There are many things that we pursue in life. We pursue higher education. We pursue advancement in our careers. We pursue better health. We pursue fortunes. We pursue hobbies and interests in sports and other activities. We pursue what we think is best for our families. All of these pursuits may certainly be noble and worthy of our attention. However, the things that we pursue in life in reality is the advancement of self. It is things that we desire to give ourselves greater credibility and acceptance. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”[1] In 2 Corinthians 5:8-9, Paul is talking about the desire to leave the body of flesh and to be in the presence of the Lord. In that context he says, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”[2] The goal of our lives should be to please the Lord. To bring Him glory. What we live for should not be the advancement of self, but rather, the advancement of the Kingdom. We should live not so we would be increase, but that Jesus in increased.
The passage at hand, as in other cases in the Gospel of John, has confused many Bible scholars as to its placement in the Gospel. However, we must remind ourselves that John’s Gospel is not a chronological account of the life and ministry of Jesus. The purpose of this Gospel is simply to reveal who Jesus is that we may know Him and make Him known. As the New American Commentary points out, “This Gospel is one of the most profound statements on the significance of the coming of Jesus found anywhere in Christian literature.”[3]
The Dispute. As we outline this passage there are three things we see going on. The first of which is the dispute. In verses 22-26 we read, “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”[4] There is a dispute concerning the ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Jesus. John’s disciples were concerned that everyone was going to Jesus. The number of their followers were dwindling since Jesus came on the scene. This is not unlike the challenges of churches in the south. There are so many churches that competition seemingly rises. One church in the community gets a new pastor or starts something new and everyone flocks to that church leaving other churches struggling with dwindling numbers. This invites the temptation to make adjustments and attempt to do what others are doing in order to draw the crowds back to them. The disciples of John were notably frustrated that Jesus was stealing their thunder.
The Answer. John the Baptist responds to the concern of his disciples in verses 27-35. “John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.”[5] John begins by explaining to his disciples that any authority that a man has is given to him from God. He reminds them that he is not the Christ. John was sent as the forerunner of Christ to prepare the hearts of men for the coming of the Messiah. He goes on to explain that Jesus is the one who has come from above. John the Baptist understood that he was just a mere man, whereas Jesus is the very Son of God. Therefore, John was not concerned about the masses who no longer came to him. John understood his place and he understood who Jesus was. Therefore, he encouraged others to follow Jesus.
The Invitation. John the Baptist gives an invitation in verse 36 for people to go to Jesus. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”[6] John encourages those around him to believe in Jesus. He testifies that Jesus is the only way. It is only by believing on the Lord Jesus that one can have everlasting life and escape the wrath of God. What about you? Do you believe? Have you trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
In addition to the basic outline of this passage, there are several applications we can glean from this account. These applications deal with the question: Is Jesus increased in your life? Is He number one in your life? These applications reveal how Jesus can be increased in our lives.
Jesus is increased by our intimacy with Him. How close are you to Jesus? Think about it. Do you simply know Jesus in terms of your secured salvation or do you know Him personally like a brother or a friend? Is Jesus close to you and are you close to Him? I love the poetry of Psalm 42. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”[7] Can this be said of you? Do you thirst for God? Do you desire Him above all else? It is in this longing for God and this pursuit of God that Jesus is increased in our lives. Intimacy with Christ is realized in time spent with Him. When you love someone you will want to spend time with them. I remember the season of dating my wife before we were married. We would spend long hours on the phone just talking. I could not get her off my mind. I wanted to be with her all the time. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to be with her. How is your personal walk with God? How much time do you spend with Him? Is it multiple times throughout the day? Do you have several hours set aside to spend time with the Lord in prayer and in the study of His Word? Is He on your mind all the time? If you want Jesus to be increased in your life, you must spend time with Him.
Jesus is increased by our devotion to Him. We are promised in God’s Word that He will never abandon us. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. He is totally and completely devoted to us. But are we devoted to Him? What is your level of devotion? Your level of devotion can be measured by two things: your day planner and your check book. How you spend your time and how you spend your money reveals the level of your devotion to the Lord. Do you spend time with Him daily in His Word? Are you faithful to church attendance? The church is the vehicle through which God carries out His purposes in the world. We are called to not forsake the assembly of ourselves together. Faithfulness to church attendance in addition to our personal time is a big part of our devotion to the Lord. How we spend our money is also a good indication of our devotion. The greatest investment we can make with the greatest returns is the investment in the Kingdom of God. Investing in the Kingdom brings eternal rewards. We invest in the Kingdom through the ministry of the local church. As we give to the local church greater opportunities are realized to engage in the enterprise of evangelism. As we give, the opportunity increases for greater discipleship. The more we give, the more that can be accomplished for the Kingdom through the local church. Our joyful and sacrificial giving is a good measure of our devotion. If we want Jesus to be increased in our lives, we must be completely devoted to Him. We must be all in.
Jesus is increased by our service for Him. What are you living for? What is your purpose? As a believer, your God given purpose is to glorify Him by living to bring others to Him. He has gifted you with personal talents and abilities and spiritual gifts to be used for the edifying of the church and the furtherance of His Kingdom. He equips you to use those gifts in service for Him. There are many ways you can serve. However, it must be understood that God’s design is for you to serve through the local church. It is the responsibility of the pastors of the local church to train you and equip you and to create and allow opportunities for you to serve. This is all by God’s design and His purpose for the church and for our lives. As we are faithful to serve Him, Jesus is increased in our lives.
What is interesting is the fact that the more Jesus is increased, the more we decrease. Life becomes more and more about Jesus and less and less about ourselves. The more Jesus is increased in our lives the less famous we become. Our name fades into the background as the name of Jesus enters the spotlight. This should be the goal of our lives. To live in such a way that people do not recognize our name, but when they encounter us, they see Jesus. We should live in such a way that when people think of us they automatically think of Jesus. Their thoughts are transferred off of us and onto Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit should be so evident in our lives that we become a reflection of Jesus. Is our love for Him so deep that all we want is that we decrease and Jesus increase? Is Jesus increased in your life?
[1] The New King James Version (Php 1:21). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version (2 Co 5:8–9). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[3] Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 188). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] The New King James Version (Jn 3:22–26). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[5] The New King James Version (Jn 3:27–35). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[6] The New King James Version (Jn 3:36). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[7] The New King James Version (Ps 42:1–2). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
Pastor Chris Noland 