John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
The remarkable thing about John the Baptist is how, within his own sphere and proper role, he spoke with astounding personal integrity and authority. So commanding was his presence that many people suspected he might be the Messiah or “The Prophet” who was to come into the world (John 1:19-21). Single-handedly, he sparked a revival of messianic fervor in first century Judea and drew large crowds to himself despite the fact that his preaching was done primarily out in the wilderness. (Picture a modern-day evangelist drawing crowds from New York, Los Angeles, and Houston just by shouting into the wind somewhere in the vicinity of Bugtussle, Oklahoma.) The secret to John was that he knew exactly who he was and exactly what he was there to do. “I am not the Christ,” he bluntly declared, despite the accolades of the crowds that urged him to claim the messianic mantle (a temptation hard to resist as the careers of many a modern politician and rock star attest). Rather, he insisted, he was “the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, [and] rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice” (John 3:29). Such calm self-possession, such serenity in knowing just what one’ s place in the kingdom of God is, is a source of great peace in a world of hype. Today, consider the gifts and call God has given you in Christ Jesus and thank him for those gifts and for that calling. You too have a special place in the work and family of God. And according to Jesus, it is an even greater place and greater work than John’s! (Matthew 11:11)
