He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30
One of my favorite places in all of creation to be is standing on the shore of an ocean, staring at the vastness of the ocean before me. There is something about the seemingly endless ocean and the crashing of the waves that puts things in perspective for me. I reflect on how big and powerful God is and how very small I am. This is the result of observing the grandness of God’s creation. The beauty, splendor, and magnitude of God’s grand creation remind us of how very small we are and how great God is. Creation prompts each one of us to make much of our great God rather than making much of ourselves.
John the Baptist, a man whom we looked at last week in our Bible study together, understood that life is about making much of God, not ourselves. He was a rabbi whose calling was to prepare people for the ministry of Jesus. In John chapter 3, John’s disciples came to him and reported that Jesus was baptizing people just like John had been, and that “everybody” was going to Jesus instead of John the Baptist (verse 26). It seems like John’s disciples were jealous or unnerved that more people were going to Jesus than to John, but John was not. He said to his disciples, “I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for Him…Therefore I am filled with joy at His success” (verses 28-29). John rejoiced that more and more people were turning to Jesus because He knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, who had come to rescue the world from sin. Therefore, he concluded, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (verse 30). John’s purpose was to make much of Christ, not himself, and his life reflected this purpose.
John’s statement, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less,” is a mantra that each one of us can adopt. Like John, our calling is to make much of God, seeking to make Him known to everyone around us. This life is not about us. We are but specks here on planet Earth. We, however, serve a big God who rules and reigns supreme over everything. May we, like John the Baptist, spend our lives making much of God rather than ourselves. After all, “He must become greater and greater.” We, on the other hand, “must become less and less.”
One of the places where you can make much of God is by worshiping Him among other believers. Make plans to worship Him with us at one of our weekend services, where you can declare His greatness and make much of Him. We can’t wait to worship Him alongside you!
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, I want to make much of You in everything I do; stretch me…”
Going Deeper
John 3:22-36
22 Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.
23 At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. 24 (This was before John was thrown into prison.) 25 A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
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