He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease

John 3:22-36

After leaving Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside where they baptized new disciples.

John the Baptist was at the same time baptizing near Aenon which was a few miles southwest of Bethabara on the west bank of the Jordan.

The ministry of John the Baptist continued to run parallel with that of the Lord Jesus until it was brought to a close by his imprisonment and death.

We are not told why some of John's disciples were arguing with the Jews about purification.

It may have been that the Jews were taunting them about the disciples of Jesus baptizing more people than John. They were upset to see the ministry of their leader eclipsed and they went to him and complained.

John told his disciples that no one can receive anything unless it has been given him from Heaven. In other words, he had been given his ministry by God.

He again reminded them that he had testified that he was not the Christ, but had been sent ahead of Him.

When the Bridegroom (Christ) calls the bride (His people) to Himself, the friend (John) rejoices.

John knew that his ministry was coming to its end.

But he rejoiced at the fulfillment of his mission.

He declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease”.

In using the word 'must’, John was indicating that the increasing success of the ministry of Jesus was according to God's eternal plan.

He knew that he would fade into the background and that the work of the Lord Jesus would far surpass his own ministry.

Let us learn not to murmur when others are blessed in God's service, while we struggle with discouragement.

When God gives us work to do, let us persevere and trust Him to bless that work.

We must always seek to glorify Christ in our lives and in our work for Him.

We should have the same aim as John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease.

The Atonement For Sin

Leviticus 16:1–34

In spite of God’s desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin.

But because He loves us and is gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement.

This yearly event was a picture of the atonement that would be accomplished through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Since Jesus died and rose from the dead, and offered Himself to pay for our sins once and for all, we are cleansed through His work.

We can rely on His forgiveness moment by moment.

Why Did Jesus Go To Calvary?

1 Peter 1:18-20

It Was To Finish A Plan (1:20a)

• It was to finish an old plan. The Lord Jesus Christ was chosen before the creation of the world to come to this world and die on the cross for the sins of man. The plan of salvation was in the heart of God before sin was ever in the heart of man!

• It was to finish the only plan. Lost sinners are saved only by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!
  

It Was To Furnish A Payment (1:18-19)

• It was to furnish a ransom payment. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was paying a debt He did not owe. He was paying for those who owed a debt they could not pay.

• It was to furnish a redemption payment. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He provided the means whereby lost and hell bound sinners trapped in the futility of their wasted lives, and who are headed to a Godless and Christless eternity, might be forever set free from their bondage and delivered from their torment. The Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins and set us free to serve the living God.

• It was to furnish a reasonable payment. A holy God had been offended by the sins of man. The Lamb of God had to die on the cross. When the Lord Jesus Christ entered this world and died on the cross, He forever satisfied the righteous demands of God and opened the way of salvation for man. Now lost sinners can be saved.

It Was To Free A People (1:18, 20b)

The Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem people from their bondage in sin. He came to set us free from all things that bind us, so that we might be free to serve Him fully.

• It was to free them from an empty existence. Those who are outside of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ are living an empty way of life. They are just spinning their wheels and wasting their time. All their planning, working, getting, giving, doing, hoping, and waiting will come to nothing! The quest for popularity, comfort, pleasure, recreation and satisfaction will surely fail. The life lived without Jesus is a totally wasted life. Regardless of what is accomplished or what is obtained as one passes through this world, in the end, it all amounts to nothing and still ends in Hell.
  
  But the Lord Jesus came that men might have life and have it more abundantly. He came to give meaning to life. He came to make our work worthwhile. He came to insure that our lives would matter even after we leave this world. He came to help us find direction and fulfillment in this life and contentment in His presence in the next. The Lord Jesus Christ promised happiness and contentment, peace and joy, fulfillment and meaning. And, He has the power to deliver them all.
  

• It was to free them from an endless eternity. The Lord Jesus died to make life more meaningful. He also died to make eternity more pleasant. When we leave this world, we can rest assured that we will never feel the flames of Hell; we will spend eternity in the very presence of God.

Why did the Lord Jesus Christ go to Calvary? He went for God, He went for Himself and He went for us. He went so that everything might change for us and that we might be saved. Will you come while the door of salvation is still open? Will you come while He calls you right now?

Anointing The Lord

Matthew 26:5-13

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simeon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.

But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?"

"For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me."

"For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always."

For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for my burial."

"Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

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A woman came to the Lord Jesus Christ, opened an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and poured it on His head.

The woman took this occasion to worship and adore the Lord Jesus Christ.

And she anointed Him with the very expensive fragrance oil.

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The Lord Jesus Christ saw this more than just an act of adoration.

He saw this as a preparation for His death and burial.

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But the disciples were angry.

They protested regarding this waste of money.

For they thought it could have been sold and given the money to the poor.

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The woman believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was worthy of such extravagant worship.

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The disciples saw money as of more important.

They would want to use the money to serve the poor.

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What this woman did was a natural reaction of her love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

She poured out her most precious gift as an expression of her love for the Lord Jesus Christ!

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This love and intimacy were more precious in the sight of our Lord than any act of kindness to the poor or any other kind of philanthropy!

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What our Lord wants from us is our hearts!

He wants us to seek Him above anything else and to abide in Him.

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When we live in communion in Christ, we will do good works to the poor and needy.

This is a natural reaction of our relationship with Him.

But many today are preaching a type of social gospel where Christ the Person is missing.

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Christianity is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The essence of Christianity is to be union with Christ, and not to be social workers.

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The woman recognized she was in the presence of the Incarnate God and she did what was appropriate.

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Our goal in life is to be united with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This unity has two dimensions:

- On the one side we are as empty vessels seeking to be filled with God's grace and presence.

- On the other side we are to live a life of praise and thanksgiving, and sacrifice our lives for the One who sacrificed His life for us.

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The woman was not concerned about the earthly worth of the perfume.

She was so engaged in worship that she poured out her love, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the Lord Jesus Christ did not allow the others to take that away from her.

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The Lord promised that her action would be a memorial to her wherever the gospel was preached.

Her love for Christ was honored by the Lord.