We continue the series on our mission and vision this morning by turning to the third chapter of John. Though we have taught, preached, and learned from the Scripture for weeks concerning our vision, I think that this message is the most crucial in relation to how it is that we, as God’s people, will react to God’s work.
I say that, because there is possibility for men to embrace with joy or to despise and reject the work of God. The passage this morning will allow us to see what it is that will be the key to reacting in a way that will bring us utmost joy. God’s work should always bring us joy because He is always working for His glory, and God is most glorified in us when we are finding our greatest joy in Him.
The text tells us that John was baptizing in Aenon because there was much water there. In essence, because it was the practical place to be. Now, at the same time, Jesus was baptizing those who were repenting and believing in the land Judea (though 4:2 tells us that it was not Jesus doing the baptizing but His disciples). And everything appears to be going beautifully.
However, something happens according to verse 25. A Jew (we do not know who he was) comes up to John’s disciples and begins a discussion about purification. It was a discussion over ceremonial washing, a Jewish custom concerning purity. Possibly the Jewish man was arguing with John’s disciples over John’s baptism and the more traditional Jewish practices. And it appears that John’s disciples are out-argued, if you will.
Quite possibly they had been all excited about John’s ministry, and now, all of a sudden, someone had attempted to shoot holes in it. Consequently, the men begin to doubt. This leads to further reflections on what their master was doing. It especially lead them to question the durability of his ministry in light of the rising popularity of Jesus, for more people were now going to Jesus than were coming to John.
Now, our flesh desires that we are always involved in the "happening" thing or something that men regard as very important. These followers of John had felt that this was the case at one time, but now they did not feel that way at all. They were shaken from the security they once felt in what they were doing. They began to feel disappointed and, as often happens in ministry, they begin to be resentful to their leader. After all, surely he was the reason they had wound up in their helpless situation.
So, they decide to help there idealistic leader hear the harsh reality of it all. They want him to know what’s happening and why he should feel like a loser with them. So in verse 26 they tell him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.”
Here the term "Rabbi" does not carry the modern connotation of one who has completed a course of rabbinical instruction. The term, rather, was a term of honor to one’s teacher; it meant, literally, “my great one.” But John’s disciples are using the term resentful and embittered. They tell him that the one he tried to elevate so much has stolen the show. They are saying, “Buddy, you’ve lost your popularity. You are nobody now.” In fact, they exaggerate to show their resentment a little more. They tell him the “All” are going to Jesus (even though verse 23 tells us that cannot be true).
These men were probably tired, angry, embittered, and resentful, and they wanted to drag their leader down with them—as is human nature.
John’s answer, I’m sure, surprised them. He tells them in verse 27, “A man can receive nothing, unless it as been given him from heaven.” John lets them know that everything man has is a gift from God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
John is saying much the same thing. We simply have and do what God allows us to have and do, as a gift of His grace. “God’s sovereignty stands behind all human claims, for a human being does not have anything but what he has received” (D.A. Carson, Pillar Commentary, 211).
So, John is saying, “Why do you look around and envy the position of Jesus, and resent ours? Everything any of us have or do is a gift and we should celebrate it.” And then in verse 28 he tells them “I am not the Christ,” but “I have been sent before Him.”
He tells them, that is not my role. He is the Christ. I am the one sent before Him.
Michael Card writes of this role of the shoshbin, the Ancient Jewish version of the best man. This man would actually take the bride after the ceremony to the place where the groom would soon meet her. And while she was inside preparing to meet her husband, the shoshbin would stand outside and watch the groom as he would celebrate at the wedding feast. No one would marvel at this shoshbin, for he would be out of the way simply beholding the groom’s joy from a distance. But then there would come a time when the party would die down. People would begin to leave. And the groom would come to be with his bride. And as he approached the place where his bride awaited, the shoshbin would hear his voice, and his anticipation to see the bridegroom would heighten. His joy would build. And as the groom approached, he would see his friend standing outside the door smiling. This friend, above all others, except for the bride herself, would experience the anticipation and joy of the groom. He would experience his last second feelings. And as the groom entered into the dwelling to be with his wife, the shoshbin, the great friend of the groom, would walk away, and his joy would be full.
John identifies himself as playing this role to Christ. He says in verses 29-30, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
And as I have sat at my desk for weeks now, thinking of this text, I have found much truth and relevance in this passage. What was happening is that John and his disciples were all in the same work and circumstances. Yet, while John’s disciples were resentful, embittered, frustrated, and wanting to quit, John said that his joy had been made full.
So, how is it that individuals going through the same circumstances could have completely different reactions? I think the answer is this: John, as opposed to his disciples, understood his role and embraced it with joy. He was content with his role in the divine scheme, knowing that any part anyone gets to play is simply a gift from God.
It seems odd to discuss this about John because we see the greater, divine picture. We know what the Scripture says of him and what God accomplished through him.
- He was the one of whom Isaiah said, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the lord, make His paths straight’” (Mark 1:2-3; Is. 40:3).
- He was one of whom Christ said, “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, an done who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist …” (Matthew 11:8-11).
- He was the one to whom Christ came to be baptized (Mark 1:9-13).
- It was John of whom the Scripture says that he leaped up in the womb when his mother greeted Mary, the mother of Jesus while she was pregnant (Luke 1:39-45).
- It was his declaration of Christ that led to the eventual conversion of Peter (John 1:35-42).
And so, we might ask, “How is it even surprising that John could be content?” But do we realize what his role meant? It meant the crowds left him. He had no prestige. No crowds gathered around to praise him. His own followers thought he was a failure. He was put in jail. And he was eventually killed by having his head cut off and placed upon a silver platter. I’m pretty sure that’s not how we picture ourselves being used in the kingdom. Yet John accepted his role and found great joy in it when all around him were miserable.
We have similar reactions here among ourselves. Week after week I have people come to me and saying, “So and so left the Church because they were not content with this or that, and I just wanted to let you know.” Quite often I hear of people scrambling to please those who are frustrated with how things are going here in relation to the church down the street that may be running over a thousand' they are looking for something to do to keep them pleased. And at the same time, I talk to people who say, “I feel so blessed to be involved in what God is doing here. I can’t wait for Sundays and Wednesdays. I don’t understand why more people aren’t flooding into these doors. I want everyone to be able to taste God’s grace his pouring out upon us here. I feel if I have to miss for one service that I’m anxious to hear what I missed of what God is doing.”
These are completely different reactions from people in the same circumstances. Some are resentful, embittered, frustrated, and tired while others are excited, joyous, and feeling overwhelmed by God’s great blessings. Why is that?
I think the reason is because we’ve come to realize that our role is much the same as John the Baptist. We are not to concern ourselves with drawing the attention of men but simply with ensuring that we are pointing to Christ that His Kingdom may be advanced and His name be glorified.
Our role, in sending people out to do ministry, is going directly against amassing a number of people at this one location to hear one man. Our numbers may never look good, the crowds may leave us, people might never speak praise of us and might even ridicule us. But we need to realize how God is using us in the divine scheme of things. This goes for this church and it goes for all of us as individuals. God will use us greatly, but He is not concerned with making us look great!
We’ve wrongly equated these two by only recognizing God’s work with public recognition. We say, “Man, God is really working in that church because I’ve heard that they have done this or that, and people all over this nation know of that church.” Well, I want us to know something, if God calls you to be a janitor in Cincinnati, Ohio and you spend your janitorial days praying for the advancement of His Kingdom, then I can assure you that if no one outside of your community knows who you are and no one speaks your praise, that God is using you greatly. God using his people greatly and people looking great to other people are not the same thing.
And the second we begin to wish we were just like another church, or group, or doing something that we have not been called to do then we are not only coveting, we are choosing to miss the blessing of the role to which God had called us. What if John had said, “I want to do something different. I want more people to recognize me. I am tired of being lonely.” He could have missed out on playing the great role he did.
We need to embrace the role, vision, and mission that God has given us with joy. And to embrace this role means that we will look only to see if our Lord’s Kingdom is advanced, He is being glorified, and He is pleased with us. To embrace this role means that we will choose to look at the eternal as opposed to the temporary circumstances. It means that we will choose to try to take ourselves out of the eyes of others in order that their eyes may simply behold Christ, or as John said it, “He must increase, but [we] must decrease.”
As we embrace this, understanding our role in the divine plan, we will find great joy. Though things might be hard, though the fulfillment of our vision will require the sending out of those dear to us, and it will look bad to our eyes, you can embrace that we are fulfilling the role He has given us in the divine scheme of things. And in that, and only when we do that, will we find our joy. As J. Campbell White has written, “Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose toward the world he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ’s undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.”
May we, like John before us, look through the circumstances and criticism of men and look to our Lord and His divine plan. And may we embrace it in His ultimate purpose of exalting Himself above all things, knowing that when God is most glorified in us, we will find our greatest joy. May His grace be with us all. Amen.