Saturday after Epiphany
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I don't say that he should make a request concerning this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
We know that whoever is born of God doesn't sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn't touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation.
After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized; for John was not yet thrown into prison. Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John's disciples with some Jews about purification. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him."
John answered, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore my joy is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.
What strikes me most about John the Baptist's words is how counter-cultural they sound in our world of personal branding and self-promotion. "He must increase, but I must decrease." Here's a man who could have capitalized on his popularity, who had devoted followers, yet he willingly steps aside when Jesus begins his ministry.
John uses the beautiful image of a wedding friend – what we might call the best man today. In ancient Jewish culture, this friend had the honor of arranging the marriage and bringing the bride to the groom. His joy came not from being the center of attention, but from seeing the union completed. John finds his deepest fulfillment in pointing others toward Christ, even when it means his own role diminishes.
This connects powerfully with John's letter about prayer and our relationship with God. When we pray "according to his will," we're aligning ourselves with God's purposes rather than demanding our own agenda. Like John the Baptist, we're learning to find joy in God's plan unfolding, even when it doesn't put us in the spotlight.
What I find beautiful here is how this applies to our ordinary relationships. Whether we're parents watching our children grow independent, mentors seeing students surpass us, or colleagues supporting someone else's promotion, we're invited into John's joy. The friend of the bridegroom doesn't lose importance – he gains the deeper satisfaction of love accomplished.
In our social media age, where we curate our image and count our likes, John offers a different metric for success: How well are we helping others encounter Christ? How willing are we to celebrate when someone else shines?
Where in your life might God be calling you to decrease so that Christ can increase? What would it look like to find your joy in pointing others toward Jesus rather than toward yourself?