2nd Chair

John 3.22-36 

“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 him from heaven…He must increase, and I must decrease.” 

Jesus goes out into a rural area with His disciples and “He was spending time with them and baptizing,” verse 22. Interesting that John uses the phrase “spending time with them…” This is undoubtedly referring to time with His disciples. What a wonderful example of discipling and mentoring; “spending time with them.” It would take a lot of work to teach and train the disciples to represent Christ in a hostile world after His departure. There is no shortcut for influencing others. Spending time with them is the key. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch 

The very next verse changes the scene back to John the Baptist and his disciples. John had not yet been imprisoned.  John’s disciples came to Him concerned that Jesus was gaining in followers and John’s followers were thinning. They said, “He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him”. Human nature is to be jealous of the emerging popularity of Jesus while John’s is diminishing.  Instead of being jealous, John the Baptist says that he is filled with JOY over the growing attention that Jesus is receiving.  

John points to Jesus 

In essence, John is expressing that the plan is coming together just as it should. John gives three reasons for his joy: 

1. “A man can receive nothing unless it comes it has been given him from heaven.” First, John acknowledges that it is God in heaven Who directs the outcomes of our efforts. Rest in Him and in His work in your life. Sometimes He grants earthly success and sometimes He holds back. But earthly success is not the goal. The goal is to fulfill the ministry role that God has for us currently. Sometimes it brings notoriety and recognition and sometimes we serve and minister in obscurity. It was time for John the Baptist to ministry in obscurity and he was good with it because it was all in God’s plan. 

1. “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.” John tells his disciples that it would be silly for the best man of the groom to be jealous of the groom’s attention and happiness. The role of the “friend of the groom” is to point to the groom, attend to the groom and assure all details are taken care of.  John is simply the best man organizing all the details of the ceremony. 

1. “So, this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, and I must decrease.” John was well-aware of who he was in relation to Jesus. Jesus was the all in all. John said, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.” Everything written from Genesis to Revelation centers up Jesus. John exalts Jesus above himself by his words, his actions and all his life. We should do the same. 

Lord, we are often so consumed with our own world that we forget that all of life is about You. Make us always mindful of You, Your words and Your work. Amen.