“He Must
Increase”
For a time the
Baptist’s influence over the
nation had been greater than that of
the rulers, priests, or princes. If
he had announced himself as the
Messiah, and raised a revolt against
Rome, priests and people would have
flocked to his standard. Every
consideration that appeals to the
ambition of the world’s
conquerors Satan had stood ready to
urge upon John the Baptist. But with
the evidence before him of his power,
he had steadfastly refused the
splendid bribe. The attention that
was fixed upon him he had directed to
Another.
Now he has
the tide of popularity turning from
himself to the Savior. Day after day
the crowds about him lessened. When
Jesus came from Jerusalem to the
region about Jordan, the people
flocked to hear Him. The number of
His disciples increased daily. Many
came for baptism, and while Christ
did not baptize, He sanctioned the
administration of the ordinance by
His disciples. Thus He set His seal
upon the mission of His forerunner.
But the disciples of John looked with
jealousy upon the growing popularity
of Jesus. They stood ready to
criticize His work, and it was not
long before they found occasion. A
question arose between them and the
Jews as to whether baptism availed to
cleanse the soul of sin; they
maintained that the baptism of Jesus
differed essentially from that of
John. Soon they were in dispute with
Christ’s disciples in regard to
the form of words proper to use at
baptism, and finally as to the right
of the latter to baptize at all.
The disciples
of John came to him with their
grievances, saying, “Rabbi, He
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to
whom thou bearest witness, behold,
the same baptizeth, and all men come
to Him.” Through these words,
Satan brought temptation upon John.
Though John’s mission seemed
about to close, it was still possible
for him to hinder the work of Christ.
If he had sympathized with himself,
and expressed grief or disappointment
at being superseded, he would have
sown the seeds of dissention, would
have encouraged envy and jealousy,
and would seriously have impeded the
progress pf the gospel.
John had by
nature the faults and weaknesses
common to humanity, but the touch of
divine love had transformed him. He
dwelt in an atmosphere uncontaminated
with selfishness and ambition, and
far above the miasma of jealousy.
He manifested no sympathy with the
dissatisfaction of his disciples, but
showed how clearly he understood his
relation to the Messiah, and how
gladly he welcomed the One for whom
he had prepared the way.
He said,
“A man can receive nothing,
except it be given him from heaven.
Ye yourselves bear me witness that I
said; I am not the Christ, but that I
am sent before Him. He that hath the
bride is the bridegroom: but the
friend of the bridegroom, which
standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth
greatly because of the
bridegroom’s voice.” John
represented himself as the friend who
acted as a messenger between the
betrothed parties, preparing the way
for the marriage. When the bridegroom
had received his bride, the mission
of the friend was fulfilled. He
rejoiced in the happiness of those
whose union he had promoted. So John
had been called to direct the people
to Jesus, and it was his joy to
witness the success of the
Savior’s work. He said,
“This my joy therefore is
fulfilled. He must increase, but I
must decrease.”
Looking in
faith to the Redeemer, John had risen
to the height of self-abnegation. He
sought not to attract men to himself,
but to lift their thoughts higher and
still higher, until they should rest
upon the Lamb of God. He himself had
been only a voice, a cry in the
wilderness. Now with joy he accepted
silence and obscurity, that the eyes
of all might be turned to the Light
of Life.
Those who are
true to their calling as messengers
for God will not seek honor for
themselves. Love for self will be
swallowed up in the love for Christ.
No rivalry will mar the precious
cause of the gospel. They will
recognize that it is their work to
proclaim, as did John the Baptist,
“Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the
world.” John 1:29. They will
lift up Jesus, and with Him humanity
will be lifted up. “Thus saith
the high and lofty One that
inhabiteth eternity, whose name is
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy
place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite
ones.” Isaiah 57:15.
The soul pf
the prophet, emptied of self, was
filled with the light of the divine.
As he witnessed to the Savior’s
glory, his words were almost a
counterpart of those that Christ
Himself had spoken in His interview
with Nicodemus. John said, “He
that cometh down from above is above
all: he that is of the earth is
earthly, and speaketh of the earth:
He that cometh from heaven is above
all…. For He whom God hath sent
speaketh the words of God: for God
giveth not the Spirit by measure unto
Him.” Christ could say, “I
seek not Mine own will, but the will
of the Father which hath sent
Me.” John 5:30. To Him it is
declared, Thy God, hath anointed Thee
with the oil of gladness above Thy
fellows.” Hebrews 1:9. The
Father ‘giveth not the Spirit by
measure unto Him.”
So with the
followers of Christ. We can receive
of heaven’s light only as we are
willing to be emptied of self. We
cannot discern the character of God,
or accept Christ by faith, unless we
consent to bringing into captivity of
every though to the obedience of
Christ. To all who do this the Holy
Spirit is given without measure. In
Christ “dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily, and
in Him ye are made full.”
Colossians 2:9,10, R.V.
The disciples
of John had declared that all men
were coming to Christ; but with
clearer insight, John said, “No
man receiveth His witness;” so
few were ready to accept Him as the
Savior from sin. But “he that
hath received His witness hath set
his seal to this, that God is
true.” John 3:33, R.V. “He
that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life.” No need of
disputation as to whether
Christ’s baptism or John’s
purified from sin. It is the grace of
Christ that gives life to the soul.
Apart from Christ, baptism, like any
other service, is a worthless form.
“He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life.”
The success
of Christ’s work, which the
Baptist had received with such joy,
was reported also to the authorities
at Jerusalem. The priests and rabbis
had been jealous of John’s
influence as they saw the people
leaving the synagogues and flocking
to the wilderness; but here was One
who had greater power to attract the
multitudes. Those leaders in Israel
were not willing to say to John,
“He must increase, but I must
decrease.” They arose with a new
determination to put an end to the
work that was drawing the people away
from them.
Jesus knew
that they would spare no effort to
create a division between His
disciples and those of John. He knew
that the storm was gathering which
would sweep away one of the greatest
prophets ever given to the world.
Wishing to avoid all occasion for
misunderstanding or dissension, He
quietly ceased His labors, and
withdrew to Galilee. We also, while
loyal to truth, should try to avoid
all that may lead to discord and
misapprehension. For whenever these
arise, they result in the loss of
souls. Whenever circumstances occur
that threaten to cause division, we
should follow the example of Jesus
and John the Baptist.
John had been
called to lead out as a reformer.
Because of this, his disciples were
in danger of fixing their attention
upon him, felling that the success of
the work depended upon his labors,
and losing sight of the fact that he
was only an instrument through which
God had wrought. But the work of John
was not sufficient to lay the
foundation of the Christian church.
When he fulfilled his mission,
another work was to be done, which
the testimony could not accomplish.
His disciples did not understand
this. When they saw Christ coming in
to take the work, they were jealous
and dissatisfied.
The same
dangers still exist. God calls a man
to do a certain work; and when he has
carried it as far as he is qualified
to take it, the Lord brings in
others, to carry it still farther.
But, like John’s disciples, many
feel that the success of the work
depends on the first laborer.
Attention is fixed upon the human
instead of the divine, jealousy comes
in, and the work is marred. The one
thus unduly honored is tempted to
cherish self-confidence. He does not
realize his dependence on God. The
people are taught to rely on man for
guidance, and thus they fall into
error, and are led away from God.
The
work of God is not to bear the image
and superscription of man. From time
to time the Lord will bring in
different agencies, through whom His
purpose can best be accomplished.
Happy are they who are willing for
self to be humbled, saying with John
the Baptist, “He must increase,
but I must decrease.”
