How do you react when someone steals your glory? When someone steals your shine?
Let’s say you’ve been working at your job for 10 years. You’ve showed up, worked hard, and done your best. You’ve had your eye on a promotion for a while. You’ve outlasted everyone else who would be eligible for it. But then your company hires a dreaded new young millennial/older Gen Z’er. And of course, as us young millennials always do, they just charm the whole office. Six months into the job, this new guy gets the promotion you’ve had your eye on.
Let’s get even closer to the heart of it.
Let’s say our church has flourished for 15, 20 years. We’ve built trust in the community, we’ve grown as a family of missionary servants, we have reached all kinds of people with the gospel and impacted all kinds of lives. Then let’s say another church gets started just a few blocks away. And it’s a big production and it has everyone talking.
All the sudden people who were coming here start to think this other church is cooler, better for them, or whatever.
How might we respond?
The disciples of John the Baptist find themselves in a similar position. John the Baptist is a known commodity. He has been preaching and baptizing for some time. But now the crowds flock to this new rabbi who has only recently burst onto the scene.
How should we feel about this? They ask. They don’t seem too happy about it.
John’s answer benefits both his disciples and all of us who want to learn more about what it means to truly follow Jesus.
We must decrease, and he must increase.
Amen, that sounds great. I think, though, this can become quite vague in practice. So how do we do that?
John 3:22-36
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).
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
We Recognize His Greatness
John provides a bit of a glimpse into the work of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John 3:31-36 says that the Father loves the Son and has given everything into his hand. John says he has given the Spirit without measure.
God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is making himself known to the world. Jesus, God incarnate, fully God and fully man, is from heaven. He speaks of heavenly things. He is divine. He is utterly unique. He has authority over all things. The name of Jesus is the name above all other names.
He who comes from above is above all.
When we talk about God ‘increasing’ in our lives, what we mean isn’t making him out to be something more than he is. No, we mean ascribing to him the glory and honor he is due. If you don’t believe God to be so great, your words about his greatness ring utterly hollow.
How do we make Jesus increase in our lives? First, we see how worthy he is! And not only are these things objectively true about his nature, but these things are good news for us. Because whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (v. 36).
We Rejoice in His Greatness
The text just says a conversation arose between John’s disciples over purification. Whatever the content of this discussion, there is maybe some perceived threat from Jesus. They go to John to talk about Jesus and his growing popularity.
You gave Jesus your approval, but it’s starting to feel like they like him more than you! You’re the kingmaker! You’re the one who gave him this great entrance. Perhaps there is some concern for John and his stature, but there’s also certainly a selfish concern in play. You want to follow the “in” guy! You want to be close to powerful or successful people. Without saying it, I think John’s disciples want to know: What do we make of this?
I think what John the Baptist goes on to say is absolutely required reading for anyone who wants to do any sort of ministry. He says, Everything I have, I have been given.
This ministry we’ve had, for however long we’ve had it, is a gift of God. No one has anything unless it is given to him from heaven. John wants his disciples to know that his ministry is not his ministry. It is a gift from God. The next thing he says: You remember when I said, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.”
We always need to put things in perspective–to remember what we’re supposed to already know. I told you, “I am not, but he is.” I am not the Christ, he is. I am not the Great Prophet, he is. I am not the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, he is. Remember, I am just a voice crying out in the wilderness.
How do I feel about all these people flocking to Jesus? I feel like the best man on a wedding day.
I get to do a lot of weddings with this job. My job is pretty easy. I show up. I lead the rehearsal ceremony. I sometimes am invited to eat with the party. I go home or back to my hotel. The next day I get to the wedding about an hour before it starts. I preside over the ceremony. Sometimes I have to pray at the reception, sometimes I don’t. I eat, I get the marriage license, and I go home. If I’m doing my job well, you kinda forget I’m even there.
It’s like the best man. The best man is happy if the groom is happy. When the bride is about to come down the aisle, no one is looking at the best man. They’re looking at the bride and they’re looking at the groom. The best man rejoices for the bridegroom.
These two sentences back-to-back, I think are beautiful. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, and I must decrease. You could argue that the whole of the Christian life is learning how to decease.
We Make Much of His Greatness
We’re going to need good theology, contagious joy, and true humility to make much of Jesus.
We’ve gotta know that he is worth our lives. He is worth our affection, our attention, our devotion, and our worship. We gotta know that the only way to eternal, everlasting life is through Jesus. We have to understand that our Savior, the one who has saved us from God’s wrath, is also our Lord, who commands our obedience. We have to understand the story of our lives in the context of God’s story. This is all just good theology. Good theology is just true and beautiful knowledge of God. He is Creator of all who is greater than all; he is savior, and he is our Lord.
And we rejoice in him. This one who is greater than all has drawn near to us! Can you believe it?! The Scriptures say Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart. We know true things about God and we love them. We know truth and find truth beautiful.
We make much of God’s greatness when we are overjoyed by what we know to be true about our God. This knowing God and loving God leads to a certain posture–a posture of humility.