"Dueling Baptisms - Jesus and John the Baptist Revisited" John 3:22-4:3

According to John 4:2, Jesus wasn’t the one doing baptisms, just his disciples. But it is interesting that his disciples were doing baptisms just like John was. At first, this offends John’s disciples. “Everyone is going to him (instead of us).” John’s response is to tell them that his role is now less, because the promised one has come. Verse 30 could be a theme for us all,

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

I find that the more I die to my own selfishness and desire for everyone’s approval, the more comfortable I become and the more open I am to be used by God and serve others. Am I the only one who tends to get in my own way and in God’s way? Perhaps!

The testimony in John 3:31-36 on the superiority of Christ is amazing. We will see Jesus say similar words in the end of John 6. Jesus is the one whom God “gives the Spirit without limit.” Wouldn’t that be great? John is aware, as are we, that nothing we offer in the name of Christ is pure. As Paul writes, “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” (II Cor. 4:7). I have had to get comfortable with the fact that God uses me in my inadequacy and fallibility. In fact, he knows faults I don’t even recognize yet, and still chooses to use me. That moves me from perfectionism to gratitude, a very good thing.

Verse 36 is another version of John’s gospel theme:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Theology professor, Dr. Schubert Ogden, talked to us in seminary about God’s wrath being the other side of God’s mercy. He said God is both complete holiness and love. When we are receptive to God it becomes mercy and compassion, when we are resistant it is wrath and consequences. The difference is not the way God is or acts, but the way we are and act.