DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HE MUST INCREASE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – HE MUST INCREASE

"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

The followers of John the Baptist were having a problem. There was this guy called Jesus who was baptizing people. John was losing his following and his disciples were concerned that Jesus would steal all of John's adherents.

John understood that Jesus was the anointed one – the Messiah – and that his role in the story was only to be the one to introduce Jesus. He had told the people that he was not the Christ,  but was only the forerunner. But apparently, that message had not sunk in to some of John's disciples.

So John told them plainly, "He must increase, and I must decrease." John's ministry was bound to diminish as Jesus' ministry increased. John understood that and made no attempts to hold on to his position or his followers.

As we give testimony to the Lord Jesus, this is the model we must follow. Jesus must increase in the eyes of people and we must decrease. If people follow me instead of Jesus, I have betrayed my calling.

This might have been the problem of the church at Corinth. There were those who said, " 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ' " (I Corinthians 1:12). These believers had their eyes on men or on a denomination rather than on the Lord Jesus, and it was causing division and contention in the Church. They were like the disciples of John the Baptist who were protective of their own association and saw the others as a threat.

There are many good preachers and denominations. But if we get our eyes on them instead of the Lord Jesus, we will miss God's great plan. They must decrease and Christ must increase.

May Jesus be magnified in the eyes of people. "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:3).

Love, Dad