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John the Baptist knows who he is and who he’s not. The Bible tells us that his ministry is to prepare the people for the coming Messiah, the Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:1). In fulfilling his mission, he has baptized people with water, and has testified about Jesus.
John has paved the way for the start of Jesus’ ministry. He has echoed the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight his paths.” As Jesus becomes popular, John the Baptist slowly fades from the scene. His ministry may have started before Jesus’ but it is not his goal to take glory for himself.
As a natural consequence of Jesus’ popularity, some of John’s disciples have become jealous. People no longer come to them, but the prophet understands the events well. He knows that his mission has been accomplished because “He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less.”
John reminds his disciples that he is not the Christ, but only the servant who comes before Him to prepare the way. He knows his limits so he tells them, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” He has been shown the truth that the Messiah is coming, and has been given the mission to proclaim it. John receives these and nothing more.
To make his point clearer, he compares Jesus to a bridegroom. John says that as a servant, it is his joy to see the one he has testified about coming to fulfill His mission for humanity’s salvation.
The prophet also exalts Jesus by revealing and emphasizing His origin. Jesus comes form above; He comes from heaven where the Father is. Thus, He is above all and over all things. His understanding of the universe transcends human understanding. Jesus comes from heaven so He speaks not as a man from the earth but as God from heaven.
John belongs to the earth so his knowledge is limited to what the earth knows. His perception is that of a mere human being's, while Jesus’ perception is that of God's. Jesus is the God-man. His words are God’s words. He is the image of the invisible God in human form (Philippians 2:5-11). He is filled with the Holy Spirit and is in perfect communion with the Father. The Father loves Jesus, the Son, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. This is the perfect harmony and unity in the Triune God.
Towards the end, John echoes two other truths about Jesus. He tells us what has been revealed in John 3:11. Though Jesus proclaims and testifies to the truth, many will not accept His message.
This has also been revealed in John 1:10-11, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”
However, to those who do receive Jesus, John the Baptist says eternal life awaits them. Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life (John 14:6). He is the only way to salvation. All will hear the truth of the Gospel, but not everyone will accept it. To those who do not accept, John clearly reveals that they will not see life because the wrath of God, sin and darkness remain on them.
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)"
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)"
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Image taken from: http://witshadows.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/john_baptist.gif
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