John 3:22–36
Decreasing and Increasing
3:22-36
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.
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.
Famous Preachers and Churches
Cottage industry of fame and profits
John the Baptist
Had become famous and well-known
Both Jesus and JtB baptizing
==> Jews and JtB’s Disciples
Saw it as a competition,
JtB saw it as a reality …
JtB was still pointing to Him.
JtB’s ministry is yet complete.
The presence of both JtB and Jesus baptizing was causing confusion.
More people were following Jesus.
Jesus was gaining market share.
Were they not seeking to make John envious?
==> Question Am I good enough?
==> Question Who should I follow?
It’s amazing how we are attracted
to the crowd.
to the popular
How easily do we do this in religious matters?
JtB is indicating simply he is doing what God called him to do
which is to point the way to Jesus.
As recorded in Luke 1:16–17
He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
JtB knew that when we are faithful to God’s call,
God will make sure the work bears fruit,
Isaiah 55:10, My word will accomplish that for which it is sent …
In the midst of this confusion and questioning
JtB’s does two things
1. He compares himself to Jesus
2. He talks about his joy that people are following Jesus, not him
The Comparisons
He is the Christ
I am a witness sent as a forerunner
Jesus is from above/heaven (born from above)
I am from the earth
We both bear witness to what we have seen and heard
Jesus has seen heaven
I have seen earth
Jesus seals you to God
I point you to Jesus
Jesus speaks words of God
I simply “” them (implied)
Jesus gives the fullness of the Holy Spirit
I at best am filled with the Holy Spirit (implied)
Jesus is The Son, God loves
I am, at best, a son of God (implied)
Jesus is the Estate
I am simply an heir (implied)
Jesus brings eternal life
I only receive it (implied)
If you disobey Jesus you lose life and gain God’s wrath
If you disobey me … What does it matter (implied)
Thus receive His testimony
Reject me, but not Him
Thus, set your heart on Him, not me
What a wonderful understanding of his ministry!!!
Then JtB indicates his joy
that people are now following Jesus, rather than him.
Imagery of the bride and bridegroom is lifted up
2nd time in John’s Gospel
He clarifies that the believer/church is to be the Bride of Christ.
Our covenant relationship with Jesus
There is joy for being in covenant with Jesus
because the covenant ==> eternal life
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life
JtB’s desire is that people are joined to Jesus
==> JtB to say:
Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
Not 1st time Jtb experienced joy
Elizabeth’s baby jumped with joy in the womb when visited by Mary
Joy is a theme in Jesus’ ministry
Birth of Jesus – good news of great joy
Parable of the Sower
Finding the Great Treasurer
Reward for being a good and faithful servant
Joy of the lost being found
Jtb had what Jesus wanted him to have … JOY
John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be completely full.
John and Jesus were given their roles by heaven
and John was entirely content with his.
The best man for Jesus found his greatest joy
knowing that the groom and his bride
were being united with great rejoicing.
==> watching Dan and Judy last Sunday
This Gospel repeatedly associates ‘joy’
with the verb ‘to fulfil’, ‘to complete’
John the Baptist is satisfied
knowing that his God-given ministry has been successful.
==> JtB to say
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
JtB knows it is not about him
==> he understands he is not the focus or the light
==> he recognizes the need to get our of the way and limelight
==> Question
How often when doing important ministry,
do we want the light to shine on us?
This ties back to John 3:21
But whoever does what is true comes to the light,
so that it may be clearly seen
that his works have been carried out in God.”
All ministry is about Jesus and should point to Jesus
All of your/our ministry should complement to ministry of others
Churches do not have competitive ministries
Larger congregations like Kish
will always have ministries that overlap
We should always see them as complementary
… Our worship change
… Our 3 children ministry programs
Churches are NOT in competition with each other
God does not call us to beat out or to best the ministries of
Heartland, Red Brick, Evangelical Covenant, etc ….
How are we known at Kish?
How do people know us?
The only acceptable answer is:
They are about Jesus ….
His Word, Work, Grace, Mercy, Love, and Salvation
When you do ministry
You are essential to God’s work,
but you are not the focus of His ministry
If I died today …
You’d have a great funeral and funeral lunch,
perhaps a few tears …
Yet, the Word will be preached next Sunday
THIS IS WHAT’S IMPORTANT!!
Always deflect praise given to you for your ministry service to Jesus
==> my ambivalence with Recognition Events in the church
Fine line between a genuine Thank You and dangerous pedestal building
JtB statement that he must decrease
And Jesus must increase
==> a great perspective for all who do ministry
I am on a personal mission in my own ministry
to NOT have a pastor-centered ministry
==> 2 critical implications
Don’t come for Pastor Rus
Don’t leave because of Pastor Rus
I am simply an over-promoted sheep …
This is not meant to diminish my ministry
nor what God has called me to do as your Pastor
nor the office of pastor
nor the authority given to this office
but rather to keep myself in proper perspective.
I have to deal with my ego
Calvin said
It is a great and lofty distinction,
that men are appointed over the Church,
to represent the person of the Son of God.
We must be mindful of our rank
And not appropriate to ourselves
what belongs exclusively to the bridegroom, Jesus
To “decrease” is to be less and less occupied with ourselves.
And occupied with Christ
Why is this critical?
Jesus saves,
not us
Not Pastor Rus
Not Kish
We cannot offer to Jesus a greater insult
than to exalt ourselves,
our Pastors,
our churches,
our ministries
Over Jesus
And believing the Gospel;
Problems at church
Where the Session which is infatuated
with the previous/foundering Pastor
More than they are with Jesus
==> death to the church and her ministry
JtB is NOT depreciating his ministry
or the work given to him by God
He understands it’s worth, value, and critical importance
He simply understands that his importance pales in comparison to Jesus
And pales in comparison to any ministry which gets others to Jesus
The goal of all ministry is …
To get people into a loving and saving relationship with Jesus
If you love your Pastor/Church more than Jesus
You are in trouble
If you stay away from worship
because you do not like
your Pastor, Church, songs, etc.
You are in bigger trouble than you think
JtB warns of this danger in verse 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.
This verse is a fitting climax to the entire chapter.
By laying out the only two alternatives,
genuine faith and defiant disobedience,
Receive Jesus and receive life
Reject Jesus and the wrath of God remains on you
With this being the only two alternatives
It is critical that ministry be focused on Jesus
Bread Crumbs - Devotions for Life 
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