“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:22-30

Ministers often tend to focus on themselves and their work because of their selfish and sinful flesh. Ministers come out of college or seminary with hopes and dreams of great success in the ministry (often measured in human standards like numbers and followers), and ministers even become somewhat jealous of the successes of others in the ministry.

Ministers might even count themselves to be more diligent and wonder why people are not flocking to hear the words of their sermons or coming to them to be baptized.

I think we see this in the opening verses of this Bible text. Disciples of John the Baptist voiced concern that Jesus and His disciples were also baptizing, and more people were going to Jesus for baptism than those coming to John.

John’s answer provides a true lesson for all of us. “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”
Not only do ministries given and entrusted to men come from heaven; the fruits of ministries — their successes — are God’s working and His blessing upon the humble labors of faithful ministers of the Gospel.

John reminded his disciples: “Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.” John had clearly told his disciples and hearers that he was not the Messiah but only a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the people for Messiah’s coming. And John had pointed His disciples to Jesus, saying in John 1:29-31: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

As we see in John, chapter 3, John the Baptist told his disciples: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Instead of being upset or even jealous because of his decreasing ministry and the fact the people were now following Jesus and going to Him to hear His Word and to be baptized for the remission of their sins, John rejoiced and said these astounding words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Is that how those called to be ministers of the Gospel conduct their ministries? Do ministers rejoice when their hearers no longer follow them because of who they are and what they do and say but instead follow Jesus and cling to His Word because of who He is, what He has done, and what He teaches and reveals to us?

Remember John the Baptist’s words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Dear Lord Jesus, grant to ministers of the Gospel humble hearts and a willingness to faithfully preach and teach Your life-giving Word in whatever place they are called to serve. And grant that they rejoice when their hearers follow Christ Jesus, the Savior who was sacrificed for the sins of the world, and grow in His Word. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psalm 51:1-9

I once had a bumper sticker on my car that said, “Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven!” And how true that is!

David, the human author used by God to pen Psalm 51, certainly wasn’t perfect. While he was the king of Israel, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite; and he then arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle in an attempt to cover up his sin (2 Samuel 11).

When David attempted to hide and cover up his sin, God’s hand was heavy upon him (Psalm 32:3-4). But when he finally acknowledged and confessed his sin, God graciously forgave him and cleansed him of all his iniquities (Psalm 32:5; 2 Samuel 12).

Psalm 51 is David’s prayer to God for mercy and forgiveness: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (v. 1-2).

David acknowledged his sins to the LORD God: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom” (v.4-6).

God would have been just to judge and condemn David for his sin. David was guilty! And God would also be just to judge and condemn us for our sins against His holy commandments, for we too are guilty!

David prayed: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities” (v. 7-9).

David’s prayer reveals his faith in God’s mercy. He was confident that, if God “purged” away his sin, he would be “clean,” and if God washed away his sin, he would be “whiter than snow.”

David trusted in the words of Psalm 130:7-8: “Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

The LORD God did provide redemption in His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the righteous demands of God’s law perfectly in our stead and then suffered and died on the cross, paying in full the just punishment for the sins of all. Indeed, “with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption”!

Because Jesus died for our sins and rose again, God reaches out to us in mercy, offering to us and all sinners pardon and forgiveness through faith in the atoning sacrifice offered up by Jesus in our stead. When we “confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” because “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:9; 2:1,2).

Because of the redemption accomplished by Christ Jesus, we, like David, can look to God in faith for mercy and forgiveness. We can confidently pray: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

O merciful God, cleanse me and purge away my sins in the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross for the sins of all, and I shall be clean and whiter than snow! Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation, but the free gift [is] of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21

Here is an amazing truth we seldom consider. Through the sin of the first man, Adam, death was passed down to all men; but through the righteousness of the second man, Jesus Christ, forgiveness and life are made available to all men.

When Adam disobeyed the commandment of the Lord and ate the forbidden fruit in the garden (Genesis 3), he brought physical and spiritual death into the world upon all mankind. Not only did Adam die spiritually and become afraid of God, and eventually die physically and return to the dust of the ground, but every descendant of Adam has been born into this world in spiritual death, not loving God or trusting and honoring Him, and every descendent of Adam is subject to physical death and also eternal death and damnation.

Through Adam’s sin, all are judged by God to be sinners and, in fact, live in sin and disobedience to God. And this was true even during that time when the law of God was not yet given through Moses and recorded as a witness against all mankind.

But when God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, a true man, to fulfill the holy and perfect will of God in His thoughts, desires, words, and deeds, and when He suffered and died for the ungodly and paid in full the just penalty for the sins of the whole world, the benefits of His perfect sacrifice — pardon and forgiveness for all our sins, and His perfect righteousness — were made available to all mankind.

This means that you and me — though born into this world condemned sinners and subject to death, and though we have in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds transgressed God’s holy commandments — can now look to Christ in faith and be accounted of God forgiven and righteous in His sight for Jesus’ sake.

Instead of coming to us in judgment and with a sentence of eternal death and damnation, God reaches out to us with mercy and forgiveness and offers us life everlasting for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ! Cf. John 3:16-17.

And so, the second Adam, Christ, is not like the first Adam; for the first Adam brought upon us a sentence of condemnation and death; Christ won for us God’s acquittal, for Adam’s sin and all our own sins as well, and a sentence of life eternal in the everlasting kingdom of our God and Savior.

When we place our faith in Christ, God’s acquittal and His gracious gift of life in Christ Jesus become our own. Because Christ died for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day, we can look to Him in faith and be certain of our justification. We can be sure that, in Christ, our sins are paid for in full and forgiven. And we can be sure of life, that we too will be raised up on the last day unto life everlasting in heaven, for Jesus’ sake.

Dearest Lord Jesus, we thank You for fulfilling all righteousness in our stead and for bearing on the cross the full and just punishment for Adam’s sin, our sin, and the sin of the world, that in You, we might have pardon, forgiveness, and life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John 3:19-20

Why do people not come to Jesus? It’s because no one likes to have his deeds exposed and reproved as evil and wrong. Instead, we would prefer to justify our actions and keep our sins and shortcomings hidden and out of sight. It is for this very reason that people do not come to Jesus, the Light of the world (cf. John 1:1-5; 8:12).

To come into the presence of Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God in human flesh, is to come into the light; for Jesus lived a holy life, and He teaches us what true holiness is. The light reveals our utter sinfulness and our failures to measure up and keep God’s commandments, even when our failures are in the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts (consider Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His many rebukes to those who were outwardly righteous in His day)!

And, in our day, too, people reject Jesus and do not come to Him because they do not want to face up to the fact of their own sinfulness and shortcomings. They don’t want to hear that even their best righteousnesses are “as filthy rags” in God’s eyes (cf. Isa. 64:6). Nor do they want to repent of their evil ways and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and for His help and strength to amend their ways and live in accord with God’s holy Word!

Therefore, they stand condemned for refusing to come to Jesus, the Light of the world and their only hope of salvation. Instead of coming into the light and admitting and acknowledging their utter sinfulness and then turning to Jesus and His shed blood for cleansing and forgiveness, they turn away from the light and continue on in darkness!

This is why church services in which God’s Word is faithfully proclaimed are so poorly attended. People would rather not hear the truth! They do not want to have their sins exposed and reproved for what they are! And they do not want to repent and turn to Jesus for cleansing and a new life!

On the other hand, as we read in 1 John 1:7-9, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

And why? Because “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2). Jesus was lifted up and suffered and died on the cross so that we might look to Him in faith and not be condemned on account of our sins but receive God’s gift of eternal life. It is as Jesus said in John 3:14-15: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

To walk in the light is to let the light of God’s Word shine upon our lives, revealing our sins and shortcomings, but then looking in faith to Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for pardon, forgiveness, and life everlasting.

God, grant that we do not turn away from Jesus and His Word but come to the light, repent of our sins, and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation!

Dear Lord Jesus, the true light of the world, shine into my heart, expose and reprove my sin, and cleanse me through faith in Your shed blood. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:23-27

Have you ever considered the words you would like inscribed on your tombstone? It may sound morbid to speak about epitaphs at Easter, but in light of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, it’s not morbid but a message of hope.

Whether or not it will happen, I don’t know. Still, I’ve always thought it would be nice to have these words from Job 19:25-27 etched into my headstone: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

Why? Because death is not the end! You and I, as believers in Jesus, have hope! Because of the events of that first resurrection Sunday, we can be assured that we, too, will be raised up from death and the grave.

It is as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Cor. 15:23).

Or consider Peter’s words in 1 Peter 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Because Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after suffering and dying on the cross to pay the just punishment for the sins of the world, because the tomb was empty when the women arrived to anoint the body of Jesus, because He appeared to the women, to Peter, to two on the road to Emmaus, to the eleven in the upper room, and even to more than 500 people at one time — most of whom were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing (cf. 1 Cor. 15; Mark 16) — we can have hope and the certainty of our resurrection on the Last Day!

Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). Those words would mean little if Jesus did not rise from the dead. If Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave on the third day, we would still be dead in our sins and without hope (cf. 1 Cor. 15:17ff.). But the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” It tells us that Jesus was “delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Rom. 4:25).

Jesus paid in full for our sins and was raised up on the third day, showing that God accepted the sacrifice of His Son and that we are indeed justified and forgiven when we place our faith in Him. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that we and all who believe in Him will be raised up to the eternal joys of heaven when He returns on the Last Day!

Therefore, we can say with Job: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

Though we die and decay in the grave, our crucified and risen Savior will raise up our bodies to life, and we will see Him who died for our sins and rose again to give us life everlasting, and we will be like Him! (Cf. 1 Thess. 4:13ff.; Psalm 16:11; 17:15; 1 John 3:2.)

“I know that my Redeemer lives; what comfort this sweet sentence gives …”

O my risen Savior, grant that I live and die in the confidence which Your resurrection gives, and raise me up on the Last Day to the eternal joys of Your kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]