A while later, Jesus accompanied some disciples into Judea, where He remained
with them for a while and baptized. John, also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
since there was plenty of water there. People kept coming to be baptized, since
John had not yet been put into prison.
A discussion arose between John’s disciples and some other Israelites concerning
purification. They went to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the One who was with
you beyond the Jordan–the One to whom you bore witness–you should see Him
baptizing! All the people are going to Him.” John replied, “A person cannot take
anything that was not given from Heaven. You were witnesses yourselves that I
said that I am not the Messiah, but was sent to announce Him. The bridegroom is
the one who has the bride. The friend of the bridegroom stands listening and
waiting for him, and is joyful when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of
mine has been fulfilled. The Messiah must increase, while I must decrease.”
(John 3:22-30)
During this period, both John and Jesus spent time baptizing people in different parts of the country. Jesus and the disciples were in Judea, while John worked in an area that was assumed to be farther north, though the exact location is unknown.
Apparently, John’s disciples got into an argument with other Israelites over which baptism was the more valid–John’s or Jesus’. John’s disciples were getting worried that Jesus was usurping John’s position with the people. More and more people were seeking Jesus out, instead of coming to John. John tries to calm their fears by reminding them that he had told them in advance that he would be subordinate to Jesus. John was not the Messiah–he was merely sent to announce Messiah’s arrival.
John offers the analogy of a wedding party. Though the best man may be the host of a wedding, the best man is not the star of the party, but only the assistant of the bridegroom. The bride and groom are the stars. Many scholars use the simile that Jesus represents the bridegroom while Israel represents the bride. Continuing the analogy and remembering that often in this culture the bride and groom did not meet until the day of the wedding; John’s task was to introduce the groom to the bride. John was to introduce Jesus to Israel. That accomplished, the best man, John would remove himself to the sidelines.
John the Baptist gives us an object lesson in humility. From the very beginning of his life, before he even was born, he had known who Jesus was and had been honored that he would serve Him (Luke 1:41-44). John understood his call from God was to act much as a circus ringmaster for the benefit of the world, announcing the arrival of the Messiah. Then, like all ringmasters, John would remove himself from the spotlight, while Jesus would move into it.
“The One who comes from Heaven is over all. Those who are from the earth belong
to the earth, and they speak of earthly things; but the One who comes from
Heaven speaks of things seen and heard in Heaven, yet no one accepts His
testimony! Those who do accept Messiah’s testimony acknowledge that God is
truthful, and that Messiah, whom God has sent, speaks the very words of God,
through the Spirit, whom God has given without limit. Abba God loves the
Only-Begotten, and has placed everything into Messiah’s hands. Those who believe
in the Only-Begotten have life everlasting; but those who reject Him will not
see life, because God’s wrath will stay with them.”
(John 3:30-36)
As we saw earlier at the end of verse 15, interpreters differ on which person is the narrator of verses thirty through thirty-six. Some attribute these verses to John the Baptist, others to John, the author of this gospel. Even though Bibles use quotation marks around these verses, we must remember that quotation marks did not exist in the first century, but were added later on by interpreters. The predominant opinion of scholars today seems to favor the author of the gospel, especially since these verses are in keeping with the flow of the author’s revelation of the Christ, and continue the thoughts expressed in the earlier verses:
The One who comes from Heaven is supreme.
The One who comes from Heaven is the only One who can tell the world what Heaven is like. Human beings can only speak with certainty about things of the world, but the One who comes from Heaven is able to speak with certainty of Heavenly things.
The One who comes from Heaven, Messiah, is God’s Only-Begotten, whom God loves.
God has placed everything in the world into
Messiah’s hands. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Messiah speaks the very
words of God.
In the first chapter of John (1:32 - 34), the Baptist testified that he had
seen the Spirit descend from heaven in the form of a dove and remain on Jesus.
Further, he said that God had alerted John that the one on whom the Spirit
descended would be the One who would baptize the people with the Holy Spirit.
From this vision, John understood that Jesus was the Only-Begotten of God.
Jesus has received the Spirit from God, but Jesus also gives forth the Holy
Spirit to human beings through baptism, both physical and spiritual. God not
only has empowered Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God gives the Spirit without
limit, and Jesus, acting in accordance with God’s words, also gives the Spirit
to humanity without limit.
Very few people accept Messiah’s testimony, but for those who do, by their very acceptance they are acknowledging that God is truthful, because from the very beginning God had promised to send One who would overcome the evil one, and Messiah was the fruition of that promise.
To not acknowledge God’s truthfulness is to incur God’s wrath. God’s wrath is not a thing of passionate anger, but a self-imposed judgment on the one who rejects. That is, the one who rejects imposes judgment on him- or herself.
To reject the promised Messiah is tantamount to calling God a liar.
In rejecting the Messiah one rejects that which
Messiah brought–that is, everlasting life.
God never takes away our free will. We have the freedom at all times to accept
or reject the gifts God gives us. But when we reject the gifts, we are
obligated to accept the consequences of that rejection. If eternal life comes
only through Messiah and one rejects Messiah, then it must follow that the one
who rejects Messiah also rejects eternal life.
Those who do believe in God’s Only-Begotten, the Messiah, will have life everlasting.
This ends our study for today.
Points to Ponder