Good morning, it's delightful to be with you all. I'm happy to see you're on plastic, uncomfortable chairs.
! It'll help keep you alert this morning.
I want to encourage you to turn with me back to the passage we read, where if you remember, a scene was set in verses 22 to 26,
and then a commitment about Jesus was explained in verses 27 to 30, and then the reason for that commitment was found in the final paragraph of the half chapter that we read.
Well, after a nighttime meeting with a man named Nicodemus, Jesus left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside, ending up in the same neighborhood as his cousin John.
And John needed a steady supply of water for what he was doing, for the immense crowds that came to him for baptism, whether he was baptizing by immersion or sprinkling or pouring.
Anon near Salem was a place with lots of springs, lots of water, and served well enough for the task.
And what we see in verses 22 to 24 is Jesus confirming and continuing John's groundbreaking work for the kingdom of God.
The shift between the ministry of John and that of Jesus, between an old age and a new age, an age of promise, an age of fulfillment, was not a neat line.
It was a kind of wrinkly area of transition, a lot like my shirt this morning, which is why I'm covering that with a jumper.
It wasn't a neat, tidy line.
A Dutch scholar, a Dutch New Testament scholar, mentions that Jesus and the disciples who followed him
did not immediately abandon the pattern of John's preaching of an approaching kingdom, of a baptism of repentance that went with it.
Jesus, when he preached, was bringing clearer teaching.
He was continuing to fulfill Old Testament promises, but it didn't happen all at once.
There were planned transitions.
Older theologians said that Jesus was ushering in his kingdom.
It's a good word, I think.
He was ushering in his kingdom.
When we have ushers at a wedding, bringing people into the sanctuary or the fellowship hall for the wedding,
they don't pull people down the aisle and push them into seats.
They usher them.
They do this with purpose and dignity and care.
They treat people with respect.
Well, that's how Jesus was treating John.
He was doing something new.
He was ushering in his kingdom, but doing it carefully, thoughtfully.
He wasn't in a hurry.
He encouraged John's message.
He encouraged John's ministry, even as he was adding to John's message.
Now, while Jesus' introduction of his teaching, while Jesus' ushering in of his kingdom was gradual,
but it was also noticeable.
People could see the difference between what John did and what Jesus did.
People spotted a real change between these two ministries, between the forerunner and the one himself, Jesus himself.
While John's, let me put it this way.
There was enough of a difference between the two that there ended up being arguments between their followers.
And that's what we overhear in verses 25 and 26.
It's hard to know exactly what happened.
Did the man who met John's disciples get baptized by Jesus' disciples?
Did this fellow mentioned here get in a discussion about the meaning of John's baptism or Jesus' baptism or different Jewish baptisms of the time,
both the ones found in the Old Testament and ones that people had made up since?
I don't really know.
But whatever went on at first, a conflict about a symbol became a conflict about the substance.
An argument about baptism ended up being an argument about Jesus himself.
John's disciples were unhappy.
They were unhappy.
And so they went to their leader to tell him that Jesus was pulling in the crowds.
And listen to the way in which they talked.
First, the Baptist's disciples spoke of John with respect, calling him Rabbi.
But Jesus, they don't even mention by name.
He's just the one to whom John bore witness.
As if John was doing Jesus some kind of a favor.
The way that we talk about people shows what we think about them.
The way they talked about Jesus suggests they might not have thought enough about Jesus yet.
Second, they exaggerate what's happening.
They say, all are going to him.
And we all know why we exaggerate.
We usually exaggerate when we're trying to justify our complaining spirits or something like that.
Or to tell a good story.
But here they're not telling a good story.
The fact is, Jesus had hardly put John out of business.
Or even out of busyness.
Even if Jesus did attract large crowds, there were still lots of people going to John.
John would continue to have so much popularity that King Herod would long to meet him.
Now I want you to see that this conversation is really important.
John's disciples are coming to him at a very important and very interesting moment in time.
His ministry was enjoying success like no other prophetic ministry before him.
Moses, Elijah, Elisha.
In some sense, not a one of them came close to John.
There were prophets who would get visits from people who wanted answers.
There were prophets who taught other prophets.
There were prophets sent to give important messages to the people.
But John is the first prophet who's wildly popular.
I mean, we are told that crowds came to him.
Rich and poor.
Jews and Romans.
Leaders and followers.
From Israel and beyond.
They were all coming to hear John.
John had become a, I don't know, like a kind of movable pilgrimage site.
Like a tourist destination.
If you were writing a travel guide to Jordan, you'd have to add in something about John.
You know, the guy with the funny clothes and the pot of honey and the pile of locusts on a rock or something like that.
John was the thing.
There are entrepreneurial possibilities with John.
Frankly, lots of people were going to him.
Not everybody was going to Jesus.
Remember, John and his disciples had no idea.
No idea at that moment what was about to happen.
They didn't know that he was going to be put in prison.
They didn't know he was going to lose his head.
We are told that as we read the passage.
But they don't know that.
So this is what we call a real ministry temptation.
An RMT.
RMT.
You know, this is a moment when it's really easy to make it all about yourself.
And it's possible to do that.
It's easy to turn a ministry that's supposed to be about Jesus into something that's really about me.
And it would have been so easy for John to do that here.
I mean, can you see that?
Everybody's coming to him.
And then someone begins to pull away the crowds.
And he has his loyal fan club.
He has his team.
And they're saying, we've got to stop this.
Do you see what's happening, John?
So these grievances offered by his friends present a real test of his integrity.
Maybe a bigger test than any of us will ever experience.
Because I doubt any of us will ever be quite that popular.
And to his credit, John saw the problem.
In the way in which his supporters talked and thought.
And he met it head on.
He met it head on.
Verses 22 to 26 tell us all this.
And in doing so, they set the scene.
Now, in response to the disciples' complaint.
John explains his commitment to Jesus by issuing a maxim.
A pithy statement.
By issuing a maxim and then offering a parable.
Those are the two things he does.
John wanted his followers, at the very least,
to recognize that a person cannot receive one thing
unless it's given him from heaven.
With this maxim, he's making a basic point about the providence of God, isn't he?
He's saying something about God.
Jesus was who he was.
And he was a whole lot more than John was.
Because more had been given him from heaven.
John was who he was.
And he was a whole lot less than Jesus was.
Because less had been given him from heaven.
Now, think about what John's saying.
Because I think it has some relevance for all of us.
According to recent sightings,
jealousy is still raising its ugly head.
It's still peering over the parapet in the military.
We see it peeking over the walls of cubicles in the office.
We can even spot it in the kitchen.
We can find it in conversations between close friends.
Jealousy still exists.
Including this kind of professional jealousy.
And when we see it,
we need to give it a good knock about the head with John 3, verse 27.
Because John is explaining to his disciples,
really helpfully,
that we should not be jealous.
In fact, we should not fault people
who are very successful in their callings.
Maybe way more successful than we are.
Now, if that's true in general,
and I think it is,
it's more obviously true
when it comes to Christian service,
Christian ministry,
which is what John's talking about here.
Surely we need to see that
if God gives someone real gifts,
good content,
effective ministry,
maybe an unusual acceptance with other people,
then we need to give God glory.
More was given them from heaven
than we have ourselves, perhaps.
And we need to be thankful for what they're doing.
That's the spirit of John the Baptist, isn't it?
Right here in this passage.
Speaking for myself,
we who are sort of small-time pastors
or aspiring preachers,
we just need to thank God.
We need to learn to be thankful
for the leadership and example
or maybe the astonishing preaching ministry
of other people.
Maybe a Philip Riken
or a Dick Lewis
or a Sinclair Ferguson
or an Ian Hamilton
or an Alistair Begg
or a Paul Levy
or whatever,
you know,
celebrity preacher you have in mind.
Pastors don't need to find their security
in being able to critique better preachers
or in pretending that we're their pals.
You know,
and the same goes for artists
and students
and plumbers
and lawyers
and of course
for anyone doing service
in Christ's church.
May God help us
to be big without pride
or small without shame.
May He help us
to remember
that none of us
has anything
unless something is given
to us from heaven.
John encouraged thankfulness
for Jesus
in this maxim
in this little statement.
He then showed
his true loyalty to Jesus
in a kind of parable.
In a kind of parable.
He puts a metaphor to work
in verses 27 to 30
employing the idea
of a bridegroom
and his best friend
in order to show his devotion.
You see,
John knew
that he himself
was not the Christ.
The promised one of Israel.
And he says so.
He says so here.
Now,
let's just stop for a moment
and just think
what a comment that is to make.
I've never had to explain
to people
that I'm not the Savior
of the world.
It just tends not
to come up in conversation.
I don't need
to explain this.
But John did.
I mean,
that's a measure
of popularity,
isn't he?
He had such prominence,
such power,
such authority,
that on more than one occasion
he had to say,
I'm not the Savior.
I'm just the one
being sent before him.
He's like the one
who goes ahead
to get ready
for the meeting.
Like the meeting
we're having this morning.
He's the one
who has to get ready
for the meeting
so that people
won't be distracted,
so that everything
will run smoothly.
Harry likens himself
to the best friend
of the bridegroom
before a wedding
who just wants
things to run well.
He's not trying
to win anyone
over to himself.
He's not trying
to steal the limelight.
He's the best friend
making sure
everything's okay,
waiting at everyone's
disposal,
willing to do anything
to make his friend's day,
his friend's marriage,
a success.
In those days,
the bridegroom's friend
also had a more
specific duty.
And not just
in those days.
I don't know
if you've ever
read The Count of Monte Cristo,
but Alexander Dumas
tells this story well.
Adele sings this
in all of her songs.
There's people
who are sometimes
around a wedding service
or a relationship
who think that
they ought to be
the ones holding hands.
They ought to be
the ones exchanging
the promises.
There are sometimes
bitter or disappointed
people around a wedding.
And in those days,
the job of the best,
one of the jobs
of the best man
was to kind of
fend off people
making last-ditch efforts
on the bride.
I mean,
just to make sure
that disappointed suitors
kept their distance.
John's doing
something like that here.
Whatever the specific task,
the friend of the bridegroom
is happiest when?
He's happiest
when the wedding starts.
He's happiest,
as John says,
when he hears
the voice of the bridegroom.
Oh, thankfully,
he's coming down
the hallway.
My job's almost done.
The marriage
is about to begin.
He rejoices greatly
at the bridegroom's voice,
John says.
His joy is complete.
Now, just stop for a minute
and think about
what that means.
For what would we think,
as Augustine of Hippo
once asked long ago,
of a best man
who kept the bride
from all other men
so that he could
keep her for himself?
What kind of friend
would we count that man
to be
if he tried to capture
the affections
of the bride?
What would we think
in John Calvin's
gritty phrase
of a best man
who made the bride
a prostitute?
I think we could agree
that he wouldn't be
a very,
he wouldn't be a best man.
Not a good man.
Not a best friend either.
And yet,
as the theologian
John Murray explains,
that's exactly
what John's disciples
were tempting
him to do.
Incongruous
or odd as it seems
in the sphere
of social life,
it's exactly
what they were suggesting
in the spiritual
and heavenly sphere.
They wanted
John to keep
his hold
on the people
of Israel.
To win their
affections for himself.
To keep their
attentions on him.
Prophet John
grew up
in the home
of a priest.
He could not
have been ignorant
of passages
and the prophecies
of Isaiah
and Jeremiah
and Hosea
that called Israel
or the believers
within Israel
the bride
of the Messiah.
He could not
have been ignorant
of this idea
that there's
a body,
there's someone
promised to
the Messiah.
But whether he
was thinking
about that here
or not,
surely we need
to see the
importance of
what this last
great prophet
was teaching.
No one
is to stand
between Jesus
and his people.
No one
is to try
and win
the first
affections
of the church
for himself
or herself.
No minister
is to teach
or preach
or counsel
or do anything
with the intention
of winning
the hearts
of God's people
to himself.
Not only are we
not to do this
unintentionally,
we're to intentionally
guard against this
because we know
what our own
hearts are like.
We're to avoid
any attempt
to seek the
admiration
of the Christian
church.
So look for
that kind
of pleasure
ourselves
as Christian
workers,
Christian
preachers,
would be to
make the bride
of Christ
unfaithful.
Do you see
that?
Do you see
how dangerous
it is?
John knew
this.
And he
wasn't
resigned
to being
second place.
He wasn't
sad about
this.
He rejoices,
he says.
He rejoices
to play
second fiddle.
It is
in that
spirit that
you could
issue
the motto
about Jesus
that no
member of the
church and
certainly no
minister of the
church should
ever forget.
You see it in
your Bibles.
He must
increase,
but I must
decrease.
That's the
spirit of a
true friend
and servant
of Jesus.
He must
increase,
I must
decrease.
As John
Aerosmith,
a member of
the Westminster
Assembly,
once put it,
true ministers
set up Christ
in their
ministry.
They are
content
themselves to
stand in
the crowd,
to lift up
Christ upon
their shoulders,
content not to
be seen
themselves,
so Christ
be exalted.
Maybe no one
ever exalted
Christ as much
as John did
at that very
moment with
such a
temptation.
Well, I
think every
Christian
instinctively
admires the
spirit of
John the
Baptist.
We know
he's right,
don't we?
He must
increase,
we must
decrease.
At our
worst moments,
to be fair,
we sometimes
get that
reversed.
We boast
about ourselves,
we talk about
our gifts
instead of
Christ's gifts,
we advertise
what's good
in us.
At our
worst moments,
Jesus decreases
so that we
can increase.
Or at least
we hope that
as Jesus
increases,
we'll increase
along with
him.
I think
that's where
I am.
I wouldn't
possibly want
Jesus to
decrease,
but I'm
hoping as
he increases
that I'm
going to be
right up
there with
him.
That's still
too positive
of a spin
on myself,
honestly.
That's where
we are in
our worst
moments,
our wobbly
moments.
But at our
best moments,
when the work
of the Holy
Spirit's not
being resisted
in our lives,
when we're
thinking straight,
we can come
up with
any number
of reasons
why Jesus
must increase
and we
must decrease.
If you know
yourself,
if I know
myself,
you can think
of all kinds
of reasons
why I could
decrease,
why Jesus
should increase.
Here's the
good news,
if you're
short on sleep
or caffeine
this morning,
you don't
need to do
that hard
thinking yourself,
because John
provides three
reasons for us
right here in
this passage.
So all you
need to do
is read and
listen,
you don't
even need
to think.
In verses
31 to 36,
Scripture offers
us John's
reasons about
Jesus.
Three perfect
reasons why
we too should
agree that
Jesus should
increase and
we should
decrease.
The first
cause for the
increase of
Jesus, in our
estimation, is
his authority.
He's the one
who comes.
So if you like
three-point sermons,
I have three
points.
Here they are.
The first reason
why Jesus should
increase is because
of his authority.
He's the one
who comes from
above.
And so he's
above all.
The fact that
Jesus is above
all is mentioned
twice in verse
31.
And the simple
meaning of this
statement is that
he holds a rule
and authority
above all others.
No one can
approach his
greatness.
We who are
earthly, we who
are from below,
we who are people
of Adam and
belong to this
world, our
thoughts, our
words, we're
limited in so
many ways.
As Calvin puts
it, he speaks
from the throne,
we just speak
from the footstool.
The preachers of
the word do
have a real
authority from
Jesus, but the
point is that
even the commanding
presence and
preaching of
someone like
John pales in
authority between
the ultimate
presence and
authority of the
one who came
from above.
So it's because
of his matchless
authority that he
must increase and
we must decrease.
John lifts up the
authority of Jesus,
he also in
verses 32 to
34 exalts the
testimony of
Jesus.
The one who
came from above
brings with him a
reliable testimony.
He knows things,
he's heard things,
he's seen things.
Much that was
known to Jesus
could never be
shared.
But he bore
witness to what
he's seen and
heard that we
need to know,
that we need to
hear.
The sad irony is
that his teaching
was accredited by
the agency of
heaven and yet no
one receives his
testimony.
All are going to
him, John's
disciples complained.
Ah, but no one
receives his
testimony, John
replies.
They thought too
much was given to
Jesus.
John says no, not
enough.
Never enough.
It wasn't enough
for the crowds to
hear about Jesus.
It's not enough to
hear that testimony.
testimony.
Jesus is only
honored when people
receive that
testimony.
When they accept
the message.
Only when someone
receives that
testimony do they
put their seal to
this statement.
God is true and
true in his son.
And anyone who
says anything less
is really calling
God a liar.
In sending us his
son, God sends us
the one who is
truth.
And to reject the
person of his son
is to reject the
truth of God too.
Jesus spoke the
words of God
because he was
from heaven.
He also did this
as verse 34
explains.
Because along with
the son, the
father is sending
his spirit.
So Jesus, he gave
the Holy Spirit
without measure.
Jesus is, among
other things, the
heaven sent, spirit
filled truth of
God.
Read the first
part of all the
four gospels and
you'll hear that
testimony.
Read the last
part of each
gospel and you'll
see that testimony.
Because he spoke
more in his death
and in the
resurrection than
he did in all
of his sermons.
It's because of
this unrivaled
testimony that he
must increase and
we must decrease.
The final reason
that the gospel
gives for the
elevation of Jesus
is the gift of
Jesus.
And once again,
to understand why
Jesus must increase
we're directed
heavenward.
You see, it's
not only true that
the gift of Jesus
is a gift from
the father and
sourced in the
bottomless love of
the father, it's
also true that the
father has given a
gift to the son.
The father has given
a gift to the son.
A gift in measure
for his love for
his son.
You see, that's what
verse 35 means.
The disciples of
John looked at
Jesus and worried
that all are going
to him.
The father looks at
Jesus and gives
everything he wants
to him.
Sometimes Christians
wonder at the love
of the son.
John is telling us
we can only begin
to understand this
love when we see
the love of the
father.
It's that love
that the son is
passing on and
which by his Holy
Spirit he continues
to pass on today.
The gift of Jesus
to us began as a
gift of us to
Jesus.
We'll see.
We'll spend an
eternity trying to
figure out how we
could be a gift to
anyone.
Knowing who we are,
let alone a gift from
the father to the
son.
But John's words
end on a different
note.
You can see that
the very end of
the chapter.
He reminds us
that God's gift
of love to us
comes in the form
of life for us.
Whoever believes
in the son has
eternal life.
Life with this
spirit.
With this son.
With this father.
Life that discovers
this kind of love.
Life that does not
meet an ultimate
tragic end.
Life that
doesn't diminish in
its glory.
You see what Jesus
is saying here.
This is not a life
for those who have
conquered their
jealousies.
This is not a life
for people who
aren't troubled
with rivalries.
This is not a life
for those who
haven't started or
continued a foolish
argument like John's
disciples were doing
here.
This is not a life
for those who have
managed to put all
their complaining
behind them.
This is a life
for all who
believe in the
son.
That's what John
says here.
The truth before us
if I can quote an
Anglican bishop at a
Presbyterian church
is one of the most
glorious privileges
of the gospel.
There are no works
to be done.
No conditions to be
fulfilled.
No price to be
paid.
No wearing years
of probation to be
passed.
Christ before a
sinner can be
accepted with God.
Let him only
believe on Christ
and he is at once
forgiven.
It is because of
this priceless gift
that he must
increase and we
must decrease.
It's this gospel
that some of us
are commissioned
to preach.
All of us are
called to believe.
But it's the
happy privilege
isn't it?
It's the happy
privilege of every
Christian.
To be able to say
to our friends
and our family
and our neighbors
if you trust in
Jesus you will
have life.
And you're not
just offering a
hope of life.
You're not just
talking about a
later life or an
afterlife although
we'll have that
too.
You're offering
life itself
because whoever
believes the son
we're told has
eternal life.
For those who
believe in the son
as jarring
as brutal
as death is
for those who
are left behind.
It is for the
one who dies
a life that
continues into
life from one
moment to the
next.
But if given
the opportunity
for such a
task of telling
people about this
life I guess
we'll also want
to note the
opposite case.
God is the
love for the
son.
And John
mentions that
too.
Whoever does
not believe the
son does not
see life.
You see so
great is the
father's love for
the son that
to reject the
son to ignore
his testimony
has very serious
consequences too.
when it comes to
Jesus to refuse
him is to
offend our
God.
And no doubt
it's because John
had begun to
understand just
how much people
needed Jesus.
That he quieted
his disciples.
That he issued
his maxim.
That he offered
his parable.
It's no doubt
because he saw
Jesus' matchless
authority,
his unrivaled
testimony,
and the priceless
gift that he could
say, I must
increase.
I must decrease.
He must increase.
The fact is, as
verse 36 says in
his closing words,
we need salvation.
We are sinners.
Without Christ,
the wrath of God
is already upon
us.
Without Christ,
it will remain
on us.
There's no hope
in trying to
avoid the wrath
of God.
It's already
there.
It will be
revealed in the
last day.
Psalm 75
tells us it's
God who
executes
judgment.
Putting down
one, lifting
up another.
We just need
to look around
us.
We're part of
a broken
world, a
fallen race.
We're already
down.
There's only one
way up.
God has provided
that way from
the one who
came from
above.
The one who
set aside
his full
authority
and bore
with
indignity.
He sent
his son
who gave
his testimony
and watched
it rejected.
He sent
his son
giving all
things into
his hands
and then
Christ put
his life
into the
hands of
sinful men
who unwittingly
offered him
as a sacrifice
for sinners
on a cross.
He died.
But of course
no power
could keep
him dead.
For the
father put
in an
abiding
and powerful
life that
no grave
could resist.
He sent
his son
didn't he?
He sent
his son
who declared
that in
some sense
he would
decrease
so we
could increase.
May we
all,
those gathered
here this
morning,
our friends
elsewhere,
believe in
Christ and
find eternal
life and
then may his
name increase
throughout all
the ages.
Let's pray.