P1503:4, 135:8.1
By December of A.D. 25, when John reached the neighborhood
of Pella in his journey up the Jordan, his fame had extended throughout all
Palestine, and his work had become the chief topic of conversation in all the
towns about the lake of Galilee. Jesus had spoken favorably of John's message,
and this had caused many from Capernaum to join John's cult of repentance and
baptism. James and John the fishermen sons of Zebedee had gone down in December,
soon after John took up his preaching position near Pella, and had offered themselves
for baptism. They went to see John once a week and brought back to Jesus fresh,
first-hand reports of the evangelist's work.