John 3:22-30 After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing.
At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant.
This was before John was thrown into jail.
John's disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism.
They came to John and said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he's now competing with us. He's baptizing, too, and everyone's going to him instead of us."
John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed--I'm talking about eternal success--without heaven's help.
You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready.
The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'--that's me--in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? "That's why my cup is running over.
This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.
John 3:22-30
John Shows the Greatness of Humility
It is expressly stated in John_4:2 that Jesus baptized through His disciples. This controversy arose with a Jew, who was comparing the respective baptisms of John and the Lord. Perhaps he stirred John’s followers with jealousy as he contrasted the crowds that gathered round the new teacher with the waning popularity of the old.
But the Baptist had no sense of being aggrieved. His answer is one of the noblest ever made by human lips: “My work has been definitely assigned to me. It has been enough for me to fulfill it. The rapture of the Bridegroom and His success in wooing hearts is not for me. It is enough to behold His joy. He must increase, and I must decrease, but I sorrow not.
Indeed, my joy is filled to the brim because of His success.”
What a blessing it would be if we could enshrine in our hearts this immortal maxim: A man can receive nothing except it have been given him from heaven! What we have is God’s gift; let us hold it reverently. What another person has is God’s gift to him; we have no right to find fault with His dealings with another of His servants. Our orbits are distinct; all we have to do is to shine our brightest where He has placed us, confident that He knows best.
At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant.
This was before John was thrown into jail.
John's disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism.
They came to John and said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he's now competing with us. He's baptizing, too, and everyone's going to him instead of us."
John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed--I'm talking about eternal success--without heaven's help.
You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready.
The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'--that's me--in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? "That's why my cup is running over.
This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.
John 3:22-30
John Shows the Greatness of Humility
It is expressly stated in John_4:2 that Jesus baptized through His disciples. This controversy arose with a Jew, who was comparing the respective baptisms of John and the Lord. Perhaps he stirred John’s followers with jealousy as he contrasted the crowds that gathered round the new teacher with the waning popularity of the old.
But the Baptist had no sense of being aggrieved. His answer is one of the noblest ever made by human lips: “My work has been definitely assigned to me. It has been enough for me to fulfill it. The rapture of the Bridegroom and His success in wooing hearts is not for me. It is enough to behold His joy. He must increase, and I must decrease, but I sorrow not.
Indeed, my joy is filled to the brim because of His success.”
What a blessing it would be if we could enshrine in our hearts this immortal maxim: A man can receive nothing except it have been given him from heaven! What we have is God’s gift; let us hold it reverently. What another person has is God’s gift to him; we have no right to find fault with His dealings with another of His servants. Our orbits are distinct; all we have to do is to shine our brightest where He has placed us, confident that He knows best.
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