Text: John 3:22-36 (NKJV)
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 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!” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to 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 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. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Devotional Thoughts and Commentary:
The Jesus narrative now moves to the countryside outside of Jerusalem. Jesus and His six disciples were at the river baptizing. Actually, according to John 4:2, Jesus was not actually doing the baptisms but was working through His disciples.
Here comes an important passage for us to learn from John the Baptist. Concerning the issue of purification, John the Baptist's followers come to him to resolve a dispute for them. Jesus is out baptizing as well, and these followers look to John the Baptist as the leader of their movement. Concerned that their movement was losing steam to Jesus, the naivete of their question is spread open in a humble reply by John the Baptist. He revisited his earlier remarks about how it was his purpose to point people to Jesus.
This, however, is followed by one of the greatest human statements of all time- "He must increase, but I must decrease." Wow, what a powerful remark. John the Baptist evidenced maturity that I can only dream of. Oh, I would certainly utter those words, but our actions often betray what we say. Though the English tonguetwister written in Greek by Paul (Romans 7:15-25) is at work at least in my case, it does not diminish the fact that I am consumed with pride. In fact, I would say that we pretty much all are. As Christians, let alone spiritual leaders, we must be willing to totally, 110% stand behind this statement in word, thought, and deed. I pray that as I mature in life this will become what people think of when they think of me- Jesus Christ. Not me; not my church; not my accomplishments- but rather Christ who lived within me.
The last verse in our section today has another clear statement about spiritual salvation. Belief / faith (pisteuo) is all that is required for everlasting life. No amount of penance, good deeds, Hail Mary's, or pilgrimages can do anything at all to work toward salvation. In fact, dependence on such things betrays a lack of true, saving faith. The concept requires total trust or dependence on something, in this case Jesus for spiritual salvation. That cannot be the case as long as one is trying to do more good than bad in order to get God's favor for spiritual salvation.
Applications:
Eliminate pride and be humble! So easy to say and so hard to do. The imperative is immediate, but this will likely take a lifetime of spiritual discipline to even come close to mastering the concept. Confess your pride to God daily (not as thoughtless repetition, but specific instances of it that day) and pray for God to teach you humility.
As I have said before, trust in Jesus alone for salvation from sin and Hell and to eternal life and Heaven.
Other Studies from John
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