The next paragraph has for its object the homage rendered by the Baptist to the Lord. This the Spirit of God introduces by telling us the occasion of it. The conversation with Nicodemus was in Jerusalem; and in this was unfolded the absolute need of both the new birth and the cross. Only that when the Lord speaks of these things, He could not but let us know that it is eternal life which the believer receives, and that He Himself was not more surely the Son of man who must be lifted up for man's desperate case than He is the only-begotten Son of God given to the world in divine love. Salvation was in His mind, not judgment, though the unbeliever in Him must be, yea is, judged already; and this on the deepest of all grounds, the preference of darkness, that they might do their wicked works at ease, to the Light come into the world in Christ. The case then of every rejecter of Him is thus solemnly decided.
It is evident that the person of Christ is the key to all and shines out more and more in the secret scene with Nicodemus. Still it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, who gave a yet fuller witness to His glory by John at a critical moment, to reproduce this permanently for us with the circumstances which led to it. The thought might enter some minds that the Lord only used His predecessor to continue the work and outdo it. It was fitting therefore that John the Baptist should give a final testimony to Him where human nature is apt to be most grudging.
“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there was tarrying with them and baptizing. And John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because much water was there and they were coming there and being baptized: for John had not yet been cast into prison.” (Ver. 22-24.) We have thus a view of what was going on previous to the public Galilean ministry of our Lord in the three synoptic Gospels. They do not touch on any work of His before John's imprisonment; whilst the early chapters of the fourth Gospel are devoted to this after the revelation of His person and glories at the beginning.
“There arose then a dispute on the part of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification. And they came unto John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, lo! he is baptizing and all come unto him.” (Vers. 25, 26.) A Jew's reasoning did not ruffle them; for their souls could not but feel the moral superiority of John's call and baptism to repentance in the faith of the coming Messiah; but the nearness of Jesus and the fact of His attractive power, veiled as it then might be, was a fact that disconcerted them, though the appeal to their master took the shape of zeal for one who had been prompt to own the dignity of Jesus when He came to John for baptism. But now He was baptizing and all were flocking to Him: so complained John's disciples.
Let us well weigh the reply. “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear [me] witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.” (Vers. 27, 28.) It was lowly yet wise withal; it put, as truth always does, both God and ourselves in the right place, thus securing a like recognition of His sovereign disposal of all and the contentedness of each with his own lot, and, it may be added, quiet firmness in the discharge of the duty which flows from it. For there is no greater error than the thought that our own will is really strong. Be it ever so, obedience is stronger still. “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Out of this spirit of dependence and happy submission to God did John answer his disciples. If he were eclipsed as the morning star by the dawn of day, it was to fulfill, not to fail in, his mission. He, the servant and fore-runner, had never set up to be the Master, as they could all attest.
Then John applies to himself a figure taken from the circumstance of a bridal feast to illustrate his relation to the Lord, in beautiful harmony with the Lord's own use of it elsewhere. Here of course all is connected with Israel, though, when the church took the place of that nation, the Holy Spirit applies it freely to the new relationship constantly before us in the Epistles and the Revelation. “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom that standeth and heareth him rejoiceth with joy because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled. He must increase, but I decrease.” (Vers. 29, 30.) John was indeed the most favored servant, yea, “the friend,” of the Bridegroom. It was his joy therefore that the bride should be Christ's, not his whose highest distinction was to be His immediate herald, seeing those days which kings and prophets had so ardently desired to see, seeing Him who gave those days their brightness. It was his chiefest joy to hear His voice of love and satisfaction in those He deigned to love as His bride. His mission was closed. If Simeon could depart in peace, John could say that his joy was fulfilled. It was right, it was necessary, that He should increase and himself decrease, though no greater was born of woman. Instead of feeling a pang, his heart bowed and delighted in it. By-and-by when Christ comes in power and glory and sits on the throne of David, as well as of the yet larger dominion of the Son of man, there will be no end of the increase of His government, as the prophet declares. But John could say it now in the days of His humiliation, as His soul rests on the glory of His person, and the Spirit leads him on in the sense of what was due to Him.