More and Less

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

MORE AND LESS

John 3:22-30

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 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 — well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 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. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

NIV

The scene is set, John was still baptizing people, but Jesus, after spending some time, which we are not told how long that time was, began baptizing people. There must have been a lot of people who wanted to be baptized and if it was in preparation of the coming Messiah, as John was being that voice in the wilderness, calling make straight the way for the Lord, then did those Jesus baptize still think the Messiah was still not here yet? Not sure why Jesus baptized people at all, as it does not tell us. However, the point of this narrative does not appear to be about the issue of both John and Jesus baptizing people, other than a lot more people were going to Jesus then John. This brought about the discussion about this ceremonial washing, or baptizing and their telling John how many more people were going to Jesus. The lesson for us is in the response of John. When he said that a man can receive only what is given to him from heaven carries a significate meaning. The Greek word translated receive is an alternative verb the one which means to seize. This word means to take, to get hold of, not in the violent sense of seize, but in a more passive sense. So receive is a good word as to put our hand out and receive something given to us. For John it meant his whole life, his ministry, his calling, what he was given to do from God. This was also applied to the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. All that Jesus did was given to him from heaven. This should then also apply to our lives. We should not try to seize the moment, so to speak, to violently take hold of a ministry or calling, or service to the Lord. We should not push forward to that which we desire to do, even in the name of the Lord. No, we merely should be doing that which we have received from heaven. We need to hear that calling to service, as John did, and we should see the attitude of John as a key as to how we should think toward what we have received from heaven. John freely admitted he was not the Christ, but rather the one who attends to the bridegroom and waits to listen for his voice and rejoices when he hears the voice of the bridegroom, who is Jesus, of course. So we rejoice when we hear the voice of Jesus telling us what he has for us to receive. But what we do as we receive, what our ministry, our calling, our service should be about is becoming less as we allow Jesus to become more. In other words, everything we do that we receive from heaven is or should be for the glory of God. If we receive any praise from men, we should immediately direct or reflect their praise toward heaven. We always have to remember he is more and we are less.