The Gospel of John # 9

John 3:22-36

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
7. John the Baptist was considered a prophet like those of old. After the appearance of Jesus, John is still baptizing, but now in Samaria, the location of Aenon and Salim.
8. We notice that John was baptizing there because “water was plentiful.”
9. A discussion arose between some of John’s followers and an unnamed Jew over the concept of ritual purification and the fact that Jesus’ followers were growing.
10. John, not envious, states that Jesus had been given much, more than he himself because this had been given by God.
11. John is able now to summarize his calling and also making sure that people understand that he is not the Messiah. John is a friend of the bridegroom, meaning Jesus, and to Jesus are coming the bride, those who belong to God.
12. John will decrease while Jesus will increase, and for this, John rejoices. These are John’s last words of testimony.
13. Now, we have the words of John the Apostle again, who explains that the one who comes from above, meaning Jesus, is above all, including then John the Baptist.
14. In verse 34 we see a primitive presentation of the Trinity: (he) meaning Jesus, (God) meaning God the Father; (Spirit) meaning the Holy Spirit.
15. Jesus has the Holy Spirit without measure, while then, John the Baptist had the Holy Spirit with measure. And so, like John, will be all of us who become followers of Jesus.
16. The issue is vital: either eternal life or eternal death.