John 3:26-30 He must increase but I must decrease

"And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified - behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease."



Saint John the Baptist Sees Jesus from Afar - James Tissot

(26) And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified - behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"   As noted previously, the Jesus' disciples actually performed the baptisms rather than Jesus Himself.  But similarly to the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus also included the call to repentance along with the declaration that the kingdom of God was at hand.  John's disciples observed that Jesus was drawing the crowds that formerly had come to be baptized by John.  His disciples expressed by their altruistic statement, "all are coming to Him," that something had gone wrong with John's ministry; and that by informing John of the situation he might be able to prevent his ministry from diminishing further.

(27) John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  In the true wisdom which is displayed in humility John assured his disciples that the reduction of his ministry and the coinciding increase of Jesus' ministry was taking place according to the will of God.  John's effectiveness was not greater when all where coming to him to be baptized than it was when the people were drawn away to Jesus.  John knew that he was simply fulfilling his part in the introductory phase of Christ's coming.  John's calling was not a career which he had developed by his own achievement.  His baptismal ministry came by divine appointment.  It was the role which John had received from God.  And just as his ministry was received from God, God was responsible for its success and duration.

 

The Apostle Paul warns against the selfish sense of possessing one's own ministry.  Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.  For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? - 1st Corinthians 4:6,7

(28) You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'   By these two phrases John indicated to his disciples that the reason for Christ's increase should have been apparent because of the superiority of Christ.  No man could ever by striving become Christ.  Christ came from above and is holy, set apart and above all other men.  John was blessed to be Christ's forerunner.

(29) He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  John referred to Jesus as the bridegroom, and the collective bride as those who were coming to Jesus (who would later become His Church).  John was the friend of the bridegroom who was pleased to see the anticipated union.  Paul also used the analogy of marriage in reference to Christ and His Church:  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:30-32

 

John the Baptist testifies of Jesus

(30) He must increase, but I must decrease.  John is not stating an intention on his part to decrease so that Christ might increase.  He is stating as reality the fact that increase is an attribute of Christ and thus, Christ shall indeed increase.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. - Isaiah 9:7a

 

In the context of his disciples' observation, John was acknowledging the fact that his ministry, influence, and following were all designed by God to come to an end.  Once the way was prepared for the Lord there was no further need of preparation.  John had completed his calling by preparing the people to receive their Savior and King.

 

Not only did John prepare the way, he also introduced Israel to their Messiah.  John's mission would have been a failure if the people had not looked past the Baptist in order to behold the Christ.

 

Now consider for a moment that John's ministry was so effective with the people that the Jewish leaders were afraid to speak out against John.  It would have been easy for John to glory in the success of his own ministry instead of pointing the people to Jesus.  John's genuine willingness to yield to Christ is perhaps one of the greatest indications of how much this humble servant truly believed in his Savior.  You see; John wasn't just pointing the people to their Messiah, he was pointing the people to his own Messiah as well.  John wasn't called to build a great ministry, but to serve a great Master.

 

May we be like John the Baptist, who committed the ministry that was given to him by God, back to God; so that we might find our temporal loss to be eternal gain.  In the words of Paul, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." - Philippians 3:7,8