“22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 for John had not yet been put in prison.”
In the previous passage Jesus finished His explanation of the good news of His coming with the judgement that is on the people on the earth. The judgement on the earth does not come from Jesus but has already happened, and what Jesus explained was how He is the only way to be saved from the judgement. In this next section, John shows Jesus on the move again after His big discussion with Nicodemus. Now we begin a passage where we will see a comparison between John the Baptist and the disciples of Jesus in the form of them both doing baptism and works that are of God. Later in the passage, this led to John understanding his time was coming to an end, but he was joyful to see that his ministry was being taken over by the Master’s other disciples.
This passage must be kept in context from what came right before—Jesus compared those under judgment to those in the darkness so their evil deeds would not be exposed. In contrast, those who are true or righteous are in light so that their works can clearly be seen for what they are, being in God. John is now demonstrating how John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples did these works in the light—out in the open—baptizing people for the forgiveness of sins. This is something that John was already doing as we know from Chapter one, but now we also see that Jesus’ disciples are doing it. Even though it says that Jesus and His disciples were baptizing, it will be revealed in the beginning of next chapter that His disciples are the ones baptizing as John states this in John 4:2. These two parallel ministries were working in different areas and accomplishing the same goal not opposed to one another but in tandem.
It is revealed in verse 23 why John was baptizing where he was—there was a lot of water and there were people coming there to be baptized. John the author is showing that John the Baptist saw a need and a resource and used them towards the furthering of the kingdom of God. In the last verse of this passage, John the author foreshadows what will happen to John the Baptist. He will be imprisoned for his outspoken beliefs which will cause Jesus to go back to Galilee out of Judea (Mathew 4:12). For now, however, both groups are in Judah working in the light toward the goal of showing people to the kingdom of God which Jesus said was the objective.
For Christians, this gives us a great example to follow of working ministry in tandem with others. John and Jesus are not often pictured together, so this is a great insight to how that worked. This also shows us examples of working in the light. These men worked together during a far more hostile time to bring people to God. Jesus did not baptize; His disciples did—including John—and we must do the same. We must bring people the message of repentance from the beginning of the chapter and baptize them afterwards. This ministry will only succeed if we are continually in the light making sure to be in the Word of God and in prayer surrounded by other disciples. Then we can bring that light so that people know our works are in God.
For non-Christians, Jesus practiced what He preached. Immediately after talking about coming into the light He shows what that means. It is time as Jesus is calling you to come into the light and to come to Jesus, so you are no longer under judgement but start the work that Jesus has planned for you.
The Traveling Mountains 
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