Page 40 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

revision of the old. Rather, it is something brand – new and completely different, because it alone provides
salvation.

John the Baptist and the End of the Old Age

John 3:25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew
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about purification. So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,
the One you testified about, and who was with you across the
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Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.” John
responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to
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him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am
not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has
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the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and
listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of
mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
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At some point during the concurrent but separate ministries of John and Jesus there arose a discussion between
John’s disciples and a Jew about Jewish ritual purification. Whether or not the Jew was a follower of Jesus is
unclear. The reaction of John’s disciples reveals that they felt a deeper issue was at stake – namely, the relative
merits of John’s baptism ministry in comparison to that of Jesus. The dispute surfaced an issue that had no
doubt been disturbing John’s disciples for some time. During the prologue time John ministered in close
proximity to Jesus in John’s following had gradually diminished. Troubled by their masters waning popularity,
their dispute with the Jew heightened. John’s disciples came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with
you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to him.”
Apparently unwilling even to name Jesus, John’s envious disciples saw Jesus as a competitor, who was gaining
popularity at their master’s expense (there is exaggerated use of all reveals the extent of their bias). Incredibly,
they also miss the purpose of John’s ministry, which was to point the nation to the Messiah.

Unlike his overly zealous followers, however, John was not bothered in the least by his declining popularity.
Despite his tremendous initial influence, he had always remained focused on the purpose of his ministry that he
had probably known from childhood – to testify to Christ. Now as his ministry began to wind down, John’s
purpose did not waver. His humble reply must have startled his disciples: “A man can receive nothing unless it
has been given him from heaven.” In this way, he affirmed and embraced his subordinate role as the Herald of
the Messiah. God had sovereignly granted him his ministry. Therefore, there is no place for jealousy, as John’s
self – effacing reply indicated. Thus, John saw Jesus’ increasing popularity not as a concern, but as a fulfillment
of his ministry. Far from upsetting him, it brought him great joy. John the Baptist illustrated his subservient role
using the familiar imagery of a wedding. He cast himself not in the role of the bridegroom, but rather as the
friend of the bridegroom, a position similar to the best man in a modern wedding. The friend of the bridegroom
oversaw many of the details of the wedding, serving as a master of ceremonies. He was responsible for bringing
the bride to the bridegroom to begin the wedding ceremony. Having done that, his task was complete; the focus
now rightfully shifted from him to the bridegroom.

John summarized his view of himself in relation to Jesus and perhaps the most humbling statement uttered by
anyone in Scripture: He must increase, but I must decrease. It is not particularly easy in this world to gather
followers about one for a serious purpose. But when they are gathered it is infinitely harder to detach them and
firmly insists that they go after another. It is the measure of John’s greatness that he did just that.

George Whitefield writes about his own popularity and how it almost destroyed him as a young man.” The tide
of popularity began to run very high. In a short time, I could no longer walk on foot as usual, but was constrained
to go in a coach from place to place, to avoid the hosannas of the multitude. They grew quite extravagant in
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