Why did John the Baptist say, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30)?

If you look at John 3:30, you get another glimpse of John. "He must increase, but I must decrease." The people came to him trying to stir up his jealousy. They said, "Look here, John, you are being thrown completely into the shade. The One to whom you bore witness, He is capturing the people. His popularity is on the rise, and yours is on the wane." John says, "Very well; I am glad that it is so. My mission is to be but the forerunner, and immediately the royal chariot appears, and the King himself graces the procession, I am content to be out of sight." That is another mark of a really great man. When taken down and thrown into the shade by the Master Himself he gladly accepts it.

John 3:28-30. John then clearly sets forth the position in which he stood to Christ. He is the forerunner and, according to the illustration he uses, he is the friend of the Bridegroom. Christ is the true Bridegroom that will receive His bride, and John rejoices because he has seen the Bridegroom and heard His voice. John forms no part of the bride, nor does he see the bride; but, as the friend, he hears the Bridegroom's voice and his joy is full, and his mission accomplished. Therefore, he adds, "He must increase, but I must decrease". Love delights to see Christ exalted, even though the one that delights in Christ passes from the thoughts and vision of men. Would that every believer could catch this happy spirit of John that shrinks from publicity and prominence before men in order that Christ may be exalted, that makes nothing of self that Christ may be all in all.

But earlier how nobly the same John had answered those who told him that all were flocking to Jesus. Did they think it would fret his spirit? At least they seemed not to understand this desertion on the part of his disciples. Probably there was honest perplexity in their minds. So John tells them that far from feeling slighted, he was glad, and his joy was thereby made full. He had told them he was not the Christ, and he gladly retires that the Christ may be all. What if he had to decrease day by day, while Jesus increased? This was but the heightening of his joy. He was the friend of the Bridegroom, and he rejoiced greatly to hear the Bridegroom's voice, not to hear his own. What a lesson for us! Still the Lord deigns to speak through the faltering lips of His servants. R.B.

We have emphazised the last sentence, as it is to that that we wish to call attention. With the first part of the Bishop's argument we are in hearty agreement. Even when a preacher preaches the truth of God, which Mr. Campbell has not done, there is always the danger of the people becoming more engrossed with the man than with his message, and of attention being centred upon the servant instead of upon his Master. Against this result of his ministry every true servant of God will labour and pray. There lived a quaint old preacher in Yorkshire who used to hide himself in the box-like pulpits of his day and cry, "Not the man in the pulpit, but the Man upon the Cross!" Good! The spirit of that preacher was right in spite of his eccentricities. John the Baptist stands out as a great example in this respect. He saw the multitude forsaking him and going after the One to whom he had borne witness on the banks of Jordan, and his glad comment was, "This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:29-30). Yes, the servants of Christ must watch against the ever-present danger of the people to whom they minister leaning upon them instead of upon the Lord Himself.

Further he says, "He must increase, but I must decrease." His star must sink before that resplendent orb; and for the tide to set in any other direction would but contravene the decree of God. "He must increase" was the sustaining power of John's testimony, as of all others to whom God's ways are precious.

But more: “He must increase.” The Lord Jesus had come in lowliest circumstances: therefore His greatness must be more and more manifested. Now also His voluntary sacrifice has been a marvelous basis for the increase of His glory even today, His name known in every nation; and yet to be known in fullness of glory when all shall bow at His feet. In view of this, John is glad to decrease.

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" (verses 29, 30). John was indeed the most favoured 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 king 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 own 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. (Isa. 9:7.) 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.

The rest of the chapter presents the contrast between the positions of John and of Christ. They are both before the eye. The one is the faithful friend of the Bridegroom, living only for Him; the other is the Bridegroom, to whom all belongs: the one, in himself, an earthly man, great as might be the gift he had received from heaven; the other from heaven Himself, and above all. The bride was His. The friend of the Bridegroom, hearing His voice, was full of joy. Nothing more beautiful than this expression of John the Baptist's heart, inspired by the Lord's presence, near enough to Jesus to be glad and rejoice that Jesus was all. Thus it ever is.

It is like the spirit of John the Baptist, who said, “He [our Lord] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The order of these words is beautiful. If he had said, “I must decrease and He must increase,” it would have been as foolish as suggesting that a farthing dip should cease to burn to enable the light of the sun to be seen. His way of putting was equivalent to saying, The rising light of the sun completely eclipses the shining of the moon and stars. They continue to shine, but in the light of the great sun their shining becomes invisible. Lowliness! what a beautiful Christian feature, the fruit of the Spirit of God.

He had said he was not the Christ, but His fore-runner; and in the crowds that were flocking to the new Teacher he but saw that the bride was for the Bridegroom, not for himself, who was but the Bridegroom's friend. Did they grieve for him? he joyed with rejoicing — joyed exceedingly, in the Bridegroom's voice; though it meant for himself necessarily decrease, with the increase of that Other.