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John 3:22-36
If you haven’t decided by now for yourself, you get the feeling that John (John the Beloved – the Disciple) is trying his best to drive home the point that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. And before he exits the scene, John the Baptist leaves this account. He gives one last testimony that would remove any doubt of Who he believes Jesus to be.
Let’s look at what he says…
John 3:22-36 (NIV) After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
Now when you first read this, it seems as if John the Baptist might be in competition with Jesus. But let’s look a bit closer to his response.
It seems as if it’s very possible that Jesus and His disciples might actually have been working along side of John and his disciples. And it naturally seems as Jesus begins to shift towards an independent ministry, that there might be some tension between the two leaders and their disciples. You know, anytime we are faced with changes there are tensions that magnify. It’s a fairly common thing. But, I believe that John the Baptist handles this so well. And he honestly echoes Jesus’ conversations with Nicodemus.
Remember in that conversation there is the contrast between the physical or earthy things, and the spiritual or heavenly things. John does the same here with his disciples.
And then I love this example of the Groom and the Best Man. When we look at this parable-like story, we can draw some fairly obvious conclusions. For instance, the Bride is not for the Best Man. The Bride (in this case the people of Israel and later the Gentiles), is for the Groom. Jesus is the Groom, and John is the Best Man.
The best man is not jealous of the Groom, rather the best man is overjoyed in the relationship that his Friend, The Groom, has in finding such a woman who is worthy, who completes Him, to be His bride, the Bride of Christ.
John understands and claims that Jesus must become greater, while he becomes less. And this is no less than an image of the Creation. Where Jesus becoming greater He is being fruitful and multiplying.
In these first three chapters, we see John (the Beloved Disciple) telling us unequivocally that the new beginning, the salvation of the human race is finally here.