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!” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 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. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:26-31
Jesus said of John the baptizer, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…” (Matthew 11:11a). When we ponder his role in God’s scheme of redemption and how powerfully he served in that role leading up to Christ’s ministry, it is little wonder Jesus spoke so highly of him. Multiple prophecies in the Old Covenant foretold his coming as the forerunner of Christ who would clear the way for His arrival (Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 3:1-3; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:10). With such a prominent role in the greatest event in human history, it would be easy to become puffed up with pride. Imagine then learning that, after all your efforts in the Lord’s service, you were being surpassed and would soon fade into the background. How might the mortal mind be impacted by such circumstances?
John’s disciples, having seen his service to God, but not yet realizing the reality of Jesus’ person, became jealous for their rabbi. It did not sit well with them that Jesus was outgrowing John in popularity. Can we fall victim to this mentality? Do we ever tether ourselves to a certain person in the kingdom in such a way that we become jealous if someone else receives more praise than they? This seems to have been the case in Corinth, and such was causing divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:1-4). Do we ever get jealous because others receive more recognition for their labors in the kingdom than we do? These types of responses are not unique to John’s disciples. All of humanity is prone to envy, so we must root out such things before they cause us to stumble.
John displayed the attitude the child of God must wear in every circumstance when responding to his disciples’ complaint. First, he pointed them to the source of all honor (John 3:27). Whatever gifts, talents, and value anyone has, it is a gift of God about which we should be thankful, not boastful (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:7). Second, he reminded them that they were defending him for a position he never claimed for himself (John 3:28). Third, he pointed them to the truth that the honor belongs solely to Jesus. Just as the bridegroom is honored at the wedding rather than his friends, so John (and every other servant of Christ) ought to rejoice in Christ’s glorification rather than seeking our own or that of our favorite brother or sister (John 3:29).
Living in a “me” culture, it is difficult to avoid wanting to be recognized for our accomplishments. And to be sure, it is not wrong to “…give honor to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:7) and “…rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15). However, as John said, Jesus “must increase” while you and I and every other person must decrease. Then and only then will we be the servants He has called us to be in His kingdom.