So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
John 3:26
This past week, my posts have centered around the concept of humility, and that trend is not changing with this post today. The main reason that I have been focusing on it is that it is something that I have really needed in my life.
A spirit of humility seems so essential to living an honest Christian life. The last two posts have dealt with humility before God and humility before others. In John 3, we see both as John the Baptist responds to the work of Jesus who was both God and man.
Some of John’s disciples come to him and seemingly complain about Christ and His ministry. John’s disciples act as though their ministry is in direct competition with the ministry of Jesus, but John provides an answer that may have befuddled his followers. His response dripped humility.
John acknowledges God’s role in any of John’s success (vs. 27). He’s then honest with his disciples and with himself as he calls himself the best man and Christ the bridegroom (vs. 28-29). It all culminates in the popular verse in John 3:30:
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
In pride, John could have responded as though his ministry needed to add a new message to attract more followers. Instead, John basically encourages those who were with him to go over to Christ and follow Him. John understood that all he was supposed to do was prepare the way and lead others to Christ. He was not about escalating his own message or promoting his own ministry. John knew to point all of the glory and give all of the credit to Christ.
That’s spirit of humility has been something that I have been earnestly seeking.
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