John 3:25-30 (NIV): An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan–the one you testified about–well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.
John was a true & faithful servant. He knew the job he was sent to do, and he did it with all of his heart. He also knew that there were other jobs that had to be done, and that they were not his to do.
John’s job was rather like that of an emcee: he was to introduce the star of the show, and then move quickly into the background while the star took control of the stage and the agenda from that point on. And John had no problem with that role. He realized that the star, Jesus, had arrived, so his part of the process was completed. It was appropriate for Jesus fame and glory to increase as he himself moved into the background.
The imagery that John himself used was that of best man at a wedding. Then, as now, the best man was never to be the center of attention. His was purely a supporting role for the bridegroom. He was to make himself available to the groom, to do whatever was needed. John had been told early on that his task was primarily to announce the groom when he came on the scene, and this he had done with great joy, because he realized that the groom was God’s own Messiah, the one everyone had been waiting for for centuries.
The only thing more offensive than a best man who tries to make himself the center of attention at a wedding would be a best man who tries to steal the bride for himself. John knew that Jesus was the groom, and that the bride in this case was the people who were flocking to Jesus to hear about God’s kingdom. If John had tried to compete with Jesus for the attention of the people, it would be, in effect, trying to steal the bride away from the groom, and John would have no part in that.
John realized that his part in salvation history was completed. He wasn’t sure what was next for him, so he was continually listening for God’s voice to tell him where to go and what to do next. And whatever it was, even if it was a confrontation with a king, a prison cell, and ultimately a beheading, he went willingly, eager to do whatever God called him to do, knowing that, on the other side of that obedience lay a blessed eternity in the presence of the Lord whom he had served with his whole heart.
Father, oftentimes it seems like we can get caught up in the mindset of the world: striving to be the best and brightest, and wanting to hold onto the top spot when our time is up. Help us instead to focus on Your will at every juncture; on following Your lead from task to task, from position to position, even if that means that we must become less so that You may become more. Help us to never try to steal the attention of the bride for ourselves, but to do our job in ways that always hold you up as all in all. Amen.