Have you ever gone back to a place of your beginnings? Maybe it was the place you went on a mission trip, maybe a church where your youth group sang, or perhaps it was the church where you received Jesus as your personal Savior. Nevertheless, you have a “place.”
In this passage of Scripture, we see Jesus returning to His roots. When He arrived, it was abandoned. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, had been beheaded, the crowds of people were gone, and only the Jordan River remained.
40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile…42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.
– John 10:40, 42
Escaping Where We Are
In the book of John, chapters nine and ten, we learn how hateful both the Jewish leaders and many of the people were towards Jesus, even attempting to kill him. After escaping His assignation, He returned to the place where His ministerial work began, where the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus like a dove and remained1, where Christ’s disciples baptized people as did John the Baptist2, the place where His sheep began hearing their Master’s call.
In [John 10:40, 42](John 10:40,42 NLT), we see Jesus returning to His roots. When He arrived, it was abandoned. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, had been beheaded, the crowds of people were gone, and only the Jordan River remained.
Notice that the place where Jesus returned didn’t stay desolate; “many where were there believed Jesus” No matter where Jesus goes, so goes life3; life is Jesus’ nature. Having Christ in us means that we are not destined to only have old memories and old friendships. Jesus is life! If the Holy Spirit leads us back to a place, He doesn’t lead us there to demoralize us. He brings us there to bring life to that place4.
We Are Called to Bear Fruit, Not Pine for the Past
Once we are saved, we just can’t help but bring life into everything that God leads us into. If He is calling us back to where we first began, then the Holy Spirit is leading us there for a purpose, for God’s praise and for the life of Christ Jesus to touch and transform.
Don’t be afraid to go back. Just make sure that it’s God’s leading and not nostalgia. It’s okay to visit to rekindle old memories, but if God leads us to reside there, then we are there to be used by God so that many who are there believe in Jesus.