He Must Become Greater

Scripture:
“Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.
At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. (This was before John was thrown into prison.)
A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
—John 3:22–30 (NLT)

John’s disciples are worried. The crowds are shifting. Everyone is going to Jesus now, and John’s following is shrinking. You can hear the concern in their voices. But John isn’t worried at all. He is not threatened, not territorial, not scrambling to protect what he has built. He just smiles and says, essentially, that is exactly how it is supposed to go.

What is incredible about John’s response is the freedom in it. He doesn’t pretend the shift is not happening. He acknowledges it and then explains why it doesn’t shake him. “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” John understood that his ministry and influence wasn’t something he had earned or built on his own. It was all given to him for a season and for a purpose. And when that season began to change, he was not devastated. He was joyful. Because the point was never John. The point was always Jesus.

That is a countercultural posture, and honestly, a rare one. We live in a world that tells us to build a platform, grow our influence, and make a name for ourselves. Even in ministry, even in the church, the temptation to make it about us is never far away. Andrew Murray wrote, “Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all.”¹ That is exactly what we see in John. He does not shrink back bitterly. He steps back joyfully, like a best man who is genuinely thrilled that the groom is getting all the attention. That is what it looks like when someone truly understands their role.

And here’s the thing. There is real freedom in that posture, and it is not just for pastors or ministry leaders. It is for anyone who wants to follow Jesus. Every day we make small choices about what we are going to live for. Whether we are going to be generous or guarded, humble or self-promoting, quick to point to Jesus or quick to make sure we get the credit. John’s example is an invitation to hold our lives loosely. Our talents, our relationships, our reputation, none of it was ever really ours to begin with. It was all given to us by a generous Father for a purpose bigger than ourselves. And when we start living that way, something shifts. We stop competing and start contributing. We stop protecting and start giving. And we discover that a life poured out for Jesus is far more satisfying than anything we could have built for ourselves.

Reflection
1. Are there any areas where you have been tempted to make it more about you than about Jesus?

2. How can you use your gifts or influence to lift up Christ rather than yourself?

3. What would it look like for Jesus to become greater in your life today?

Prayer
Ask God to help you embrace your role in His Kingdom with humility and joy. Surrender your desire for recognition and pray for the courage to make much of Jesus in everything you do.

Footnote:
¹ Murray, Andrew. Humility: The Beauty of Holiness. Whitaker House, 2001.