The image and likeness that we were created in was hidden due to sin and Lord Jesus shared His glory but to fully receive that my sinful thoughts and desires must decrease and His will must prevail in my life.
I Must Decrease
Before
the date of arrival of a king announcements were made for the people to get
ready to hail him but various other preparations were made. John the Baptist
was entrusted with the similar task of preparing the Israelites for the coming
of the King of kings through repentance and seeking forgiveness. Most Jews
resented this for they believed that since they were chosen of God there was no
need for them to undergo baptism for circumcision ensured their direct
relationship with God.
What was the role of John the Baptist? – Prophecy
regarding John the Baptist was first made by Prophet Isaiah that he was ‘to
prepare a way for the Lord to reveal His Word that ‘stands forever’ and this
proclamation was to be made ‘in the wilderness’ (Isaiah 40:3-8). Wilderness
results from the sinful acts of man and Adam and Eve were sent out of the
presence of God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23-24). Moses had to flee
into the land of Midian after murdering an Egyptian man (Exodus 2:15) and
Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years for their unbelief. It is in
the wilderness of sin that we require a reminder to return to the LORD and in
the state of utter sinfulness all of humanity needed to be reminded to repent,
seek forgiveness and be ready to get into God’s presence.
John the Baptist accepted that he was not the Messiah but the one tasked
by God to ‘make straight the way of the LORD’ (John 1:20-36). God does not
require someone to straighten paths for Him but it is customary to announce a
king’s coming to ensure proper upkeep of the area that a royal was to travel
and to proclaim his likely coming, through warnings to the people to get them ready
to receive him. People would then cleanse themselves, wear clean good clothes
and welcome the royal visitor. Humanity in their sinful state could not be in
the presence of the Son of God, hence the call by John the Baptist to repent
and seek forgiveness. People were called to realize their sinful state, seek
the coming Messiah and then John the Baptist revealed the manner in which He
will forgive their sins by identifying Lord Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God’. The
prophecy regarding John’s role clarified his role where God declared that ‘I
send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me’ (Malachi 3:1). John
was the messenger of God carrying His message of the coming Messiah.
Gabriel, God’s messenger angel, appeared to Zacharias, the priest on duty
in the temple, to convey the message of birth of a son in answer to his prayer
and asked him to name the child John. John the Baptist was named by God before
his birth and that ‘many will rejoice at his birth; he will be great in God’s
sight; will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb (Luke
1:11-20). This was evident when upon hearing the greeting of Mary the child in
Elizabeth leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
(Luke 1:41). It was the mother who was blessed through the child. God declared
to prophet Jeremiah, ‘before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before
you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations’
(Jeremiah 1:5). Like Jeremiah, John the Baptist was ordained before his birth
to ‘turn many of the children of Israel to the LORD their God and that he will
go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children’, disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord’. There was similarity in the prophecy of
Malachi 4:5 about turning the hearts of fathers to their children. Prophet
Elijah warned against Baal worship and John warned against sinful living and
both challenged the king of their time about his sinful living.
The Holy Spirit warns about sin before, during and after commission to stop but
this gets stopped after continuous life of sinful living by an individual.
Extreme cold causes numbness of body parts and after a while one stops feeling
pain of numbness. In this state after sometime one is likely to sleep off and
finally freeze to death. Sinful living is similar and one forgets the ill
effects of sin on one’s life and for waking up shock treatment is required.
John the Baptist did this through his admonition to people ‘Brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come’, a statement sure to cause anger
and self introspection (Luke 3:7). John the Baptist was to prepare the
people and point them toward the Messiah; witness about Him and identify Him to
the people and then withdraw. John the Baptist identified the Messiah as ‘The
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ and further informed that He
was ‘preferred before me for He was before me’ confirming His eternal existence
for Lord Jesus was born 6 months after John. He confirmed to all who listened
that ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon
Him’ and that ‘this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testified
that this is the Son of God’. John again told his disciples ‘Behold the Lamb of
God!’ cofirmking His role of being the sacrificial offering for the sins of
humanity (John 1:29-36).
Before Lord Jesus’ second coming special powers will be given to the two
witnesses from God as ‘fire proceeds from their mouth; they can shut heaven and
stop rain; power over waters to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with
plagues’. They will be killed and resurrected after three and a half days and
called up to heaven by God and they would be announcing the second coming of
the Lord as a Judge (Revelation 11:3-11). John the Baptist revealed the love of
God and His mercy and grace made available through His Son.
Uniqueness
of John the Baptist – John the Baptist identified these things about
the Lord – first, He is eternal for He is preferred over me for He was before
me. Second, He was to be the sacrificial offering for our sins for He is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Third, His work is eternal
and empowering for He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Fourth, He is much
superior to any living being for He is the Creator and ‘I am not worthy to even
untie His sandals’. Lord Jesus honored John the Baptist that, ‘Truly I
tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than
John the Baptist’ (Matthew 11:11). Fifth, John was filled with the Holy Spirit
before birth and was aware of Lord Jesus’ being the Son of God and the Divine
Lamb. Sixth, though Gabriel announced the coming of the Savior Lord to
Zechariah, the priest, yet John the Baptist declared His coming thus breaking
the 450 years of Divine silence after prophet Malachi’s period. Seventh, he was
chosen by God as a forerunner of the Messiah, the herald who announced the
coming of the King of Kings. Eighth, John the Baptist preached with the power
of Prophet Elijah, calling Israelites to repentance, rebuking the king and
persevering in faith despite strong opposition and persecution. Ninth, he was
the chosen and Spirit filled bridge between the Old and New Testament declaring
the end of one and onset of the other; end of the Law and beginning of the
Promise. Tenth, he was the only prophet who predicted Lord Jesus coming and
also witnessed His works for others saw an image but John the Baptist saw the
Lord in flesh and baptized Him in fulfillment of the Law.
But John the Baptist was well aware of his own place in relation to the
Lord and he died without
seeing God’s plan of salvation fully unfold in Lord Jesus. He missed out on
seeing the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior declaring victory over
death. He was aware that his baptism was unable to save a person and Apollos
and the other twelve disciples of John had to be later baptized into the Holy Spirit
(Acts 18:24-26 & 19:1-7). John the Baptist expressed his joy at Lord Jesus’
work, comparing himself to the friend of the bridegroom ‘who stands and hears
him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice’. Then accepting his
place he announced, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ (John 3:29-30).
This is the most striking aspect of his character; lived a severe life in the
desert yet rejoiced that God’s cause was advanced through him
The important points of his statement are, firstly,
temporary nature of his work but the eternally enduring work of the
Lord. Second, his baptism was introductory but
baptism of the Holy Spirit by the Lord was permanent. He was like the bright
red and orange light appearing in the east before sunrise announcing the coming
of the ‘Light of the world’ and like the early morning light, he must sink out
of sight at ‘Son rise’. Gospel is revelatory of the vileness and depravity of
mankind versus the sufficiency and completeness of Lord Jesus’ sacrifice, the
redeeming power of His blood and the prevalence of His intercession for
mankind. Third,John the Baptist prophesied in line with
Isaiah 9:7, ‘Of the increase of His government, there shall be no
end’. Fourth, His contentment, John the Baptist was filled with
contentment on seeing the greatness of the Messiah and His ministry (John
3:29). King David praised God in like manner, ‘In Your hand is power and might;
in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore,
our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name’ (1 Chronicles
29:12-13). Fifth, His humility, he was in danger of being mistaken
as the Messiah, and whom our Lord pronounces as the greatest of prophets,
formed the most lowly estimate of himself (John 3:28). Sixth, His
absolute unselfishness, he never tried to remain in the spotlight but
pointed all towards the Savior, ‘the Lamb of God’ (John 1:28). Seventh,
his cheerful withdrawal, John the Baptist declared, He (Lord Jesus)
must increase for he came for and lived for this.
Why must the Lord increase? – The
increase and dominance of the Son of God over everything was and is God’s plan
which cannot fail. The reign of the kingdom of the Messiah Lord is to the ends
of the earth and His role as deliverer was declared immediately after sin
entered the world (Psalm 2:7-8 and Isaiah 9:7). The Holy Scriptures declared
His coming repeatedly and He alone must reign.
What
does this increase mean? – Individual felicity is clearly evident in
the lives of all who have the Lord as their Savior and their contentment
increases with this increase. Second is about social elevation when the evil
beast in man’s heart is defeated which then makes all relationships holy and
honorable. Third is of national advancement, for while comparing the nations
having increase of the heavenly Word with great empires like Egypt, Babylon and
Rome, we see that all were destroyed.
How
is this increase to be secured? – Andrew brought his brother Simon who
was later called Peter, Philip brought Nathanael declaring to him, ‘We have
found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote’ (John
1:40-51). Witnessing to others and lighting the lamp of God’s love in
their hearts is the way. Second, by organized advance upon the
strongholds of darkness, John’s disciples were perplexed and annoyed at
Lord Jesus’ popularity but ‘John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing
unless it has been given to him from heaven’ and then declared I am not the
Christ (John 3:26-27). With this the devil lost all chances of creating a
breach between the Master and His herald. Man was created in God’s image and
likeness which was clouded by sin (Genesis 1:26). After gaining access to the
Divine heavenly family through faith in the Messiah, we behold God’s glory as in
a mirror and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory (2
Corinthians 3:17-18). For this transformation, we need an unveiled face, an
open heart giving up all our thoughts, anxieties and expectations for only then
can we be face to face with Him. Otherwise we are focusing and looking at our
issues only and turn our back towards Him and when we are spending time with
someone with our back towards him closeness in relationship can never result.
This veil could be our personal issues, preconceptions or expectations and we
must turn our hearts to Him and seek His help for this. He is the Living Word
and we behold Him in the written Word and develop intimacy with Him under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1). Lastly, transformation is a slow and
gradual process that continues throughout life when His Spirit influences our
spirit, our mind and thoughts and this change then spreads into the soul,
influencing our feelings and desires. Lord Jesus has transplanted His glory
that He received from God the Father into us, we are required to clean the dirt
of sin from the mirror of our lives to let it shine (John 17:22).
Believers place in the kingdom – Lord Jesus
honored John the Baptist but also clarified a believers’ place vis-à-vis the
Old Testament saints. The Savior declared, ‘Truly I tell you, among those born
of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever
is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he’ (Matthew 11:11). All
believers are blessed with the indwelling Holy Spirit to ‘teach us all things
and to remind us’ of Lord Jesus’ Word. Like John the Baptist said our decrease
and His increase in our lives would result in bearing fruits of the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22).
LORD God the Father has chosen us and placed us under the tender and loving
hand of His Son to show us the ‘real image and likeness’ into which He wants us
to get transformed. This gradual change involves my sinful nature, my thoughts
and desires getting changed as per the holy nature of the Savior. He must be
seen in my life, His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness and His coming
in search of the lost sheep. He has given us all the required facilities to
take the message of His love to others.