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MAY 14
John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some
of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifi-
26
16:9 Sovereign God overrules the plans of cation. And they came to John and said to
men to fulfill His purposes. (See Gen. 50:20; him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the
1Kin. 12:15; Ps. 119:133; Jer. 10:23; Dan. Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold,
5:23–30; 1 Cor. 3:19,20.) He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can
receive nothing unless it has been given to him
8 Better is a little with righteousness, from heaven. You yourselves bear me wit-
28
Than vast revenues without justice. ness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I
29
have been sent before Him.’ He who has the
9 A man’s heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps. bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the
bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoic-
John 3:19–36 es greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.
30
And this is the condemnation, that the light
19 Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must
31
has come into the world, and men loved dark- increase, but I must decrease. He who comes
ness rather than light, because their deeds from above is above all; he who is of the earth
20
were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who
32
the light and does not come to the light, lest comes from heaven is above all. And what He
his deeds should be exposed. But he who has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no
21
33
does the truth comes to the light, that his one receives His testimony. He who has
deeds may be clearly seen, that they have received His testimony has certified that God
34
been done in God.” is true. For He whom God has sent speaks
After these things Jesus and His disci-
22 the words of God, for God does not give the
35
ples came into the land of Judea, and there Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son,
36
He remained with them and baptized. Now and has given all things into His hand. He
23
John also was baptizing in Aenon near who believes in the Son has everlasting life;
Salim, because there was much water there. and he who does not believe the Son shall not
24
And they came and were baptized. For see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
DAY 14: How did John the Baptist respond to the growing ministry of Christ?
The potential conflict between John and Jesus as depicted in John 3:26 was heightened by
the fact that both were engaged in ministry in close proximity to each other. Because baptism is
mentioned in v. 22, Jesus may have been close to Jericho near the fords of the Jordan, while John
was a short distance north baptizing at Aenon. John’s followers were especially disturbed by the
fact that so many were flocking to Jesus whereas formerly they had come to John.
John’s response was to emphasize God’s sovereign authority in granting any ministry oppor-
tunity (v.27).It must be “given to him from heaven.”And he conveyed his understanding of his own
role through the use of a parable (v. 29).The “friend of the bridegroom”was the ancient equivalent
of the best man who organized the details and presided over the Judean wedding. This friend
found his greatest joy in watching the ceremony proceed without problems. Most likely, John was
also alluding to Old Testament passages where faithful Israel is depicted as the bride of the Lord (Is.
62:4,5; Jer. 2:2; Hos. 2:16–20).
In vv. 31–36, John the Baptist gave 5 reasons for Christ’s superiority to him: 1) Christ had a
heavenly origin (v.31); 2) Christ knew what was true by firsthand experience (v.32); 3) Christ’s tes-
timony always agreed with God (v. 33); 4) Christ experienced the Holy Spirit in an unlimited man-
ner (v. 34); and 5) Christ was supreme because the Father sovereignly had granted that status to
Him (v. 35).
In a fitting climax to the chapter (v.36),John the Baptist laid out two alternatives,genuine faith
and defiant disobedience, thereby bringing to the forefront the threat of looming judgment. As
John faded from the forefront,he offered an invitation to faith in the Son and clearly expressed the
ultimate consequence of failure to believe, i.e.,“the wrath of God.”

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