He must increase....

 

Jesus, the superior glory of His person John 3v22-36.

 

John’s work is almost done, and this can be considered as his swansong, just before his light goes out in martyrdom. 

 

Jesus baptizing in Judea and John baptizing in Aenon, just west of the Jordan river; the reason John was in that place was because there was “much water there”, which gives the lie to those who advocate sprinkling.  Biblical baptism is immersion to keep the symbolic type of total immersion intact.  John’s disciples remarked that Jesus disciples were now baptising, and perhaps they felt a little put out.  The word was that Jesus seemed to be drawing more people than John.  John calms them by giving them a wonderful insight into who Jesus was, and forms the last great discourse of John as a testimony to Jesus-verses 25-36.  In the course of this he presents some very fundamental truths.

 

I received a gift from heaven, He is the giver  v27-28

 

“A man can receive nothing except it were given him from above.  Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.”

 

This is a comprehensive and far-reaching statement that applies to all whether converted or not.  What applies generally, therefore, is true in the spiritual realm also.  James recorded that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow cast by turning”-James 1v17.  This is a hugely interesting subject, that all talents and gifts given to men for the good of mankind come from above and we should accept that all are God-given.  The principle applied to this context is probably best understood as John saying that any ability he has, and the success he has had with it, come from heaven.  He is the Messiah, I am just the forerunner.

 

He is the bridegroom, I am the invited guest   v29

“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

 

In the western, modern world, the bride is the focus of attention; in the east it was the bridegroom.  By this analogy John is proclaiming that all this will end well in wedded bliss in the future, and John is happy to be a friend of the groom.  He acknowledges that the followers of Christ will be closer to Him than he.

 

He is the future, I am the past      v30

“He must increase and I decrease.” 

 

Just as the light of the moon recedes at the rising of the sun, so my role will diminish and His increase.  My work is almost done, His is just begun and will go on growing and flourishing without end-refer Isaiah 9v7, Acts6v7, Ephesians 2v21.

 

He is from heaven, we are all of the earth  v31

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all.”

 

He is above all, He is from above, and is over all.  Solomon reminded the people of due reverence, “God is in heaven, and thou upon earth”-Ecclesiastes 5v2.  Jesus said to the Jews, reminding them who He was, “Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye are of this world, I am not of this world”-John 8v23.  This makes Him superior in rank to every other person, as the later New Testament declares times without number.

 

 

His testimony is superior to everyone else    v32-33

“And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth: and no man receiveth His testimony.  He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”

 

He is from above, and He has seen and heard things which are beyond this earth-something like what Paul experienced in 2^nd Corinthians 12v4, where he refers to “unspeakable words”.   John uses hyperbole to say that no man receives His testimony, then says , “he that received His testimony”.  He is saying that the testimony of Christ is not discerned naturally and so only a few respond.  Jesus made it clear to even the topmost teacher in Israel that the things of heaven could only be understood by the power of the Spirit in the soul of man.  The few who discern are fully persuaded of the truth, which is the meaning of “set to his seal that God is true.”  The seal of an eastern king could only be broken by one of equal status-refer 2^nd Corinthians 1v22 and Ephesians 1v13-14 and 2^nd Timothy 2v19, for the unbreakable guarantee of God to all believers.  His word is superior to the patriarchs and the prophets, the final word of God to men-Hebrews 1v2.

 

In Him resides all the fulness of Deity    v34

“For He whom God has sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.”

Men have received in their time portions of inspiration from the Spirit of God; He received the Spirit from above without measure, in Him resides all the plenitude of all the attributes of the infinite God.  He is the fulness of God, when He speaks God is speaking, He is unlimited in His Deity, and therefore is unrivalled by anyone on earth.  He was sent from God, He spoke the words of God, and He possesses all the fulness of God.

 

 

He will rule the earth for His Father God    v35

“The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand”

 

The Father’s love gift to the Son is that He has given all things into His hand.  This thread that He will inherit all things runs through scripture from Genesis 25v5; Psalm 2v8; Matthew 28v18; John 13v3; John 17v2; Hebrews 1v2, and many more.  The Son inherits all, rules over all, controls all; so shall be fulfilled in the kingdom of God, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”-Matthew 6v10.  God has invested everything in His Son.

 

He is the arbiter of the eternal destiny of all   v36

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth upon Him.”

 

So important is He that our attitude to Him alone determines our eternal destiny, which has already been declared as “perish”-bereft eternally from God; or everlasting life-to dwell in all the goodness of God forever.  In modern, crude language, without Christ we are losers, with Christ we are winners, and that forever.  In Him hangs our eternal state, and we make a deliberate choice for better or worse.  Those who choose to live in this life without Christ shall be without Him forever.