Emva kokuba bebhiyozele iPasika ngentwasahlobo ka-30 C.E., uYesu nabafundi bakhe bayemka eYerusalem. Kodwa abakhawulezi baye emakhayeni abo eGalili. Baya kwaYuda baze apho babhaptize abantu abaninzi. Seyingunyaka ngoku noYohane umBhaptizi ebhaptiza abantu, ibe abanye babafundi bakhe basekunye naye, mhlawumbi ngakwintlambo yoMlambo iYordan.

UYesu akabhaptizi ngokwakhe kodwa uthuma abafundi bakhe. Bobabini uYesu noYohane bafundisa amaYuda aguqukileyo kwizono ebezenza.—IZenzo 19:4.

Abafundi bakaYohane baba nomona baze bakhalaze kuye ngoYesu besithi: ‘Laa ndoda uYesu yayikunye nawe, ibhaptiza abantu, ibe bonke baya kuyo.’ (Yohane 3:26) Kodwa uYohane akabi namona. Uyavuya kuba uYesu ephumelela ibe ufuna nabafundi bakhe bavuye. Uyabakhumbuza athi: “Nani niyandingqinela ukuba ndathi, ‘Andinguye uKristu, kodwa ndithunywe phambi kwakhe.’” Wenza umzekelo abaza kuwuqonda bonke athi: “Umntu onomtshakazi ngumyeni. Xa umhlobo womyeni emi ngakuye, esiva nento ayithethayo, uvuya kakhulu. Ngoko ke nam ndivuya kakhulu.”​—Yohane 3:28, 29.

UYohane njengomhlobo womyeni wavuya kakhulu kwakwiinyanga ezingaphambili xa wayesazisa abafundi bakhe kuYesu. Abanye babo balandela uYesu ibe ekuhambeni kwexesha babeza kuthanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele. UYohane ufuna naba basekunye naye abafundi balandele uYesu. Kaloku umsebenzi kaYohane ibikukulungiselela uKristu indlela. Uthi: “UKristu umele aqhubeke esanda, mna ndiqhubeke ndincipha.”​—Yohane 3:30.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, omnye uYohane owalandela uYesu uyabhala achaze ukuba uYesu uvelaphi nokuba yintoni umsebenzi wakhe ekusindiseni abantu. Uthi: “Lowo usuka phezulu mkhulu kunabo bonke abanye abantu. . . . UTata uyamthanda uNyana, ibe umnike igunya lokulawula yonke into. Lowo uzikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo uNyana kaThixo aze azenze, uza kufumana ubomi obungunaphakade; kodwa lowo ungamthobeliyo uNyana kaThixo, akazukubufumana, ibe uza kuhlala ewuva umsindo kaThixo.” (Yohane 3:31, 35, 36) Yinyani ebalulekileyo le ekufuneka wonke umntu ayazi.

Emva kwexeshana uYohane umBhaptizi echaze umsebenzi wakhe nokuba yena umele anciphe, uyabanjwa nguKumkani uHerode. Kaloku uHerode uthathe uHerodiya owayengumfazi womntakwabo uFilipu wamenza umfazi wakhe. Xa uYohane echaza phambi kwabantu ngale nto imbi uHerode ayenzileyo, uHerode umvalela ejele. Xa uYesu esiva ukuba uYohane ubanjiwe yena nabafundi bakhe ‘bayemka kwaYuda baze baye eGalili.’​—Mateyu 4:12; Marko 1:14.