John 3:26-30
“So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man,* who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.”
Grace Prayed For: To grow in interior freedom; to become more aware of disordered attachments that get in the way of loving, God, others, myself
The desert sun beat down on John’s weathered face as the delegation approached. Their words, laced with a hint of apprehension, echoed in the still air: “Rabbi, the one you spoke of, the one by the Jordan… he’s baptizing, and everyone flocks to him.” John, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, listened intently. He felt a familiar sensation stir within him, a bittersweet cocktail of joy and surrender.
“No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven,” he replied, his voice a steady rumble against the desert wind. You could almost feel the grains of sand shifting beneath your bare feet as he spoke, the heat prickling your skin. John’s words resonated with a deep truth, a truth that settled heavy in the air. Recognition, a flicker of understanding, passed between him and the delegation.
John continued, his voice softening. “You yourselves can testify,” he said, his eyes meeting theirs one by one. “I never claimed to be the Messiah. I was merely the herald, the voice crying out in the wilderness.” A sense of humility radiated from him, a stark contrast to the growing throng surrounding the one across the Jordan.
Suddenly, John’s tone shifted, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “The one who has the bride,” he declared, his voice tinged with an almost musical lilt, “is the bridegroom.” You could almost hear the joyous celebration in his voice, the image of a wedding feast filling your mind. The scent of incense and spices, the clinking of glasses, the laughter of loved ones – all came alive in your senses.
“The best man,” he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.” A sense of intimacy, of being included in a sacred moment, washed over you. John wasn’t lamenting the shift in attention; he was reveling in it, feeling the joy of the bridegroom echo within his own heart.
“So this joy of mine has been made complete,” he concluded, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction. You could almost feel the weight lifting from his shoulders, the sense of his purpose fulfilled. He had played his part, and now, it was time for the bridegroom to take center stage.
John’s final words hung in the air, heavy with meaning: “He must increase; I must decrease.” These weren’t pronouncements of defeat, but a testament to the natural order of things. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desert landscape, you were left with a profound sense of peace. The scene, etched in your memory, served as a reminder: true joy lies not in personal recognition, but in witnessing the fulfillment of a greater purpose.
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post