If Jesus Retreated Should I Also Retreat?

John 4:1
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John —
John 4:2
although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
John 4:3
So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

Jesus was in Judea with His disciples. Jesus’ disciples were baptizing. John was also in the vicinity baptizing. Word went around that Jesus was baptizing more than John. Word went round from people who analyze situations and feed leaders to confuse them. Pharisees were concerned about the popularity of John and they planned to work with Herod to get him stopped from being much popular than them.

Popularity is a concern and agenda of empty vessels. Pharisees despite all their education in religious knowledge could sit to discuss popularity between Jesus and John, vis-a-vis their incompetence. Their greatest concern was not the progress of God’s work but who gets popular in the process. The day you worry about anyone’s popularity you have lost it. The day you actually sit to discuss it and make your concern official, you qualify for pharisee status.

Pharisees had plans to stop John’s ministry which was misunderstood to be a popularity campaign. But now news came in that Jesus was actually much more popular than John. That meant that they were to study the new trend and prioritize stopping Jesus from further ministry, lest he becomes much popular than them. Jesus heard about. Jesus got wind of their worries and plan. Jesus immediately retreated from Judea to Galilee.

Jesus retreated because it was too early in His ministry and He had not accomplished what He came to do. Jesus did not retreat because of fear. Jesus was not afraid of persecution or death. Jesus was concerned that the ministry would be stopped too early. Therefore to kill what they understood as popularity He abandoned the baptism business so that the Pharisees don’t feel threatened.

Jesus retreated because He knew the envious and jealous spirit in Pharisees has no cure. It is a disease that gets worse as your opponent gets better or higher. Jesus knew that His further success would make the situation worse since it will irk the Pharisees. Jesus feigned failure by retreating.

We, therefore, learn from Jesus that retreating is not fear or lack of faith. Jesus was not afraid. Jesus did not lack faith. Having faith is not the absence of strategy. Jesus retreated strategically to ensure He has along with ministry. If retreating would put more meaning to your ministry you better retreat today.

Study your circumstances and with God-given wisdom, know when to retreat. If your current position on anything may affect future prospects of a better life and ministry, think twice and retreat if it is not sinful to do so. A small loss today for a bigger gain tomorrow.

Jesus abandoned the baptism that was going on and left for Galilee. We too may need to abandon something meaningful in order to go for something much better. Jesus had a right to baptize in Judea, but demanding that right was not a wise move. It was wise to suffer injustice and gain much more in the future.

For a happy marriage, you may need to retreat. For a successful business, you may need to retreat. For success in your studies, you may need to retreat. For a productive workforce and colleagues, you may need to retreat. To save your health you may need to retreat. To fix your financial mess you may need to retreat. Retreat initially looks like a loss but over time it is the biggest gain ever. Retreat if you must!

We retreat from arguments and positions we held out of pride and not Bible facts. We retreat from a good position at which we seem to be getting misunderstood. We must learn to retreat. We retreat from things we swore never to do, yet now must be done without breaking God’s law.

As some retreat, they take the vaccines they had issues with. As some retreat, they now confess that the disease is real. As some retreat, they confess wrongdoing. As some retreat, they return to the people and homes they left. As some retreat, they strive to totally forgive. As some retreat, they walk out of marriages that are violent and may cost their lives. It is not God’s will for anyone to stay in an abusive marriage. Even for the sake of children, it is not right. If you die, you won’t still care for the children. Jesus retreated from Judea to Galilee. Have you retreated?

Dear God, grant me wisdom to know when to retreat and give me the courage to do so, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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