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Humility (Part 1)


When you let Jesus increase, and you decrease, you will find deep contentment in Him because humility confronts the conflict of comparison and creates contentment within it.

 

John 3:22-30 - 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

 

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

 

What is the difference between being humble and being humbled? One is a choice; the other is a consequence. One is something you embrace; the other is something you endure. Humility is voluntary descent. Humbling is a forced collapse.

 

Matthew 20:26–27 tells us humility is not optional for the kingdom of God; it is essential. I talking about humility because it is the underlying spiritual principle that runs through John 3:22–4:2 in a cultural context where humility was seen as a sign of weakness and not a virtue.

 

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, humility was not admired; it was despised. It was a badge worn by the defeated, the enslaved, and the insignificant. To be great was to rise above, to assert yourself, to dominate. Jesus did not merely challenge that worldview; He overturned it. He took the lowest place and made it the highest virtue. Philippians 2:8 declares, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.”

 

The Problem

 

The view of humility hasn’t changed; it is just rebranded. We are told to build our platform, curate our image, and broadcast our success. Pride is called self-acceptance. Envy is renamed aspiration. Jealousy is baptized as ambition.

 

People need to know that Scripture cuts through the cultural noise and claims that humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. It is strength-restrained. It is identity secured. It is confidence so rooted in Christ that you no longer need to compete with others. That is exactly what we see in John the Baptist. In John 3:22-4:2, when his disciples tried to pull him into comparison with Jesus Christ, he did not defend his platform; he denied himself. Instead of competing, he rejoiced. In John 3:30, he said: “He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John] must decrease.” That is not resignation; that is revelation.

 

The Big Idea

 

In a world where pride is celebrated and humility is sidelined, if you do not choose humility, God will choose humbling.

 

Proverbs 3:34 teaches that God gives grace to the humble but He opposes the proud. So, the question becomes, how do we live this kind of humility? John 3:22-4:2 shows that we live this kind of humility when humility confronts the conflict of comparison, creates contentment in the conflict, and confesses the command of Christ. Today, we will focus on the first two.

 

Humility Confronts the Conflict of Comparison (John 3:22-27)

 

John 3:22 reads, “22 After this [After the temple cleaning and meeting with Nicodemus] Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.” Note that Jesus did not baptize anyone personally. This is precisely why John 4:1-2 will be discussed the John 3.

 

John 4:2 reads, “(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples).” I believe Jesus did not baptize anyone because He knew that ultimately, it would create a conflict of comparison between those who were baptized by Jesus and those who were not, leading to pride, envy, jealousy, and strife.

 

Why did Jesus travel to the countryside to baptize people? He was in a large city where people came from all over the world to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. More people, more opportunities to minister, but He came to the countryside.

 

John 3:23-24 explains, “23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).” So, water was plentiful there, and people were coming to be baptized by John. In other words, ministry was already happening there.

 

Now that we know why Jesus was there and that His ministry overlapped with John the Baptist’s, John 3:25 continues,

“25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification.”

 

One person was enough to turn the discussion into a dispute. You don’t need tons of people to bring dispute, doubts, and destruction; often, one person is enough. One person is enough to take away your peace, steal your joy, and crush your soul. One thing is enough to create doubts in your mind and distract you from your growth. You don’t need multiple sins in your life to bring you down; one is enough.

 

I just had a conversation with a sister who asked how to minister to a Muslim health worker who is helping their dad. I said to explain to her why she needs salvation and that her good works will not do anything to save her. No matter how many good works she has, one sin, one bad deed is enough to undo the rest.

 

In John 3:25, the discussion was about purification— the baptism. This means that even in Jesus’ time, baptism was not about saving people; it was about something else, in this case, purification.

 

There is too much confusion about baptism today. As far as the Bible is concerned, baptism does not save anyone; rather, it is the public profession of faith of those who are saved by grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone.

 

I had a conversation with a man who said he was baptized as a baby. I asked him whether he confessed his sins as a baby, whether he recognized that he was a sinner, and whether he realized he needed Jesus to save him. Of course, he didn’t; he was a baby.

 

Anyhow, the verse shows that what began as a discussion about purification quickly turned into a comparison about people, personalities, and popularity.

 

Comparison is not a modern problem; it is an ancient poison. It started in heaven. Lucifer did not compare himself to fellow angels; he compared himself to God. In Isaiah 14, he said, “I will ascend to heaven…I will set my throne on high…I will be like the Most High.” Comparison birthed pride in him, pride led to rebellion, and rebellion resulted in his expulsion from heaven.

 

Then in Genesis 3, the same happened, Satan drew a comparison and said, “God knows…you will be like Him.” There, the comparison produced doubts and dissatisfaction in the first humans. Dissatisfaction led to disobedience. Disobedience brought death, and they were expelled from Eden.

 

In Genesis 4, the poison of comparison produced jealousy in Cain, and he murdered his own brother Abel. My point is that comparison is the devil’s oldest weapon, which continues to distort reality and destroy. Yet do we not compare ourselves with others? Is it not the most exhausting habit in our lives?

 

In John 3:22-30, the same pattern appears. A discussion about purification becomes a debate about popularity. John 3:26 reads, “26 And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” Comparison distorted the truth, exaggerated the reality that “all are going to Him.” Notice their resentment toward Jesus; they didn’t even say His name. They reduced Him to “he.” The fact is that what irritates you about others often reveals what you idolize about yourself.

 

John did not comfort them; he confronted them with the sovereignty of God. We read in John 3:27, “27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”” In one sentence, John dismantled comparison. Essentially, he told them, if God gave it, you can’t take credit for it, and if God didn’t give it, you can’t chase it without losing yourself.

 

At Liberty University, I had a student who expressed his grievances that he was let go because his senior pastor was jealous of his popularity and threatened by his education. Rather than comforting him, I confronted him with the sovereignty of God and alerted him that Satan can use bitterness to destroy Kingdom work in him.

 

Friends, when we look across at our peers instead of looking up at our Provider, we fall into the conflict of comparison. This is where envy is born, jealousy is nurtured, and pride is worshiped.

 

Spiritual Principle

 

When we choose humility and acknowledge that God’s hand determined our reach, not our effort, it kills jealousy, envy, and pride.

 

Application

 

Stop narrating your life through what others have and start interpreting it through what God has given. That is true also in the season of pain and suffering. When we are grieving, it is easy to compare ourselves with the unrighteous world that enjoys life, health, and everything. When your worth is rooted in Jesus, you don’t compare yourself with others; that shifts the focus from “what I am losing” to “what God is doing.” That moves our hearts from envy to entrustment, creating the joy of complete satisfaction in what you have.

 

Humility Creates Contentment in the Conflict (John 3:28-30)

 

John 3:28 reads, “28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’” He doesn’t see it as being passed up, a comparison, or a conflict because he is not confused about his role and his purpose in life.

 

He illustrates his role and purpose in John 3:29, “29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.” In Jewish culture, the friend of the groom, the “shoshben” had a specific high honor task. He arranged the wedding. Even in our culture, it is a high honor to be asked to be the best man. He is there to serve the groom, make him look good.

 

John says, therefore, seeing people go to Jesus completes his joy, and in John 3:30, he declares, “30 He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John] must decrease.” In other words, he says, the less there is of “me,” the more room there is for the “He” who truly satisfies the soul. If we make that the philosophy of our life, I tell you, it will sustain lasting joy in our lives.

 

Often, we are unhappy in jobs and relationships because we compare and contrast with others. Whether work or a relationship, the grass seems greener on the other side. Many of us are miserable because we are trying to be the groom in a story where God only called us to be the best man.

 

Spiritual Principle

 

Contentment is not found in having more, and doing more; it is found in needing less because Christ is enough. This is true about our confession of faith in Jesus as well. We don’t need more works to secure salvation; Christ is enough. You will never find peace trying to be who you were never called to be.

 

Application

 

Your joy is not rooted in circumstances, which can change; it is rooted in Christ Himself, and He never changes. Next time, we will continue with John 3:31-4:2 and look at how humility confesses the command of Christ.

 

Closing Thought

 

I want to tell you the story of a master artist in Florence by the name Andrea del Verrocchio. Have you every heard his name before? In the 15th century, he was the “John the Baptist” of the art world; everyone went to him for the finest commissions in Italy. He was working on a massive painting called the Baptism of Christ. It was the custom of the day that you would allow your young apprentice to paint just a small portion of the scene. So, he allowed his apprentice to paint a single angel kneeling in the corner, holding a robe. When the boy began to paint, the master knew the boy was the one who was coming after. Verrocchio could have painted over the angel to protect his own ego.

 

Instead, history tells us that Verrocchio resolved never to paint again, not out of bitterness and jealousy, but to prepare the way for the boy— Leonardo da Vinci. He stepped back into the shadows so that Leonardo da Vinci could step into the light.

 

A lot of the time, that’s what God is calling us to do. We may never get the spotlight, but we should be humble enough to allow the one coming after to take the stage and be the leader.

 

Action Step

 

Perform a “Decrease Audit” on your heart. Identify one area where someone else’s “increase” is causing you distress. Is it a coworker's promotion? A friend’s social media highlight reel? Stop justifying the jealousy. Name it. Then, pray specifically for God to bless them more and intentionally step back so that Christ can be seen through your reaction.

 

Appeal

 

Stop comparing yourself to others. If you are eaten up by envy, or if you are weary from trying to be the center of your own universe, there is a King who already holds the highest rank. He decreased Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross, so that you could be increased into the family of God. When you let Jesus increase, and you decrease, you will find deep contentment in Him because humility confronts the conflict of comparison and creates contentment within it.

 

Let your ego die today so your joy can finally be complete. Come out of the spotlight of self and into the light of the Savior. Decrease, so that He may be all in all! Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. It is the unseen force that distinguishes the people of God from the patterns of the world.

 

Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application

 

Observation: What Does the Text Say?

 

  1. What situation in John 3:22-30 created tension between the ministries of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist?

     

  2. What specific words or phrases in John 3:26 reveal the attitude of John’s disciples?

     

  3. According to John 3:27, how does John explain the source of a person’s influence or ministry?

     

  4. How does John describe his identity and role in John 3:28?

     

  5. What illustration does John use in John 3:29 to explain his relationship to Jesus?

     

  6. What is the significance of John’s statement in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease?”

 

Interpretation: What Does the Text Mean?

 

  1. Why do you think the discussion about purification turned into comparison and jealousy?

     

  2. What does John’s statement, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven,” teach us about God’s sovereignty?

     

  3. How does comparison reveal deeper issues of identity, pride, or insecurity in the human heart?

     

  4. Why does clarity about identity (“I am not the Christ”) lead to contentment?

     

  5. What does the “friend of the bridegroom” imagery teach us about joy and humility?

     

  6. How does humility shift our source of joy from personal success to Christ’s prominence?

           

Application: How Should This Change Us?

 

  1. Where in your life do you feel tempted to compare yourself with others (work, ministry, relationships, social media, etc)?

     

  2. How do you typically respond when someone else is succeeding where you desire to succeed?

     

  3. What would it look like this week to expose rather than excuse jealousy, envy, or pride in your heart?

     

  4. In what areas of your life are you trying to “be the groom” instead of faithfully embracing your God-given role?

     

  5. What practical steps can you take to trust God’s assignment for your life this week?

     

  6. How can you intentionally celebrate Christ’s work in others rather than competing with them?


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