In the second part of chapter 3 John contrasts Jesus' talk of being born again with a scene of Jesus baptizing. Jesus goes into Judea with his disciples and baptizes. John the Baptist is also baptizing people nearby, at Aenon.
Now, what water did John baptize in?
The text says that he baptized all around the Jordan River. But there are three specific places mentions.
The first is called the territory of Bethany beyond the Jordan where John said “Behold the lamb of God!”
The second place is Aenon.
The third is just north of the Dead Sea, where Jesus was baptized.
Like John himself, these three locations have a strong connection to Elijah the prophet.
The first location is where god fed Elijah with ravens while he was hiding.
The second location is where Elijah called his successor Elisha.
The third location is where Elijah ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire and Elisha took over for him. And john the Baptist is of course the one Jesus referred to as the Elijah who is to come before the Messiah.
If you look at the Scriptures, you can see just how connected the stories of Elijah and Elisha are to the stories of John and Jesus. They foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah.
Here are a few examples:
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