The news that had been carried to John concerning the success of Jesus, was also borne to Jerusalem, and there created against him jealousy, envy, and hatred. Jesus knew the hard hearts and darkened minds of the Pharisees, and that they would spare no pains to create a division between his own disciples and those of John that would greatly injure the work, so he quietly ceased to baptize and withdrew to Galilee. He knew that the storm was gathering which was soon to sweep away the noblest prophet God had ever given to the world. He wished to avoid all division of feeling in the great work before him, and, for the time, removed from that region for the purpose of allaying all excitement detrimental to the cause of God. {2SP 139.1}

Rygtet om Jesu fremgang, som blev ført til Johannes, blev også bragt til Jerusalem og vakte stor misundelse, og had mod ham. Jesus kendte farisæernes hårde hjerter og formørkede sind og vidste, at de ikke ville spare nogen ulejlighed for at frembringe en splittelse mellem hans egne og Johannes' disciple, hvilket meget ville skade hans værk. Derfor ophørte han i stilhed at døbe og drog hen til Galilæa. Han vidste, at den storm nærmede sig, som snart ville dræbe den ædleste profet, som Gud nogensinde havde givet verden. Han ønskede at undgå al splittelse i det store værk, som lå for ham, og flyttede for nærværelse bort fra denne egn for at forhindre al strid, som kunne blive skadelig for Guds sag.