“He must increase and I must decrease.”  John 3:30
The ‘He is Christ Jesus’ and the ‘I’ is John the Baptist.
 
We know some things about John, who he is; who his parents are; that he was called to be the forerunner of Jesus; he lived in the wilderness and many thought him to be Elijah; there in the wilderness he preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
 
His preaching was a moral challenge and some asked what they should do--
In Luke 3:11,
“He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.’”
 
Luke 3:12-13,
“Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’
And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than what is appointed for you.’”
 
Luke 3:14,
“Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying ‘And what shall we do?’  So he said to them, ‘Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.’”
 
We also know that John baptized Jesus.  Mark 1:9-11 (Here we have the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit),
“It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth to Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
Then a voice from Heaven, ‘You are my Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
 
Read Acts 19:1-7 for Paul’s finding about 30 years after John the Baptist’s death.  I had not known this.  Having passed over this probably many times, it revealed to me how important it is to stop and meditate on the word!
 
Reading again our opening verse:
“He must increase and I must decrease.”
 
Some may think that spiritual maturity is more and deeper knowledge of doctrine and a bigger grasp of truth. Both of these we seek after!  BUT John 3:30 applies to us as well.  True spiritual growth, spiritual development, is just that, that the Lord increase and we, Believers, decrease!
 
In John 3:31, the Baptist goes on to say,
“He who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.”
 
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 9-11
 
So be it.  Amen