To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, `I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all." John3:27-30
In this, our final contemplation of JohnB's perspectives on Jesus, we get to see a very beautiful picture of JohnB's understanding of Jesus.
JohnB's disciples came running to him to tell him that Jesus was baptising people too and they were concerned that JohnB was losing "market share."
But JohnB uses a lovely illustration from Jewish marriage feasts to put himself in perspective. In Jewish culture, the bride wore a veil throughout the celebrations. When they retired to the wedding chamber, the friend of the bridegroom would crouch outside one of the windows to hear the groom's cry of delight when he took off his bride's veil.
JohnB isn't in competition with Jesus - he just wants to see the bride (the church) and groom (Jesus) together. His life's ambition is to see Jesus exalted with His bride. Jesus is the one who is "from above" and JohnB knows that he is from earth.
And so JohnB expresses his life-mission: "He must become greater - I must become less."
We have to realise how significant JohnB's statement is: We have seen Jesus from the perspective of the cross, the resurrection and the ascension - JohnB has only seen the beard and the sandals, maybe heard of one or two miracles and seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus. To have an insight like this is amazing.
Later JohnB would have doubts - a dark night of the soul while in prison. But Jesus reassures him: The lame walk, the blind see and the good news is preached.
JohnB saw Jesus clearly - Jesus is the bridegroom from above who will rescue and delight in His bride. JohnB sees himself clearly too.
How would the church be if we all got on with serving God and it would Jesus alone who gets the glory?
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
