‘He must increase.’ Give it time. ‘I must decrease.’ Same for us

By Dean Collins

Apparently arguing about religious doctrine and practice is nothing new. Early in the Gospel of John, we learn of a discussion between some of John’s disciples and a Jew. It might have been related to ceremonial cleansing, which the Pharisees practiced frequently, and John’s baptism. Were John the Baptist’s baptisms different than, better than, or even needed?

But as we continue the passage, we get to the probable root of the discussion. Jesus and his disciples were just a few miles away baptizing, and the crowds were growing larger than the crowds around John the Baptist. This could raise a question about who had the better baptism, but more likely the issue was that Jesus and his disciples were growing in popularity and John’s was waning.

Jealousy

As the story unfolds, we should note that John’s disciples wouldn’t even say the name of Jesus but rather described him as “the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness.” The unwillingness even to say the name of Jesus might give us a hint about the jealousy some of John the Baptist’s disciples were experiencing. Verse 26 ends with, “And all were going to him,” referring to Jesus. “All” may be overstated but indicates that more of those interested in spiritual teaching and open to spiritual formation were turning to Jesus than to John’s disciples.

John the Baptist followed his calling as one who would prepare the way for Jesus. He was a faithful, unique, and powerful presence as he obediently did his ministry of preparation. He knew what some of his loyal disciples had heard but hadn’t yet accepted: Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the King of kings.

Time

Verse 22 contains an interesting phrase we need to unpack. After Jesus spent considerable time with Nicodemus, he left Jerusalem, went with his disciples into the Judean countryside, “and he remained there with them.” One of the critical aspects of effective discipleship and spiritual formation comes from spending time with the teacher, mentor, or in this case with Jesus himself.

Rabbis and teachers spent time with their disciples. I am sure the disciples of John the Baptist spent time with him down by the Jordan River. We must remember that John the Baptist, though clear in his message, did not compare with the presence of Jesus. I think no matter how interesting hanging out with John the Baptist might have been, spending time with Jesus was more than interesting; it was life-changing.

Jesus was a masterful storyteller and teacher, but his disciples were formed not simply from his parables but from spending time doing life with Jesus. We must never think we can teach, lead, preach, or direct at a distance. If we want to see lives changed, then we must spend time with those we disciple. John the Baptist was clear on who he was and he was clear on who Jesus was as well. When he said, “He must increase and I must decrease,” he demonstrated that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life and that the disciples (and everyone else!) needed to spend time with Jesus.

If we hope to fulfill our roles as kingdom people who are involved in kingdom work, then we’ll start with spending time with the King daily in prayer and in his Word. As he forms us we must spend time with others where we can model, encourage, teach, and prepare them for their encounter with Jesus.

Role

The words of John the Baptist are a caution for us. Sometimes we can get so excited about teaching others that we create a false sense of our importance in the formula. Yes, we must spend time with those we guide and direct, but like John the Baptist, we do well to remember that our role must decrease and the role of Jesus must increase in the life of everyone we teach. The more our disciples look to Jesus first and us second, the better the indication that we are fulfilling our role in the process.

Your time with God’s Word
John‬ ‭3:22-36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Hudson Hintze at Unsplash.com

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