John 3:22-36

SUMMARY
In today’s bible reading, Jesus and His disciples went to Judea where He baptized people, while John the Baptist was also baptizing in Aenon. Some of John’s disciples got into an argument with a Jew which they eventually took to John.
The argument was on why Jesus whom John testified about was also baptizing people.
To this, John gave a revelation of Jesus as the messiah and he the one sent ahead of the messiah, stating that he must be lesser whilst Jesus must be greater.
He further explained that Jesus is from heaven and He is above all, He speaks God’s words and God has placed everything in His hands. Believing in Him guarantees eternal life, while rejecting Him attracts God’s wrath.

LIFE APPLICATION
To each of us, God has given a gift or a talent to be used for His glory and the edification of the body of Christ. No matter how unique your gift is or how many people’s lives you have changed or blessed with it, the glory must be God’s and not yours. God must always be the focus of your work for Him. You must not seek to compare or compete with another for we all have our cut out vision which we must fulfill in all humility and reverence to God.
When you seek recognition for your works or try relentlessly to outdo another, you become the most miserable. However, when you let God channel the course of your life and take all the glory at all times, you will flourish irrespective of challenges that may come your way.

PERSONAL DECLARATION
I receive the grace to let go and let God at all times.

Reading – John 3:22-36

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. ²³ Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.) ²⁵ An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. ²⁶ They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a]

³¹ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.³³ Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God^[b] gives the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Footnotes:

1. John 3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
2. John 3:34 Greek he