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“He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease”
This chapter is based on John 3:22-36.
If John the Baptist had announced himself as the Messiah and
raised a revolt against Rome, priests and people would have flocked
to support him. Satan stood ready to urge on him everything that
appeals to the ambition of the world’s conquerors. But he had firmly
refused the splendid bribe. The attention fixed upon him he directed
to Another.
Now he saw the tide of popularity turning away from himself to
the Savior. Day by day the crowds around him lessened as the people
flocked to hear Jesus. The number of Christ’s disciples increased
daily.
But the disciples of John looked with jealousy on Jesus’ growing
popularity. They stood ready to criticize His work, and it was not
long before they found opportunity. A question arose between John’s
disciples and the Jews about whether baptism cleansed the person
from sin. They argued that the baptism of Jesus differed essentially
from John’s. Soon they were disputing with Christ’s disciples over
what form of words was proper to use at baptism, and finally about
their right to baptize at all. The disciples of John came to him with
their complaints, saying, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the
Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and
all are coming to Him!”
Satan used these words to bring temptation on John. If John had
expressed disappointment at being surpassed, he would have sown
seeds of strife, encouraged envy and jealousy, and seriously slowed
the gospel’s progress.
By nature John had the faults and weaknesses common to hu-
manity, but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He lived
in an atmosphere uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition. He
revealed no sympathy with his disciples’ dissatisfaction but showed
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