Christ Must Increase
Notes
Transcript
Please turn in your Bibles to John chapter three. We are finishing up the third chapter of John tonight in one of the greatest examples of what it is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage we see the final testimony of John the Baptist.
We have seen John the Baptist a few times in the first few chapters of John and each time we see him lifting Christ up and exalting him. This passage is the ultimate exaltation of Christ that John offers up. In this passage we see him proclaim that Christ must increase, and he must decrease. There is no greater attitude in service to the king. He must increase, Christ must increase. So let’s look at our text tonight. .
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given 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 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 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.
In one way, this passage seems so simple, not a lot to it. But as we look closer into it, the truth that is contained that is applicable to us 2,000 years later is deep and wide.
As I said before, this is John’s final testimony in John’s Gospel. He would later be arrested and executed in a most brutal way.
But what we see in the opening verses of this passage is the great popularity of John.
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
So Jesus and His disciples went down into the Judean countryside. Now, we don’t know how much time passed before this occured. This is after John baptized Jesus and proclaimed him as the Lamb of God, he has already performed his first miracle at Cana, he has already turned tables over in the Temple, and he has had that deep conversation with Nicodemus about being born again. And now he has left Jerusalem and he is baptizing. Now, we need to make note that Jesus himself is not baptizing. We know that from .
2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
Jesus and his disciples were baptizing but verse 23 tells us that John was also baptizing at some other location.
23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized
John had been baptizing for quite some time. We do not know how long but we know that large crowds of people came to him and here, we still see people coming to him even after he had proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah. The NIV even says that people were constantly coming to him to be baptized.
John had a large following. He was popular with the common man. He was serving God’s purpose for him in his time and place.
The Apostle John does make a point in verse 24 to tell us that this was before John had been put in prison. You see, John was arrested and executed as I said before. The way the synoptic Gospels read it makes it sound as though this happened immediately after John proclaimed Jesus as the Christ. But the Apostle John is clear to tell us there were events that happened in between that are not spoken of in Matthew, Mark or Luke.
So the ministries of John and Jesus overlap to some degree. John and his disciples are baptizing and Jesus and his disciples are baptizing. And this becomes an issue. Look in verses 25 and 26.
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
It says that a discussion started between some of John’s disciples and a Jew. The King James says that it was a question. But the word really means dispute. It was a debate, an argument, it was a controversy. It was an issue that was being taken up about the purification. Clearly, John’s disciples got riled by this because they go to their teacher and say to him that Jesus is baptizing across the Jordan. But they don’t even use Jesus’ name. They are obviously upset about the encroachment on their teacher’s ministry. He’s coming in on their territory and they want John to put Jesus in his place and let him know that this is his job, his followers, his place.
They said yes we know that you bore witness about him, but he is overtaking you! Look, he is now baptizing and all are going to him!
Now we know that all were not going to Jesus because we already read that people were still coming to John. But clearly they are bothered by the fact that John is not the main baptizer in the region anymore.
These disciples would have been there when Jesus was among them as John said. They obviously remember John saying that Jesus is the lamb of God. But they did not want to lose the crowds. They did not want to lose their status. They wanted to be the people that the crowds came to. And John has the perfect response.
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
John recognized this in two ways. First, he was telling his disciples that Jesus would not have followers if it had not been given to him from Heaven. He was also saying that in the same way, he would not have anything unless it had been given to him from heaven. John was sensitive to the will of God as we have seen time and time again. He knew his purpose, he knew his mission. He was not going to do anything less than that mission but he also knew he could not take anything more than that mission. He says in verse 28.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
You know I am not the Christ. I have told you this. I have boldly proclaimed this. I pointed out who the Christ is, it is Jesus. I told you I am not even worthy to strap his sandals. I told you he is before me.
And next, John gives one of the greatest statements anyone can make about their role in God’s plan. But first he gives an illustration. Verse 29.
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
The metaphor of the bride and the bridegroom with relation to Christ and the church is one we see clearly in the New Testament. But this was not a new illustration. John would have known that God was also the bridegroom of Israel. Look in .
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
God has always seen his people as his bride, the ones that he loves and cares for. He takes care of his bride, nurtures her, loves her, looks after her, provides for her. And John uses this same illustration here. Jesus has the church, he is the bridegroom and the church is his bride.
Jesus takes care of the church, Jesus is the one that saves, Jesus is the one that deserves the praise and glory, he is the caregiver, he is the shield and fortress, he is the one that wins the day.
And John says the friend of the bridegroom rejoices at the bridegroom’s voice.
At a wedding you have the wedding party. And even today, the wedding party is responsible for getting things prepared for the big event and making sure things run smoothly. But this was even more so the case in first century Jewish culture. Particularly for the friend, or best man, of the bridegroom.
The friend of the bridegroom was in charge of everything. He was to make sure the celebration preparations were complete. He was the one that made sure people knew about the event. He took care of the details, he prepared the way for the wedding to take place making sure that every thing was in place and in order. He would bring the bride to the bridegroom and deliver her to him so the marriage could be consummated and would rejoice when he heard the joy of the bridegroom’s voice. At that moment, when the wedding was underway, the friend of the bridegroom announces the success of the marriage and he begins to fade away. Now all of the focus is on the bride and the bridegroom.
But would not upset the friend of the bridegroom. This brings him great joy to know that his friends are now happily married. You know I’ve been in several weddings in my life and it is the same thing. The groom’s men and the bride’s maids are there to make sure everything is prepared and ready but once the wedding begins we fade into the background. The focus is not on us, the focus is on the bride and groom but the wedding party is extremely happy and excited for the couple. The wedding party’s job is compete. Mission accomplished. Now fade away to the married couple.
It is in this way that John has described his role to Christ. He is the friend of the bridegroom. John was sent to prepare the way. He was the one making plans, following God’s direction to make way for the coming bridegroom who would collect his bride. John led the people to repentance. He proclaimed the lamb. And now he had delivered the bride as people now began to come to Christ as opposed to John.
But John is not upset by this. Quite the opposite. John says that because of this his joy is complete. John is rejoicing because of this. He is happy because of this, he is glad because of this. His heart is dancing. He is leaping on this inside jumping up and down. It has happened. The Messiah is here and people are going to him now instead of me.
And he is saying this to his followers letting them know that they should be rejoicing about this too. They should not be upset by this they should be happy. They should be joyful about this. They have accomplished what they set out to do. Christ is here. And his joy is complete. This is the highest degree of joy. John could not have more joy while here on this earth. He was at the pinnacle. He had reached the top.
He got it, he understood his role and his purpose. And he says the most extraordinary thing next.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
What a statement! He must increase, but I must decrease. My time here is complete! I’ve done my job. I must now fade into the background and Christ must take center stage. This is his show. I was just the warm-up act. Nobody needs remember me, look to Christ!
Christ must increase! Christ must be exalted. Christ must be the one we look to. Christ must be the focus. Christ must be the center of attention.
John had done something that was already difficult. He had amassed followers who would be loyal to him through thick and thin. And he knew that he was just gathering them to be ready for the Messiah. And now that Messiah was here, John did the unthinkable. He released his followers to him. He released them to Christ. He was the placeholder. He was the forerunner, the trailblazer, but he was not the king. He was willing to give up any earthly power that he had to the king.
Christ must increase. Christ must be the one. Christ is the only one who is worthy. It is Christ, it is Christ, it is Christ.
And as I was preparing this week I was so convicted. I had been frustrated this week thinking about how we sometimes share services with other churches and how that does nothing to bring people to our church and as I was studying this it hit me like a ton of bricks. Christ must increase. It is about Christ, only about Christ.
It doesn’t matter what programs we have, what music we sing, what events we hold. It doesn’t matter how many people are in the pews. It doesn’t matter how popular our pastor is. It doesn’t matter if we are on the radio or tv. All that matters is Christ. Is Christ being lifted up? Is Christ the center? Are we pointing people to Christ or are we only pointing them to what we do?
It is so easy to get caught up in numbers and to judge our ministry by those metrics. But that is a worldly invention isn’t it? We could have the biggest church in America, but if Christ is not the center, it is worthless.
I’ve been in those types of churches and ministries. It’s a popularity contest. It’s not about Christ and that grieves our Lord. He is the one that deserves glory. He is the one that deserves praise. Not a pastor, not an organization, definitely not me! Christ must increase and we must decrease.
Christ must increase. It means he must become more important than anything or anyone else. He must grow in respect. He must grow in honor. He must grow larger than us. On our own, we can accomplish nothing. Christ must increase.
The fact that John the Baptist was able to say this and not just say it, but mean it, shows how great he actually was. We do not give John the Baptist enough credit. We should look to him as the ultimate example of a servant of Christ. Everything we do must be to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. We are nothing, Christ is everything.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Everything we do must be for Christ. Everything we do must be to lift Christ higher. To exalt his name. To bring glory and honor to his name. To exhibit and show of the majesty of Christ. That is our sole mission, that is our sole focus. Anything else is a distraction.
We don’t need fancy lights, loud music, we don’t need tons of instruments, flashy singers, we don’t need any of that as long as we are boldly proclaiming the name of Christ. That is not to say there is anything wrong with those things or that they do not have their place. But those things will not grow the church. Only Christ can grow the church so we preach Jesus Christ.
If we are not growing and thriving both individually and as a group we need to look no further than the place Christ has in our lives and in our churches. Is he the focus? Is he the center? Are we giving him the stage or are we trying to do it all for our own accolades and honor? Christ must increase, we must decrease.
What a statement for the final testimony of John the Baptist. Verse 31.
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.
Again John affirms that Christ came from above. He is of God because he is God. And because of this fact, he is above all. John knew that he was from the earth and can only speak of things on earth with the knowledge that he has. He can’t speak with the same authority and fullness that Christ does because he is of the earth and not from above as Christ was. He understood and knew that Christ was more than he could ever dream or hope to be.
He continues in verse 32.
John 3:
32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
Christ bears witness to what he has seen and heard? Well what is that? What has Christ seen and heard? He is God, he was seated at the right hand of the Father. He has seen and heard the Father. He has seen and heard God. He has seen heaven. He has seen everything. He knows what is true. He knows what is pure. He knows what is right because he is witness to these things. He is over these things. He left his throne above to descend to this earth and bear witness of these things. And yet, he is rejected.
The very one who knows everything, the very one who knows all about us, our situation, who knows all about God the Father, he was rejected.
Now, obviously, all does not mean every person in this situation. Not everyone is condemned. Except, all is true in the sense that nobody int heir natural state accepts him. In our natural state he is always rejected. Because in our natural state, we hate the light as we saw earlier in this chapter.
But those who have accepted the testimony of Christ by the power of the Spirit they set their seal that God is true. They give their approval. They say that I am certifying that this is what is right, that this is genuine, that this is absolute truth. I am willing to stake my life on this. I am willing to put it all out there for the testimony of Jesus Christ. What Christ says is on the authority of the Father.
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
God the Father has sent the Son into the world to proclaim his message. Remember his name was to be called Immanuel.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
God is with us, he came to this earth. The Son speaks of the Father, the Son speaks on authority from the Father for all things have been given to him and given into his hands. He is the one who shall rule over all. Again, Christ must increase.
And this will be the song that will be sung for all eternity as John writes in Revelation chapter 5.
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 5:11-
Worthy is the lamb that was slain! Worthy are you oh God! Worthy, Holy, Powerful, Mighty, Majestic, Merciful, Righteous, lamb of God.
And at the end the marriage supper of the lamb that John has prophesied about in this passage will take place.
Revelation 19:6-
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Let us rejoice for the marriage of the Lamb of God and his Bride the church has come. Christ must increase, Christ must be exalted. He will be lifted up on high. He will receive the final victory. He has overcome. He has won. He would be the one that would conquer sin and death. He is the king. Everything has been given to him.
And the final verse in John chapter three says this:
36 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.
Remember the greater context of this passage. It is about eternal life verses eternal wrath. You must believe in the Son. Or the wrath of God remains on you.
Wrath, it is an anger, a fury. It focuses on the divine retribution that God has against us for our sin. This is not where you want to be. You do not want to remain for eternity under the wrath of God.
You know I have often heard people say the worst thing about Hell is that God is not there, but that is not true. The worst thing about Hell is that God is there enacting his wrath on all of those who are confined within. Satan is not in charge of Hell. God is in charge of Hell. We need to never forget that. And the reason you go to Hell is because you do not believe in the Son of God. Christ must increase.
The whole point of this chapter is to show the dire state that we are in compared to the glory of Christ and that Christ is the answer.
John the Baptist had the greatest humility and contentment for where God had placed him for him to proclaim that Christ must increase while he must decrease. And we must ask ourselves, is that where we are today? Are we working to increase Christ? Are we working to make Christ the center? Or are we going for our own treasure? Our own fame?
Patrick the great missionary to Ireland is credited with having written something called Saint Patrick’s Breastplate. It’s a long prayer of how he would posture himself before God but there is one section that I think is just beautiful and matches perfectly with what we are talking about tonight. It says this.
Celtic Spirituality V. Patrick’s Breastplate
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me;
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in my lying, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising;
Christ in the heart of all who think of me,
Christ on the tongue of all who speak to me,
Christ in the eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ should be in everything we say and everything we do. Every part of our lives should seek to increase Christ. He is the one who is worthy, he is the one to be praised.
Let’s pray.
Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in my lying, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising;
Christ in the heart of all who think of me,
Christ on the tongue of all who speak to me,
Christ in the eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.
Oliver Davies, “Patrick’s Breastplate,” in Celtic Spirituality, ed. Bernard McGinn, trans. Oliver Davies, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999), 120.