Growing In Godliness Blog
“Jesus and John Baptizing”
Categories: Author: Paul Earnhart, Jesus, TeachingJesus and John Baptizing
By Paul Earnhart
Do you know what envy is? It is one of the ugliest emotions of which we can be guilty. It is displeasure in seeing another person prosper, or in seeing someone else more successful or popular than we are. All one must do to become the object of envy is to do well. Even in the church, individuals who excel in Bible knowledge, or in Christian service, are often the victims of hatred and gossip among other people. Preachers are sometimes guilty of envying other preachers who may be more effective than they are. John the Baptist is a fine example of a preacher who avoided envy.
John 3:22 tells us that after Jesus had spoken with Nicodemus in Jerusalem, He and His disciples came into the land of Judea and there He tarried and baptized. John 4:1 even says that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John. Some of John’s disciples apparently resented this fact, and they came reporting to John what Jesus was doing. John could have been envious, but instead he responded with an illustration in which he spoke of Jesus as the groom in the wedding and of himself as the best man, the groom’s friend and helper. Here is what John said: "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:27-30)
John here not only gives us a good example of one who avoided envy, but he also gives us a good example of our role as teachers. Our duty is to bring people to Jesus, not to ourselves. When they meet Jesus, we need to get out of the way quickly and let Him increase while we decrease.
