He Must Increase
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:27-30
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He Must Increase
John the Baptist’s words strike at our pride: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” In a world obsessed with self-promotion, John points us away from ourselves to Christ. His humble confession flows from faith: all good gifts come from above. Even his ministry was not his own doing, it was given by God. How freeing this is! We don’t have to build our own worth or prove ourselves. At the cross, Christ bore all our failures and sins. There, His love increased to its fullest measure, poured out for the world. John rejoiced to see the Bridegroom claim His bride, the Church. So we, too, find our joy not in our own glory, but in belonging to Christ. As He increases in our lives through Word and Sacrament, our sinful pride decreases. Thanks be to God that in Christ, we have everything we truly need.
John 3:27-30
+
He Must Increase
John the Baptist’s words strike at our pride: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” In a world obsessed with self-promotion, John points us away from ourselves to Christ. His humble confession flows from faith: all good gifts come from above. Even his ministry was not his own doing, it was given by God. How freeing this is! We don’t have to build our own worth or prove ourselves. At the cross, Christ bore all our failures and sins. There, His love increased to its fullest measure, poured out for the world. John rejoiced to see the Bridegroom claim His bride, the Church. So we, too, find our joy not in our own glory, but in belonging to Christ. As He increases in our lives through Word and Sacrament, our sinful pride decreases. Thanks be to God that in Christ, we have everything we truly need.
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