God, as a person led by the Holy Spirit, we also have to realize that God also works in and through such cycles. Did Jesus’ ministry begin at this spot? If that’s where He was baptized, surely it was significant for us all. But beyond that, this is where someone else’s ministry began. This is where John first baptized. And John’s ministry flowed into the ministry of Christ.
Where did it begin for you? Or where did it begin for those who touched and blessed your life? You may find yourself there as you prepare to enter a new, more challenging and maybe even much more difficult phase of your own ministry.
