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        "Pointing People to Christ"
        John 3:22-36
        Theme:        The more a man concentrates on the glory of Christ, the less impressive he is to himself.

        1. Address The Hazards of Rivalry with Christ – 3:22-26

          1. Avoid the Rivalry Caused by External Issues – vv. 22-25

            1. This first area of concern deals with what happens when a person loses perspective on the purpose for various religious activities.
            2. Immediately in this text, we are told that the rite of baptism consumed the two leading spiritual leaders of the day – "After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. John also was baptizing . . . ."
            3. Jesus was just beginning His ministry while John was approaching the end of his: "John had not yet been thrown into prison." – an event that ended with his murder.
            4. They were both in the same region – both baptizing and a dispute occurred "on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification."
            5. As we saw previously, the Jewish people were slaves to a religious system of works by which they felt that they could be justified.
            6. John the Baptist had been calling people to repent of their sin and to "make the paths of the Lord straight" whereby the Messiah might come and work his redeeming grace.
              1. His baptism had been anticipatory of what Jesus would truly accomplish – cp. 1:23.
              2. He was calling for people to deal with the issues of their hearts through repentance.
            7. Now, a "Jew" who clearly rejects the ministry of Christ Jesus (since the term "Jew" was always a reference to those who resisted Christ Jesus).
            8. In quibbling with the disciples of John, he apparently brought them to a discussion of "purification" – arguing about things that didn’t account for anything in the eyes of God.
            9. Based on John’s disciples’ reaction, it is apparent that he taunted them indicating that he wasn’t sure which of these "baptizers" he should go: "Your master began; here is a second who succeeds better than he; which of the two says the truth?"
            10. The issue here is that they lost their focus on the purpose of their ministry – not to wrestle over external issues and formalisms, but to deal with the sin of the heart.

          2. Avoid the Rivalry Caused by Expectations – v. 26

            1. These disciples clearly expected that they would be found in the "seat of popularity" as their leader had know such notoriety.
            2. Now however, Jesus was not fitting into their paradigms with John remaining predominant.
            3. In essence, these men’s aspirations were being squelched because of the work of Christ Jesus: "And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you, beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him’."
            4. In essence, these men saw that Jesus and John were rivals – vying for preeminence.
            5. They indicate that their attitudes were that there was no room for the work of God if it would disrupt their expectations and priorities.

        2. Aspire for humility in relating to christ – 3:27-30

          1. Recognize Your Purpose in God’s Plan – vv. 27-28

            1. John’s response was tremendous – calling these disciples back to focusing on what is important – "John answered and sai, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven’."
            2. John is saying that a person ought not attempt to take what God has not given – that we all must defer to the authority of God’s will and word.
            3. Instead of bemoaning the fact that Jesus was gaining in popularity, these men ought to have been rejoicing that the ministry of John was being fulfilled.
            4. John calls their attention back to his purpose: "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him’."
            5. His purpose was never to walk through the door, but merely to open the door for the Messiah.
            6. John saw himself as not worthy of the role that He knew had to be filled by the Son of God Himself.

          2. Rejoice in the Promotion of God’s Glory – vv. 29-30

            1. Instead of participating in the rivalry developing among his disciples with the ministry of Christ, John began to rejoice that his ministry and message was being fulfilled.
            2. He illustrates his emotions by appealing to the scenario of being "the best man": "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full."
            3. He then states what is the principle of every believer’s existence: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
              1. Literally, this says, "It is necessary for Him to grow in stature and influence."
              2. The second phrase is passive and literally means "It is necessary that I be made less or inferior." – describing what has been occurring and what has upset his disciples.

        3. Affirm the Honor in Regard to Christ – 3:31-36

          1. He Is Superior Due to His Access – v. 31

            1. "He who comes from above is above all" – references that Jesus Christ is exalted above all others; the reason is because of from where He has come (his origin).
            2. In contrast to Christ Jesus who is "from above," "he who is of the earth is from the earth an speaks of the earth" – there is an inferior orientation and message.
            3. "He who comes from heaven is above all" – indicates that Christ Jesus has come directly from Heaven and therefore has access directly to the Father – a privilege no other one has outside of Christ Jesus Himself.

          2. He Is Superior Due to His Awareness – v. 32

            1. John then addresses the ability of Jesus to provide proper testimony because of "what He has seen and heard" – His awareness.
            2. This is essentially a restatement of what Jesus Himself stated in John 3:11-13
            3. The Son of God has the ability to provide proper witness of the Father because of His unique perspective gained through having been with the Father in eternity past and it is "of that He testifies" – yet, "no one receives His testimony."
            4. Clearly he is speaking about the majority of people – those who possess no genuine saving faith – cp. John 2:23-25.

          3. He Is Superior Due to His Allegiance – v. 33

            1. This third reason why Jesus Christ is superior because this testimony that He uniquely is qualified to provide men is always consistent with the Father.
            2. "He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true." – that is, those who believe are agreeing that what He says about God is true.
            3. There is never any incongruity between Christ and the Father – He remains completely loyal and faithful to the Father – a matter of intense allegiance.
            4. This affirmation of a believer brings him into alignment with the testimony of the Father – "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased"

          4. He Is Superior Due to His Anointing – v. 34

            1. Again, John provides us an additional reason for Jesus’ superiority over all others: "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure."
            2. This speaks of the anointing that Jesus possessed from the Father for His work as Redeemer – cp. Matthew 12:18.
            3. Thus, Jesus had the limitless anointing of God through His Spirit to enable Him to fully succeed in His mission to redeem men.

          5. He Is Superior Due to His Authority – vv. 35-36

            1. The final issue John address regarding Jesus superiority is the authority Jesus possesses from the hand of the Father: "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand."
            2. Essentially the authority spoken of here deals with the judgment and forgiveness of sinners – John 17:2.
            3. This authority is the basis by which we are able to serve as ambassadors for Christ – He has sent us out to reconcile the world on His behalf – cp. Matthew 28:19-20.
            4. This authority is delineated in the final verse of this section:
              1. The authority of Christ to forgive sinners: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life."
              2. The authority of Christ to condemn sinners: "but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

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