John 3:28-30 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John Piper, in a sermon “He Must Increase, I Must Decrease”
Look how verse 29 emphasizes John the Baptist’s joy: “The friend [that’s John] of the bridegroom [that’s Jesus], who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.” Those are strong words: “rejoices greatly” and “this joy of mine is not complete.” Great joy. Complete joy. All owing to what?
The Bridegroom is getting all the attention. The cameras are flashing all in that direction. The rice is all flying in that direction. The honeymoon is in that direction. And nobody glances back at the silenced voice sitting on the church steps. The voice of the Bridegroom, the voice of the Shepherd, has replaced the voice crying in the wilderness. And in a few months, the sword of Herod will absolutely silence John’s voice (cf. verse 24). And John’s response to this—to this diminishing, this decreasing? This great joy of mine is now complete (verse 29).
“Who Is This Egomaniac?”
That was not Nicodemus’ response to Jesus. And there are many today who find this response to the exaltation of Jesus (above his friends) unintelligible.
Last Tuesday, May 13, for example, NPR played an interview with an author who quoted Jesus in Matthew 10:37–38 and asked in his book, “Who is the egomaniac speaking these words?” What Jesus said was,
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Jesus is clearly demanding that we treasure him over everyone and everything else. To many people today, that is sheer egomania. And the people who respond that way find John the Baptist’s reaction unintelligible. It’s the opposite of their own. They see that Jesus demands that we love him more than anyone—that we follow him, trust him, enjoy him, be satisfied in him, delight in him, obey him more than anyone else. That’s true. He does. And their response is exactly the opposite of John the Baptist’s. They remain where Nicodemus was. Flabbergasted (John 3:9). Or appalled.
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 