Christ Must Increase

John 3:22–36

Introduction

We live in a culture obsessed with increase—more influence, more recognition, more followers, more results. Even in the church, the temptation is real: how do we grow, how do we reclaim momentum, how do we get the attention we think we deserve?

John the Baptist faced this very tension, and his response was astonishingly countercultural: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

This text is a portrait of true gospel joy and kingdom humility. It shows us how we, too, can be set free from the crushing burden of self-promotion by exalting the One who alone gives life. We won’t grow by exalting ourselves, managing our image, or competing with others. What John the Baptist models for us is this: true joy and freedom come from exalting Christ, who alone gives eternal life.”

We grow in grace when joy is found in being a part of God’s plan

The reading begins with Jesus and his disciples baptizing in the Jordan area, while John and his disciples were doing the same. People came with questions about purification.

You’ll remember, it was the jars for purification that Jesus used when he turned water into wine. This was the main concern, how to be cleansed from sin, and now to whom should they go, John or Jesus?

The disciples are concerned, Jesus is baptizing, and more people are going to Him. You can almost hear the anxiety: “Rabbi, He who was with you… is baptizing, and all are going to Him! Our ministry won’t survive this.”

The disciples of John were looking at ministry through the lens of success metrics: who’s got the crowd, the influence, the popularity.

We do this too. We see another church grow, another pastor gain recognition, another friend get promoted, and we wonder, ‘What about me?’

John’s response is not one of rivalry, but one of rejoicing, because he understands who he is and who he isn’t.

“I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.”John the Baptist’s joy wasn’t threatened by being overshadowed. It was completed by it. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” he says. That’s not resignation: it’s rejoicing.

And to drive that point home, John uses a vivid metaphor: the friend of the bridegroom, the shoshben.

In first-century weddings, this man was the key player behind the scenes, coordinating the celebration, preparing everything, even guarding the bridal chamber until the groom arrived. But when the groom finally appeared, the shoshben stepped aside.

That’s what brought him joy, he was there to get the bride and groom together, not to be the center of attention.

That’s the sort of joy John felt as Christ stepped onto center stage.

Through the prophets, the Lord is Israel’s husband (Isaiah 54, Hosea 2). Now the Bridegroom has come, not just for one people, but for His global Bride, the Church. And John rejoices simply to be part of that celebration.

His joy was made full not by being recognized, but by recognizing Christ. This is the freedom that comes from knowing your role and gladly playing your part for the glory of Another.

I am reminded of a story from the making of the film Dr. Strangelove, maybe not the typical source for sermon illustrations, but bear with me.

The film was originally written as a serious Cold War thriller, and Peter Sellers was brought in to play just one role. But what happened on set completely changed the direction of the film.

Sellers kept improvising, he was so compelling, so hilarious, so brilliant, that director Stanley Kubrick scrapped much of the original plan. Eventually, Sellers ended up playing three or four characters, and the whole tone of the movie shifted into dark comedy. The other actors, initially frustrated by being overshadowed, eventually admitted: the film worked because Sellers was allowed to take center stage. His performance elevated the entire movie.

Now imagine being a fellow actor in that moment. You’re losing screen time. Your carefully prepared lines are cut. The spotlight shifts. But when you see the finished work, you realize it’s better than anything you could have pulled off on your own.

John the Baptist understood this. He wasn’t the star of the show, he was the warm-up act. The more the spotlight moved to Jesus, the more he rejoiced. He knew his place in God’s plan, and that gave him joy. He wasn’t upstaged by accident; he was overshadowed by design.

And friend, that’s not just John’s calling. It’s ours. You don’t have to be the main character in the story of your life, or in the story of this church. You don’t have to carry the weight of making it all work. That burden belongs to Christ. He is the groom. He gets the glory. We are the joyful friend who stands nearby and says, “This is exactly what I was hoping for.”

Application: Joy comes not from being in the spotlight, but in pointing others to Christ. True growth begins when we are content to take backstage so that Jesus may be exalted.

Christ Is Supreme Because He Comes from Above

The Baptist steps aside, and the evangelist takes up the pen. He helps us understand why John’s joy was so well-placed, why he was happy to decrease: “He who comes from above is above all.”

Jesus is not just a man gaining popularity; he is from heaven, He speaks God’s words, and He has been given the Spirit without measure. He is the Son, and the Father has given all things into His hand.

In other words, Jesus is not just a prophet; He is the divine revealer, the one who uniquely and authoritatively discloses the truth of God. Rejecting His testimony is rejecting God Himself.

This passage echoes Jn 1:1–18, Jesus is the Word made flesh.

It also anticipates Heb 1:1–3, where we’re told that in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son.

Whoever believes sets his seal to this: God is true.

In the ancient world, when a document was finalized; whether a royal decree, a marriage contract, or a legal agreement, it was sealed with wax and stamped with a signet ring. That seal wasn’t just decorative, it declared ownership, authentication, and binding commitment. It said, “I stand by this.”

Today, we do something similar when we sign our name on a contract, or when we swear an oath in a courtroom: “I solemnly swear to tell the truth.” It’s a public, personal declaration of belief and trust.

Think of it this way: When you believe in Christ, you are saying: ‘Let my life now be lived in His name. Let my days and decisions carry His imprint. I affirm that what God says about His Son is real, and I’m putting my full weight upon it.”

Application: Dear friends, this is why we must listen to Him, believe Him, follow Him. When we receive Christ’s testimony, when we believe the gospel, we are not just acknowledging some abstract truth. We’re sealing it with our lives. We’re staking everything on the reality that Jesus is the Son of God, sent from the Father, full of grace and truth. This is where joy, confidence, and eternal life begin.

We grow in life through faith and obedience to Christ

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Friend, if you do not believe, the wrath of God is not a distant threat—it’s already resting upon you. But the Son offers you life today. Come to Him. Believe. Receive the joy John found.

Here is the gospel in sharp relief: the stakes are eternal. Belief in the Son brings life, abundant, everlasting life. Rejection brings wrath. And note how unbelief is described, not merely as an intellectual dismissal, but as disobedience.

Belief in Jesus is not passive. It is an active receiving, trusting, and obeying. And this faith changes everything.

Application to the Church’s Needs:

To the weary and uncertain: Your joy is not found in your performance, your reputation, or your platform. It’s found in Christ who is above all and has secured eternal life for you.

To the men of the church: Are you willing to decrease so that Christ might increase in your home, your work, and this church? It takes strength to step aside so that another may shine. Will you step up, not for your own glory, but to serve Christ’s bride?

To the whole body: Our growth, our unity, our health as a church does not come from programs or personalities, it comes from making much of Christ. If we want to be a healthy church, we must decrease in self-focus, and increase in Christ-centeredness. That’s where real growth lives.

Conclusion

John the Baptist’s ministry was fading. His disciples were troubled. But John was joyful, because his ministry wasn’t about him. It was about pointing to Jesus. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Church, will that be our song?

Will we commit ourselves to exalting His name?

Will we take joy in seeing Christ formed in others?

Will we believe the Son in obedience and find eternal life?

Because joy, humility, and the life we long for are found not in making much of ourselves, but in making much of Christ, the sovereignly sent Son of God.

Let us say together: He must increase; we must decrease.