22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan - the one you testified about - well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less."
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The last verse of this passage is what I call my life verse. It is the one verse of the Bible that most consistently resonates with me and guides me in my relationships and pursuits. God must always be increasing in my life - in the way I relate to people, the quality of tasks I perform, and as the motivation in all I do. And I must continually be checking my heart to see that I am not placing myself and my needs and desires above that which God has for me. And like anything else in life, some days it's easier than others.
John is the only gospel writer that recounts this story. Matthew, Mark and Luke all have accounts of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist (which John leaves out), but only John records this significant transition from John's ministry of baptism for repentance and cleansing to Jesus' ministry of true healing and new life. John the Baptist shows an amazingly clear sense of purpose as he answers the questions of those who would tempt him toward his own greatness. He had been gathering quite a following of disciples when Jesus came along and started baptizing nearby. But Jesus had more people coming to Him. Only a person with a strong sense of purpose and a clear understanding of God's call on his life could remain so steadfast in this social drama.
Look at verses 25 - 29 and answer the following questions:
• How did the conversation begin? (v. 25)
• What do you think the man who talked to John's disciples in verse 25 was hoping for?
• How is the focus of the disciples' statement different from the focus of John's answer in the remaining verses? In other words, what are they concerned about and what is John most concerned about? (This is key for us in our struggle to keep Jesus first and foremost in our thoughts and motivation.)
Sometimes there can be confusion over the "I must become less" part of 3:30. God's Word is very clear that we are valuable, well-loved, gifted children to our Father. He does not want us to become invisible; He wants each of us to be the very best individual that He created us to be. That involves - no, requires - a focus on Him. As we spend time with God, listening to His voice, allowing Him to reveal our own hearts to us, he will become greater. It's what He wants most in our lives: for us to trust Him enough with who He made us, that we can forget about it and live it fully to show the world His glory!
If you have ever been on a diet, you know that it's much easier to concentrate on good things to eat more of than it is to concentrate on the bad (but yummy!) things we need to cut out. It is the same way with our relationship with Christ. yes, there is a place for confession and character refinement, but the majority of our efforts can go toward building our strengths and living out God's call on our lives with abandon. That is what John the Baptist is talking about when he says, "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and is now complete." We are the bride of Christ if we know Him, love Him, and trust Him alone for our salvation. So we will be filled with joy when He becomes greater in our lives. God is not glorified when we deny our gifts and bury our talents. He wants you to reveal Him more and more as you follow Him with passion and purpose.
• Make a list of gifts, talents, skills, and experiences that make you uniquely you. Ask God this week to reveal ways you can increase Him in your life by using your own uniqueness to serve your family, listen to a friend, or pray for someone who is difficult to love. Be sure to go back to your list and record where you saw God show up.
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