Jesus Stories: John the Baptist

Jesus Stories: John the Baptist Main Text: John 3:22-30

CELEBRATION OF ONE YEAR OF MINISTRY IN THE PULPIT AT WABC. READ THE TEXT

Main Point: He must increase. I must decrease.

Intro:

Have you ever met someone who has what Gen Z refers to as, “Main Character Energy”? This is is someone who is always the center of attention. And if they aren’t...well they are now! You may even be that person who has that main character energy....guilty.

- We are a self-centered people, living in a self-centered society.. In fact, you are encouraged to live out your authentic self, your own desires, elevating your own sense of self over that of others.

Blaise Pascal writing in the 1600s says this...“We are so presumptuous that we should like to be known all over the world, even by people who will only come when we are no more. Such is our vanity that the good opinion of half a dozen of the people around us gives us pleasure and satisfaction.”

What an accurate depiction of modern America. What a counter way of life to the heart of John the Baptist found in “He must increase. I must decrease.”

Today, we are going to hear the Jesus story of John the Baptist...the one whom Jesus said about, Matthew 11:11

[11] Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Who was John the Baptist?

Luke 1

John the Baptist is the son of Elizabeth, the elder cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The first time that John the Baptist meets Jesus is in utero and what does he do...he leaps for joy.

John the Baptist is also introduced in John 1 as the forerunner to Jesus, pointing forward to the “Lamb of God”! John baptizes his cousin, as his cousin’s ministry begins (Matthew 3-4,. John 1)

The Setting (22-24)

In John 3, where our key text is today, Jesus’ name and ministry has expanded. He had just met with Nicodemus and now, he goes out into Judea and he baptizes. John was in another part of the Judean countryside baptizing and I want to note, people are still coming to John at this point in his ministry. (He’s not yet in prison, more on that later).

A Debate Among the Disciples of John and a Jew (25-26)

Leave it to the these students of John to debate and have an argument.

- I’m telling y’all, this is what seminary students and younger pastors love to do. We

love to debate the finer points of theology.

- Was the debate over who’s baptism is superior?

- Whatever the debate was, it sent the disciples back to John to say, “Hey, Jesus is

baptizing people too and everyone is going to him instead of us!

o Theresanapplicationhereforusintheroomthatwecanapply

here...because of the society around us, we can tend to become jealous and cynical of churches around us when good things are happening among them. Y’all, I am so guilty of this.

o Italsodoesn’thelpthatthiscanbedrivenbypastorsandchurchleaders who are bragging about baptism numbers, money given, etc. It turns into a “I MUST INCREASE, WE MUST INCREASE”.

o Listen,weneedmoreKINGDOMfocusedbelieversandlessCOMPETITION focused believers.

o IfweweremorefocusedondoingchurchthewaytheBibleintended,thenwe would probably see much more unity amongst our churches versus expanding our own little kingdoms.

o ThereshouldbenocompetitioninthekingdomofGod.John’sabouttoteach his disciples a very important lesson here.

- He must increase, but I must decrease.

John’s Heart Reflected (27-28)

- John here echoes the teaching of Jesus form John 3:1-21, you cannot receive even

one things unless it is from heaven.

- John is reflecting his high view of God as the one who is blessing Jesus and the giver

of the good gift. This is from God!

o Numbers11,theSpiritofGodispouredoutuntothecampandtwomenare

prophesying, and Joshua tells Moses, “STOP THESE GUYS!”

§ Moses, says, Are you jealous for my sake or for yours? I wish all the

LORD’s People would prophesy!

§ It can be easy to give in and be jealous. But one of the best things we

can do is celebrate what the LORD is doing in and among his people.

- John knew who he wasn’t and who he was, he wasn’t the Christ and he was the

forerunner! (28). Jesus may be a few miles away with a bigger crowd, but John is

rightly focused on his ministry and celebrating the good gift from heaven that was

happening in Jesus’ ministry.

- He must increase, but I must decrease. -

The Best Man (29-30)

- John portrayed his feelings toward the ministry of Christ in a superbly rich

illustration—the Hebrew wedding. He said he was like the best man, like “the friend

of the bridegroom.” According to William Barclay:

- The “friend of the bridegroom,” the shoshben, had a unique place at a Jewish

wedding. He acted as the liaison between the bride and the bridegroom; he arranged the wedding; he took out the invitations; he presided at the wedding feast. He brought the bride and the bridegroom together. And he had one special duty. It was his duty to guard the bridal chamber and to let no false lover in. He would only open the door when in the dark he heard the bridegroom’s voice and recognized it. When he heard the bridegroom’s voice he was glad and he let him in, and he went away rejoicing, for his task was completed.1

- Now, I am the eternal opiciant at weddings. I don’t get to be a groomsman a lot. But in my brother’s wedding, I had a unique honor of being a groomsman/opiciant. Only reason I know that was because I got to wear all the same stup that the groomsmen were wearing.

- Imagine if when his bride walked down the aisle, I started making a scene and drawing attention to myself. I start boohooing, My baby brother is getting married!!!!

- No one does that. The groomsman is proud and his joy his complete, why? Because

his friend’s joy is complete!!!!

- John could have been jealous, he could have been focused upon his greatness, but

because Jesus’ grace had impacted him, he said, “I’m not the main character of this

story. He is.”

- This is a heart that is impacted by who Jesus is.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

- This is the only way to live for Jesus.

o AsWilliamCareylaydying,heturnedtoafriendandsaid,“WhenIamgone,

don’t talk about William Carey; talk about William Carey’s Savior. I desire that

Christ alone might be magnified.”

- Listen church. This must be our heart cry as a church. Jesus is the main point. We

have to get out of the way. John knew his purpose, do you know yours here at WABC,

in your own life?

- Are you trying to increase your own little kingdom, decreasing the influence of God

in your life in the process?

- The best thing you can do is get out of the way and pray this,

- Jesus, increase in my life and decrease me out of the way!! Make me humble, lord!

- How do we grow in humility? We experience the greatness of Jesus. No one has more authority. No one else has come down from heaven. No one else has received the Spirit without measure. No one else is the Word made flesh. No one else brings the cleansing that fulfills all OT rituals. No one else is the bridegroom. No one else must increase.

The End of John the Baptist’s Life (Matthew 11)

- John is in prison. He’s feeling hopeless. He sends his disicples, maybe even the

same ones who were debating, maybe not. and I want to show you the humanness

of John here, “Are you the one? Or should we look for another?”

- Listen to Jesus, he quotes from the prophet Isaiah, but he leaves out something that

John would have caught on....he does not say, “Proclaim liberty to the captives.” Jesus was telling John, I am the one who you know me to be. Your ministry Is fulfilled. You will die in prison.

- Jesus goes on to honor John the Baptist, not casting aside his doubt.

- In John’s darkest moment, jesus sent a message of truth to sustain his faith as he

looked toward death....

o John,Imustincreasebecauseyouhavedecreased.Themessiahishere.

WILL YOU BELIEVE THIS TODAY?!

Look to the person sitting next to you and say,

May Jesus increase in your life, and may you decrease. Let’s pray!