“He must become greater and I must become less.” John 3:30
My ego doesn’t like this verse.
Well, that’s not exactly true.
My ego can’t stand this verse. It violently opposes John 3:30 like a ferocious, territorial mountain lion. In fact, my ego, the worldly part of me that craves constant attention and affirmation, wishes the verse read like this:
“I must become greater and He (Jesus) must become less.”
Please understand – John 3:30 is actually one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. I’ve cherished it for years.
But John 3:30 also challenges us to stick a dagger into our egos and watch them die a slow death. And I don’t know about you, but my ego doesn’t like the thought of that very much.
I often wonder if John the Baptist, who spoke these ego-killing words, struggled with his ego when he was told that people were now flocking to Jesus instead of coming to see him (John 3:26).
You see, up to this point, John had been a local celebrity. The eccentric, camel-hair wearin’, locust and honey eatin’, and desert prophet was the talk of the town (Mark 1:6). Hundreds of people came to hear him preach and to be baptized in the Jordan River. His ministry was a fantastic success.
But now…the spotlight was shifting off of John and onto Jesus. While Jesus’ crowds were exploding, John’s were shrinking. For all intents and purposes, Jesus had basically stolen the show.
How would you react if you were in John’s shoes, and you were no longer the center of attention?
Personally, I don’t always respond well to watching others succeed. My ego often flares up with envy. John, on the other hand, has the complete opposite reaction. In the shadow of Jesus’ ever-increasing popularity, he displays beautiful humility.
James Montgomery Boice explains John’s response as, “What is it that will make a person forget himself in order to point to Jesus? Only an awareness of Jesus’ worth and glory.”
Having an awareness of the majesty of Jesus, John uses the metaphor of a wedding ceremony to describe what it looks like to point to Him. Jesus is the Groom, and John is a “friend” (or best man) of the Groom (John 3:29). As the best man, John exists to serve the Groom, nothing more, nothing less. After all, the bride (the people) ultimately belongs to Jesus, not to John. Not wanting to interfere with Jesus’ ministry in any way, John quietly fades away and allows the Groom to claim His bride.
Do you see yourself as a servant of Jesus’s kingdom, or are you using Jesus to serve your kingdom?
It’s worth noting that he didn’t yield the spotlight to Jesus begrudgingly but joyfully (John 3:29). John says his joy is “complete,” meaning his joy is abounding and overflowing. Contrary to the cravings of our ego, John demonstrates that real joy is found not in glorifying ourselves but in glorifying Jesus.
Bottom line, the battle with your ego will never completely go away on this side of heaven. But there is something you can do. Every time your ego tries to rear its ugly head…clawing and grasping for recognition…fighting tooth and nail for attention…follow these three basic steps:
- Remember the worth and glory of Jesus.
- Follow the example of John the Baptist.
- Quietly quote John 3:30 to yourself.
And slay your ego!
(Repeat as needed)
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
