Text: John 2:23-25; 3:22-30
Summary: Become the kind of friend whom Jesus can entrust Himself to by having one agenda — He must increase, but I must decrease.
Happy New Year, everybody! It’s nice to have Bekah back after a long absence. Does anyone have a goal for this year? Or because it is 2020, a goal for this decade?
I have one goal for this year for this decade and possibly for my life. And it is to become the kind of friend whom Jesus can entrust Himself to. To become a kind of friend whom Jesus can entrust Himself to by having one agenda — that He must increase but I must decrease.
John 3
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
I hope we can all make this our goal — to become the kind of friend whom Jesus can entrust Himself to by having one agenda — He must increase, but I must decrease.
In the Westminster Catechism, it describes the chief end of man. The chief end of man is to glorify God. And there’s a second part — and to enjoy Him forever.
There’s something about a friend who simply enjoys the company of his or her friends. When friends gather, there is no ulterior motive. You don’t have to wonder, am I being used? Does this person, at the end of my conversation, is he going to pitch me on some insurance policy?
Especially when spending time with a best friend, you’re just enjoying one another. And Jesus seeks friends like that, friends who enjoy Him and He enjoys you. And He doesn’t have to worry, are you using me?
Did you know that Jesus did not entrust Himself to all believers? That might be a surprising statement, but it says that in John 2:23…
John 2
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
We’re talking here about believers, those who believed in His name based on signs. And it says, Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, meaning, He saw something in them that was displeasing, that caused Him to distrust them. As believers, we all trust Jesus. But did you know trust is two-way? Jesus can also choose to entrust Himself to us, or choose to refrain and keep a distance.
It’s interesting to note that these believers believed based on signs. There are many believers who believe because they want their ticket to heaven. And they just do life. They don’t consult Jesus. And that kind of a believer, I think, can be saved. But would Jesus trust Himself to that kind of a person who just wants a ticket to heaven?
There are believers who just want signs. They just want answered prayers. They just want a life of blessing. And if that is the basis of their relationship with Jesus, would Jesus entrusts Himself to them?
There’s an official in John 4, whose son is dying. And Jesus expresses a little bit of frustration. Let’s let’s look at John 4.
John 4
48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
There’s some people who believe based on Jesus’s Word, based on His goodness, and nothing can happen in their lives. Jesus doesn’t owe them anything. And they still believe, and that is a higher level of belief. There are others who will simply not believe unless a sign is given.
This official fits into that category. His son was dying. And Jesus says, your son will be healed. And later on, the official goes home and gets the testimony of when was my son healed. And it was at the exact time that Jesus said, your son was healed. And it was a sign to this official and to his household. And based on this sign, he believed.
There are some believers who just want signs. They just want answers to prayer. They just want a life of blessing. They just want everything to go well. They pray and they want God to answer. Would Jesus entrust Himself to people who just want stuff?
As far as I can tell, there seems to be a progression in Scripture. There are believers whom Jesus doesn’t entrust Himself to. They just want salvation. They want their ticket to heaven. They want signs. They want answers to prayer. That is step one — just a believer. If you progress a little further, then you become a disciple, somebody who is learning from Jesus, somebody who is serious about their faith. That is a little bit better. You’ve progressed beyond simply a believer.
But to be a person that Jesus entrusts Himself to, I think you have to go from a believer, to a disciple, to a friend, and even beyond a friend, a best friend. There’s a difference between a a user and a friend. A user wants something from you. A friend just enjoys you. We have many Facebook friends. Some of you may have thousands of friends on Facebook. Would you entrust yourself to every one of these Facebook friends? Have these Facebook friends entrusted themselves to you? That is a different matter altogether. Jesus is looking for a believer, who becomes a disciple, who becomes a friend, and even a best friend.
Jesus is looking for that type of person whom He can entrust Himself to. Jesus had many believers around Him, but out of that huge set of believers, there was a smaller subset of disciples. I would say the 120 who were gathered in the Upper Room before Pentecost, they were the disciples. They were the serious ones. They were committed to Jesus. And among the 120, you separate out the 12, and really the 11, who were the friends of Jesus. And even among the 11, there were the three — Peter, James and John, who saw things that the other apostles did not see.
For example, you have the Transfiguration. Did Jesus take all 12? No, He only took Peter, James and John. When He prayed at Gethsemane, yes, 11 were there. But then He says to Peter, James and John, why don’t you come with me a little further and pray with me? That is a special privilege for not just the friends but the best friends. And even among the three, I may argue that there is one who is the best friend. I think it’s John because John heard secrets from Jesus that not even the other 2 heard.
For example, when they were having their Last Supper together, which is the basis for our Lord’s Supper, Jesus talks about His betrayal and Peter motions to John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, who was reclining right beside Jesus. And Peter asks John, can you ask Jesus, who is going to betray you? And Jesus answers John. Even among the three, there’s one who hear secrets from Jesus.
John was someone Jesus entrusted Himself to. Out of all the disciples, out of the three — Peter, James and John — there was one that He entrusted Mary, His mother, to. And that is a trustworthy person.
I hope you have some people in your life, and I have people in my life, that if I were to pass or Jackie were to pass, the kids, who would I entrust them to? I have people that I can gladly say, I entrust myself to, and I can entrust my kids to them. Can you take care of my loved ones? If something were to happen to me and Jackie, and Jackie’s dad is old and needed someone to take care of him, I have people in my life that I can say that because of their love for me and for Jackie, they would care for Jackie’s dad.
Friends whom Jesus can entrust Himself to — it is a special subset of the believers, and then the disciples, and then the friends. And even among the friends, I hope that we all aspire to be best friends of Jesus, someone whom Jesus can entrust Himself to.
I want to talk about another John — John the Baptist.
John 3
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Matthew 11 makes it clear that among all men and women born of a woman, the greatest person in history up until that point was John the Baptist. That is a remarkable statement. You don’t have to wonder, while I’m studying Scripture, is Moses the greatest? Is David the greatest? In Jesus’ eyes, the greatest is the one person that we just read about — John the Baptist. He is the greatest.
And what makes John the Baptist the greatest in Jesus’ eyes? He was in the wilderness and he was a fulfillment of Isaiah 40. He was a voice of one calling in the wilderness. When John the Baptist read Isaiah 40, his heart was stirred. He realized that God was talking about him, that he was a fulfillment of that Isaiah 40. That was his story. And he would be the one to prepare the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
And he had a thriving ministry for a season. He had left the system. He’s wearing camel’s hair and he’s eating locusts and wild honey. And he is preaching a message of repentance, and people are flocking to the wilderness to hear this man named John. But the greatness of John is in verse 27.
John 3
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
John recognized his thriving ministry was not because of him. It was a gift for a season. The fact that people flocked to him, was it because John was so great? Was it because he was so anointed? These are true. Jesus says, John is the greatest. Of course, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, even while he was in his mother’s womb. But is it really because of John that his ministry is thriving? No, John understood that this thriving ministry was a gift from above.
There’s this myth of a self-made man. To a believer, we dismiss this as hogwash. There’s no such thing as a self-made man in the kingdom of God. If we experience any type of blessing and thriving and peace, it is because we received gifts from above. The fact that I have a wife and kids, I could say, these are mine. I could say, it’s my wife and my kids. I could take on all the burden and say, it’s because of me and I have to handle this.
Or, I could say, I’m just stewarding these precious lives. One day, Jackie and I will be brother and sister. I’m simply stewarding her for however long God allows. In the end, I will release her to the Heavenly Father and she will be a daughter of God. The same with the children. I am stewarding them for these 18 to 20 years, however long God gives. At some point they will have their own family. I would release them.
That is what it means that every good gift is from above. Somebody who understands, like John understood that his ministry was from heaven, that’s why John so quickly could release all of his disciples and say, Jesus is here now, you need to follow him. I wonder how many pastors if Jesus planted a church down the street, how many pastors in this area would say, empty this church, let’s go to that church. How many pastors would say that?
John the Baptist is modeling what Christian ministry is. Our job is to point to Jesus and say, it’s not about me, it’s about Him. Life is not about you, it’s about Him. And if you understand this, the fact that Jesus is here, John says to all of his disciples, it is time for you to leave. And that’s why he says in v30, He must increase, but I must decrease.
Even in the verse before, it says, therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. I used to think joy is an emotion, and while it is an emotion, it’s more of a spiritual reality. When you decrease and your chief end is to glorify Jesus, and His name is being exalted and He’s being increased. And I am just fading into the background, and when people look at me, they don’t see me. They see Jesus. When that has happened, there is so much joy there. That is where joy comes from, the spiritual reality where He must increase but I must decrease.
John the Baptist was not merely a believer. He was not merely a disciple, he was not merely a friend. How does Jesus describe or how does John describe himself? It says in v29. The friend of the bridegroom rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Now this is a best friend. That’s why John is the greatest in Jesus’s eyes because he’s one of his best friends, the same way that Apostle John became one of his best friends.
You remember, we had two memorable weddings in the not to distant past. We had Delaine’s (Dongyoon & Elaine) wedding and Jimelyn’s (Jimmy & Jeralyn) wedding. And remember Andre at Dongyoon and Elaine’s Wedding? Remember Peter at Jimmy and Jeralyn’s wedding? They were overjoyed. They were filled with joy because they knew it’s not about them. They’re not the star of the show. Of course they did a lot of things in the background, and they served and they prepared and they were with them and supported the bride and the bridegroom.
But on that day they were overjoyed because a spotlight was on the bride and the bridegroom. And for the Christian, it’s not about us. Life is not about us. If God blesses you, it’s not because you are so great. It is because you received a gift from above. If your life is thriving for a season, it’s not because you’re great. It’s because you got a gift from above.
And when that season ends, you glorify God. If God takes away everything from you, will you still glorify God? That is a best friend. And Satan knows the heart of man the same way that Jesus knows the heart of man, that Satan went to the courts of heaven and said, this man job loves you only because you blessed him. Take it all away. I’ve seen it so many times. Take away all the blessings and he will curse you.
That is Satan’s view of mankind. That is also what Jesus sees in vast many cases, there are believers who are only interested in salvation and entrance into heaven. There are believers who only want signs. They’re not really interested in Jesus. But if you want to be a friend whom Jesus entrusts Himself to, you have to be the kind of friend that says, my relationship with you has nothing to do with my circumstances or blessings or you taking way blessings or my life thriving or my life being difficult. It has nothing to do with my life. It’s all about you, Jesus.
And it says He must increase, but I must decrease. That is the downward descent of every cross bearing friend of Jesus, that we’re descending lower and lower and lower. And Jesus, through your life is being exalted higher and higher and higher. Is that how you conceive of your life in 2020 that I want to go lower this year? I want to be more invisible this year. I want people to see Jesus when they see me.
This year, I want to glorify His name. I want to be a friend, not because he’s been so good to me. But just because He is so good. I want to enjoy Him forever because He is worthy. It has nothing to do with how well this year goes. It has everything to do with your relationship with Him.
John the Baptist in Jesus’s eyes was the greatest up until that point in human history. And the proof of it was when Jesus’s ministry was starting to flourish. John the Baptist releases everybody and says, don’t follow me anymore. The star of the show has arrived. You follow Him and exalt Him. He let Jesus increase, while his ministry was decreasing and disappearing. And soon he was about to be thrown in prison and be martyred for the faith. That is a true friend who will stand to the end.
Okay, let’s pray.
Father, thank you for allowing us to begin this year in the Gospel of John. And we read about two very significant John’s in Scripture. Apostle John was so humble, he didn’t even want to write his name in the Gospel of John or his letters. He only described himself in relation to you. He was a disciple whom Jesus loved.
He decreased and he let you, Lord Jesus increase. And John the Baptist also was the greatest person up until that point because he was not just a believer. He was not just a disciple, he wasn’t just a friend. He was a best friend of the bridegroom. And when the bridegroom came in, his ministry was starting to take off. John’s ministry was starting to wane and eventually disappeared. And he was thrown in prison and he was martyred. He held on to the end as a true friend does. He allowed himself to decrease in order for you to increase.
Lord, it is our goal for 2020 and beyond, that we would decrease, that we would descend, that we would humble ourselves, that you may give us a life of blessing and we will glorify you. But we may have a difficult year ahead and we will still glorify you. It is not about us. Life is not about us. It’s about you, Lord Jesus.
We pray that you would increase through our life. We pray that you will be glorified through our lives. We are just a best man or best woman at a wedding feast and you’re the star of the show. We want you to be increased and exalted higher and higher through our lives in 2020 and beyond.
Jesus, we pray that when you look upon every believer gathered here, every disciple gathered here, every friend gathered here, we could aspire to be a best friend, a person to whom you can entrust yourself to. That there will be secrets that you tell us, that you will not tell anybody else. There will be assignments that you will give to us, that you will not give to anybody else because you see our character. You see are genuine love for you, that we’re not going to steal glory from you.
When you exalt us, we’re not that kind of a person and we’re not in it for ourselves. We are in it for you. So, Lord, we pray that you purify every emotion, every motive that is impure, anything that is displeasing, any selfish ambition, any desire for money or fame or glory of men. We pray everything that is displeasing, that we will repent.
As we come before the Lord’s supper, we remember your body was broken for us. Your blood was shed to cover over and cleanse everything that would potentially make you hesitate to entrust yourself to us. We pray that as we repent and your blood covers our sins, we pray that we would not sin in these ways anymore and that you would see a people prepared for you.
That you can feel safe around us, that are true best friends that you can confide in and trust yourself to. Thank you. We pray that you meet us as we pray, as we meditate on your word, as we partake in your body broken for us and your blood shed in the Lord’s Supper. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen
