John 3:22-30 ESV

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 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. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

HE MUST INCREASE; I MUST DECREASE

John the Baptist was named for he was baptizing others. However, baptism neither originate with him or with Christians. Jews practiced baptism as a traditional act of purification and the initiation of converts to Judaism long before the coming of the Messiah. The act may not be necessarily called “baptism,” it does highlight how important and holy ceremonial (and practical) cleansing is to God.

John the Baptist’s “baptism of repentance” (Matt 3:11, Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4) has followed this paradigm of cleansing. It was a symbolic representation of changing one’s mind and going a new direction. “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Matt 3:6). Being baptized by John demonstrated a recognition of one’s sin, a desire for spiritual cleansing, and a commitment to follow God’s law in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. For, the ultimate cleansing from sin is only available through Christ.

Thus, John’s baptism was the foreshadowing of Christ and His sacrifice at the cross. The significance of baptism as a New Testament ceremony is that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are baptized into His death (Rom 6:3) and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4 KJV). The Lord taught the significance of baptism to the extent that He Himself was baptized by John the Baptist at the start of His ministry (Mark 1:9).

His ministry had bewildered many, especially the religious leaders. Thus, they came to ask and inquire, “"Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified--see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!"[v.26 NET] Probably, this meant He was gaining more than the Baptist was, or that people were leaving the Baptist to follow Jesus instead. And, since this was never about him in the first place, John is happy. As in a wedding, the focus isn’t on him the best man but on Jesus, the bridegroom. His ministry is owed to God. Thus, we shouldn't be angry or frustrated when others seem more successful; God is ultimately the one in control (1 Cor 3:1–9). Peopleshould be moving on from his ministry, and becoming disciples of Jesus. His goal was to lead people to follow Jesus. Likewise the point of ministry is not to make the minister look good, but to help others follow Jesus. At some point, those people should grow and mature in Christ.

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