John’s Joy: From Leaping to Fulifillment

Our passage this morning brings to a close what we heard in the prologue. John 1:6–9“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

John came, fulfilled his mission, and testified to the Christ who he says emphatically he was not.

We called his last sermon in John 1 his swan song. We’ll call this his valedictory address. His farewell.

John’s ministry has carried on from the last time he was on the scene, and it even overlaps with Jesus ministry which the other gospel accounts don’t give a window into.

But before moving further with John, Jesus and his disciples come into a rural part of Judea.

Verse 22. John 3:22 “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.”

They came into the land and “remained”, that’s a familiar word to us, but it is not the same greek word as is common in John. This word means. To “spend time” or to “rub away” or “consume”. “Intentionally, not in a hurry.”

If you’ve ever been pulled over for speeding, you’ll notice that the officer sometimes will be intentionally not in a hurry. He is using it as an opportunity to teach you to slow down and not be in a hurry yourself.

In a similar way, Jesus does that here, but with the purpose of discipling, of pouring into his disciples, by both word and deed.

Listen to one commentator:

“Jesus took twelve men and poured His life into theirs, discipling them in thought and deed in order that they might become the foundation of the church following His death, burial, and resurrection.”

James Emery White, “John,” in Holman Concise Bible Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 470.

This is his future church that he is building, and taking time at such a crucial point was what they needed, and what Jesus provided. Some have suggested perhaps Nicodemus was there……certainly there was discussion about the new birth( as the pending debate most definitely would have involved). Nonetheless, Jesus takes time. We need to do that in all arena’s. And we need to make time to take time if you will. Is your schedule so packed tight that you have no time for discipling your children, your wife, younger Christians, older women toward younger women. We had some members of the church in Fargo from Africa. And in that specific culture, when they gathered to meet, the meeting began when the oldest arrived and ended when they left. You might wait an hour until they got there and stay for another 3.

That would drive me crazy. And in a sense I think that’s not good that that would drive me crazy. Kevin DeYoung has a book I have not read called Crazy Busy where he addresses this very aspect of our crazy busy culture.

We need to take time. We need to take time to slow down. And be willing to give indefinite time to those who need it.

Verse 23. John 3:23 “Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.”

John’s ministry is still very popular. We are told in another place that all were going out to him. Here we are told that people were continually coming and continually being baptized by him. John is going to continue to work while there is opportunity. He knows his mission, he knows the end is near, yet he presses on. Repent, for the kingdom is at hand. The kingdom is here! Your savior is here!

And what to make of these baptisms.

I believe their baptism is the same in one sense.

Jesus is affirming John’s baptism. He is not going to do away with the baptist or his ministry. He doesn’t need to. The only difference is that the reality is there. Jesus is here. The call to repentance and faith stays. Even from Jesus and his disciples.

When I went hunting for the first time a couple of years ago. We got out to our spot before sunrise. While we were sitting there waiting, every thing is pitch black. You can probably make out the fact that thats a row of trees and that’s a field. And there’s even a bit more clarity as your eyes adjust. But it’s not until the sun begins to dawn, that you begin to see more and more of the structure and lay of the land. But you still can’t quite see everything as you will with the midday sun. Now I can see, that’s a row of trees. There’s the train tracks. There’s several slews we’ll be trying to push deer out of. I think that’s what we have here. The Sun of the NC is dawning, but its not quite midday, it’s just coming over the horizon. The kingdom has broken in, but it’s still not very recognizable. And Jesus is not in a hurry. He’s in control. He is making disciples, and He is doing intimate discipleship with his followers. But He is not putting himself out there for people to try to raise him up as a conquering deliverer. Their deliverance will come through suffering and that hour is not yet. And neither is the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit as we’ll learn in Jn 7. So he baptizes with a baptism of repentance and turning to God for the kingdom is at hand. Was he healing and performing miracles at this time, I’m not sure. Probably. But the amazing again thing about it is that Jesus is here. The kingdom is here in Jesus. It’s coming in his person and in his signs and wonders. The signs and wonders show us that God’s kingdom has arrived and the fall of Satans kingdom has begun. Repent for the kingdom is right before your eyes.

Verse 25.

The dispute is probably something like; what are the differences between John and Jesus baptism? What are the difference between those and ceremonial cleansing? What about these compared to being born of water and Spirit? How it relates to the discourse with Nicodemus. Now we are not told, so it’s not important. What’s important is what John’s disciples are concerned with.

Verse 26. John 3:26 “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!””

“Rabbi” they give John this honorary title. Which is okay. They were disciples of John. But listen to there estimation of Jesus. John gets the honorary title while Jesus is “this one”. It’s a slight on Jesus. “”This one” to whom “you” have testified to” is getting more disciples. The idea is that Jesus has got his fame from John. He is only famous because you gave him that testimony… and now look…. all are going to him.( gross exaggeration considering how many were still coming to John).

There complaint is; “All are going to him,” and the implication is that eventually you’ll have no disciples.

“What are you going to do about it?” is implied here says one commentator.

What will this mean for us? Where will we go? What about you? Are you just going to stand down? Come on, take some pride in yourself, John!

Verse 27.

John 3:27 “John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

Calvin begins his famous Institutes on this note “how our wisdom can be deemed true and solid wisdom”. It consists in two things says Calvin; the knowledge of God and ourselves. You cannot rightly think about yourself if you don’t immediately turn your thoughts upon God. God is infinite, eternal, and sovereign Lord. The sovereign dispenser of all life and all good, all gifts. And man is fallen, weak, needy, dependent, sinful. Sinful to the core. Yet still, man is the recipient of all good things from God. He receives his life from God, he receives all health and strength from God. Everything is from God, any gifts that he has, he has recieved from God. And when man considers God and his glory and greatness, and kindness, and blessings, when he looks to himself, he truly sees once again how needy, and dependent he is, especially when further considering the fallen state of mankind, how miserable and fallen he is. Viewing reality this was, is to be wise.

But, alas, fallen man is see prone to keep his gaze horizontally. He looks and compares himself to others. He can always find away to deem himself righteous and upright before other fallen men, and say to himself, “my condition is okay”.

Only as he lifts his eyes to God in the splendor of his holiness is he able to view himself as he should.

The Baptist gets both of these right here

First, God is God alone. He is the one that has given these gifts. 1 Corinthians 4:7 “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?”

God gives it, and he gives it sovereignly. He gives it of his own pleasure. What I have, I have from God’s sovereign hand.

And Further, John understands himself. John is a fallen sinful man like we are, and John is a man who has been privileged with the task of being God‘s final prophet. He’s been tasked with the privilege of being this one, the forerunner, the voice of one in the wilderness making ready the way of the Lord. He’s the forerunner of the Messiah, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s coming to bear witness about the light, that all might believe “in him”. He testifies about the light, but he’s not the light. He is an insignificant voice in the wilderness preparing the way for his blessed Lord.

And John is both wise and free in this.

To see God’s sovereign hand in any ministry, to see it as his sovereign and free gift to you. Whatever you have, whatever abilities you have, whatever gifts you have, whatever understanding you have. To see it as a sovereign gift is to be freed, to be freed from jealousy, to be freed from envy, to be freed from looking down your nose upon someone else, to be freed from seeing someone as less than you. To be freed from a condescending attitude. Brothers and sisters do we see how blessed is this humility that John the Baptist has. Do you see how desirable it is to have that. That is, to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. The same attitude that was found in Christ. And as those united to Christ our Savior brothers and sisters we have this mind. Put it on. Let’s be about it. I’m not posing an idea where everything is all the sudden perfect, and there’s no more selfishness and no more pride, but we need to consider, what would that look like for us as a body? What would our interaction in the community look like if we regularly put on this resolve that John the Baptist has? Even better, the mind that Christ has. That everything he had was a providential and sovereign gift for carrying out God’s perfect will. Or like John, who thought less of himself, who was delighted to see himself fall into the background, oh what a blessed thing this is. Something to strive after. Pant after.

We need the Lord’s help here. Only he can give it. We know we don’t do it as we ought to. We think too little of God and too much of ourselves, we think that we acquired these gifts on our own and that someone else just doesn’t have them because they don’t devote the time to it like I do. They must not be as loving as I am because I spend more time in prayer and I’m more considerate of others. They must not know this theological point well enough because they don’t care about studying theology.

We talk about other brothers and sisters, as if they’re less Christians. This ought not to be, and “when “ you do that(because you will), own it, confess it, and ask the Lord for forgiveness and that the Spirit would bare that good fruit in you.

Again, we talk about others with our spouses, or with someone at work, or with another brother or sister and you talk about them in a way that is condescending, that is wicked, and evil, and wrong. [[The most recent fall into sin with this Bible teacher. Why do I say those things and think those things about him. ]] We look down are noses and then yes as we’re so good at it, we qualify by saying things like “now, I don’t mean to…. or hear me in this way…. I’m not trying to be hurtful… or whatever”

Call it what it is, and remind yourself that:

“Every Good and perfect gift come down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Pause

So the contention started about washing, but as it surfaces it’s clear that there is a contention about a man. Their allegiance is more toward John the baptist than it is Jesus. There problem was not really about washing, but that they did not believe John’s testimony. If they did, they would have had no problem with this. But they don’t want Jesus, they want to make it about a personality, about a man, about a specific set of ceremonial issue’s. And John gives them the answer they needed, but didn’t want to hear.

Pause

Broadly speaking, in evangelical and reform circles we need to hear this. Oh I just love this or that preacher. And we get stuck on names and personalities. We shouldn’t! “A man can receive nothing unless it is given from God.”

I’m thankful to God for giving these gifts to so and so because I’m drawn to my God and Savior.

And John turns their own statement back on them.

You already said it. What was my witness? I’m not worthy to untie his sandal. He is greater than me in EVERY WAY even though my ministry began ahead of his. He is the Son of God. The Lamb of God. The Spirit dispenser. I testified to his surpassing greatness. There is nothing in my testimony that should move you to any other conclusion. The Spirit of God made it known to me.

Further let me give you an illistration that should be familiar to you.

Verse 29. John 3:29 “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.”

Listen to one commentator:

You see, wedding custom in John’s day dictated it was the best man, the “friend of the bridegroom,” who invited the guests to the wedding, made preparations for the wedding, and finally, upon completion of the wedding, escorted the bride and groom into the bridal chamber. Thus, it was the voice of the bridegroom signaling to him that everything was okay within the chamber that brought joy to the heart of the best man.

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 461.

What is John saying; “My job is to bring the two together, to arrange the wedding.”

But people still come to John and hang onto him….. what does John say? He points away, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He rejoices at the voice of Christ. He leaped in his mothers whom at the nearness of Christ while in the whom, and now he rejoices at the voice of Christ at the end of his ministry. A life bookended by joy in Christ.

He rejoices at Christ’s, because the voice of Christ is calling others to faith in himself, into communion with himself, into a saving intimacy with himself. And John is rejoicing because they are going to Jesus voice and not his anymore. His delight is in losing disciples. Jesus says; my bride is with me. My spotless, pure, and undefiled bride is with me.

We ought to have the same delight in the voice of Christ.

If you be a babe in Christ, you leap for joy at His voice, if you be mature in Christ, you will still find your joy in Christ’s voice. No matter where you are, it is only the voice of your Savior that can bring you true and full joy. It’s the only thing that can fulfill your joy is communion with Christ, communion with the triune God. 1 John 1:3–4 “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”

To know God in Christ is the fulness of joy.

No change of circumstance, job, marriage, children, grandchildren, house, scenery, weather. None of these things will fulfill your joy if it’s not ultimately found in the voice of Jesus. If John’s ministry would have been prolonged a bit longer, then he would have been more joyful, more fulfilled, right? No. Wherever you are, find your joy in the voice of Jesus.

We conclude with another must.

“He must,… you must”

We’re used to these musts. They are to be noted:

You must be born again. The Son of Man must be lifted up. You must believe. “And now, Jesus must increase in your estimation, and you must decrease.” Abhor yourself and glory in your savior. This is the sign of Christian maturity. What do the great aged saints testify to of their understanding their own sin? That they see more of their sin, and have a greater estimation of God’s grace in Christ. God’s fulness of salvation in Christ.

J. Gresham Machen on his death bed says, thank God for the active obedience of Christ. He is looking back and thinking, if it’s my righteousness, no way. With Christ’s righteousness, the Father says amen.

Verse 30.

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Here is John in summary.

I have nothing that I did not receive from God, it is all gift, it is pure gratitude. It is from the fulness of Christ that I have recieved my life, my calling, my prophetic office, my understanding and utterances. This favorable reception is all due to God. And I’m content with that, and content to finish it and go away. I’m not coveting after what Christ has, rather I’m joyful, because I’m fulfilling my God given role. I’m content to do that, I won’t lust after something or someones bride that does not belong to me.

And further, I don’t want you to think more of me than you ought to. I have told you over and over again that I am not the Christ, I am just a voice. I am about to fade away. Your expectation and estimation of me is too high. You should be looking to Christ, your delight should be in Him and in His voice. Not mine ultimately. He must increase, I must decrease.

We aren’t naturally like that are we. We want what others have, we want people to think more of us than what we are. Yet again, who are we? People who are constantly, constantly recipients of everything. Temporal and physical. Needy, very needy. Spiritually needy. Always, every moment. Absolutely nothing to boast about, but in the Lord himself.

Don’t make much of me, says John. Jesus must increase, I must decrease.

A good question here; How do we measure the greatness of a minister or preacher? Oh they have great rhetoric or great articulation. Oh there illustrations are so good, they preach so expository, verse by verse, unpacking everything 1 word at a time……They are so theologically accurate. All good things, commendable, but are they the ultimate measure? No. I determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. What is there estimation of Christ in their ministry. Do they make much of Christ and his gospel. You can do all the expository preaching you want and not magnify Christ. Does the sweet voice of Christ come out in there preaching, telling you of his person and work for YOU and YOUR salvation. Does he say, I hove become your sin, and I have become your righteousness. My active and passive obedience was all for you my dear bride. All at no cost. In spite of you. Pause

When I go away from a sermon, what is my estimation of Christ? Is he surpassingly great? Is he all in all? Is he the fairest of men? This is the measure.

A man or a minister is great only insofar as they point you to the surpassing greatness of God in Christ! Repeat .

And the greater your esteem of God in Christ, the greater the man. Ironically, even though there is greater esteem moving in another direction.

One point of application.

How do we be more like John the Baptist? Isn’t that the question? everybody agrees that he is the one we want to imitate in this pericope? That’s a good thing. And It’s easy. Look to Christ. Listen to his voice. Primarily in the public gathering. But also much in your devotional time at home. We get this humility by delighting in the voice of our savior, by delighting to hear him tell us that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. By delighting to hear him tell us that he’s the one who gives us his Spirit in abundance. By learning to know that he is our dwelling place that he is God‘s new temple that he is the one in whom all the joy and gladness of the new wine, of the new covenant, and the new creation have arrived. That in him is life, life eternal. Plead with God the Spirit in you this week to think this way, speak this way, and walk this way.

May it be so for all of us who are in Christ today.

Lets pray.

Father, we want to make much of Christ. We want to see him in all his glory. In seeing his we want to be more conformed to his image. We pant after the glory that is to be ours in Him at his coming. Grant us the sanctifying work of your Spirit even this day. Grant us to learn more and more to walk by faith. To set our eyes on Christ the author and perfecter of our faith.