John the Baptist's Disciples Speak with HimBible World
3:27John 3:27
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
A man can receive nothing by himself, for every place and calling and ministry and gift and influence and success is given from heaven and not taken by ambition or entitlement. John spoke this when his disciples came to him murmuring in jealousy because Jesus was baptizing and all were going to Him while John's own crowds lessened and his hold on the people waned. He meant that he was not the Messiah but only sent before Him as a voice to prepare His way, while Christ as the Bridegroom come from heaven is above the earthly and His growing work was appointed from above. He lived this by humility emptied of selfish ambition and jealousy, gladly accepting obscurity and decrease that Christ might increase and turning eyes away from himself to the Lamb of God. He rejoiced with fulfilled joy at the Bridegroom's voice like the friend who bears messages between the betrothed and is glad when the bride is won, welcoming those who left him to follow Jesus. He therefore refused to encourage his disciples' dissatisfaction or to speak one jealous word for sympathy, lest he sow dissension and hinder Christ's work and impede the gospel.
Setting and Meaning
John spoke these words in answer when his own disciples came to him complaining and murmuring that Jesus was baptizing and all men were coming to Him. At that time John's own crowds were lessening day by day and his power over the people was waning, and his disciples were jealous for fear his influence was diminishing. They had disputed over baptism, and their dissatisfaction made it an hour of temptation and a dangerous moment when John was being superseded.
A man can receive nothing on his own except what is given him from heaven. No position, role, calling, ministry, work, or opportunity is seized or held by ambition or personal entitlement, but is received as a grant from God. So also no ability, gift, influence, success, or blessing comes apart from what heaven bestows.
John used this truth to explain his relation to the Messiah, for he was not the Messiah but was sent before Him to prepare the way as only a voice crying in the wilderness. Christ came from heaven and is above those who are earthly, and as the Bridegroom He has the greater work and authority. Therefore Christ's growing following and success were given from above and were part of God's purpose, not a loss for John to resent.
Example and Application
Divine love had transformed common human faults and weaknesses and lifted John into an atmosphere free from selfishness, ambition, and jealousy, so that he lived in humility and self-abnegation. He clearly understood his place as only the one sent before the Messiah to prepare the way, and he gladly accepted silence and obscurity and a lesser place so that Christ would increase while he decreased. He refused ambition and the splendid bribe of worldly popularity and directed attention fixed upon himself to Another, seeking not to draw men to himself but to lift their thoughts higher until they rested on the Lamb of God and all eyes turned to the Light of life. His role as the one sent before the Messiah was assigned by God, and place, influence, success, gifts, and calling come from heaven rather than from personal entitlement or effort.
He rejoiced when Christ's ministry drew people to Him, and his joy was fulfilled as he heard the Bridegroom's voice. Like the friend who acts as messenger between betrothed parties and rejoices greatly when the bride is won, he gladly welcomed Jesus when men left him to follow the new Teacher. He rejoiced to witness the success of the Saviour's work rather than competing with Him, accepting that Jesus' growing following and influence were given from above and that his own diminishing was proper. Christ's greater work and authority came from above, for He came from heaven and is above those who are earthly, while John's own role was to go before Him and direct people to Him.
Though his mission seemed about to close, he could still have hindered the work of Christ. With the evidence of Christ's power before him he steadfastly refused the temptation brought through his disciples' words, refusing sympathy or encouragement for their dissatisfaction, murmurings, grief, and disappointment at being superseded. He refused to arouse sympathy in his own favor, to show grief or disappointment at being replaced, or to lose sight of his mission in that hour of temptation and dangerous moment when his power over the people was waning. He showed a noble unselfish spirit when one jealous word would have created serious division, and thereby he upheld Jesus' work and accepted his own decrease. By so doing he kept from justifying his disciples' jealousy and prevented sowing seeds of dissension, encouraging envy and jealousy, springing up anarchy, seriously impeding the progress of the gospel, languishing God's cause for want of proper workers, and disaster to the establishment of the Christian church.
The passage containing the verse, John 3:22-36, is to be read carefully as urging thorough conviction and repentance in the soul. It urges faithful kindly earnest words in season to erring ones instead of sporting trifling reproof. It urges serious remembrance that Satan in deceptive style seeks to overcome every soul and flatters himself that his great armies will stand victor over Christ's few, and heed to the angels of God present in every establishment where various business lines are carried on to protect every soul from becoming rude in word or actions and giving Satan a chance to triumph. It stands as part of the testimony concerning righteousness and truth that gives a wonderful lesson that except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, because the natural traits of character, temperament, and disposition in man, woman, and child must be transformed into Christ's likeness, so that deeds are wrought in God and made manifest in the light.
A man can receive nothing by himself, for every place and calling and ministry and gift and influence and success is given from heaven and not taken by ambition or entitlement.
John spoke this when his disciples came to him murmuring in jealousy because Jesus was baptizing and all were going to Him while John's own crowds lessened and his hold on the people waned.
He meant that he was not the Messiah but only sent before Him as a voice to prepare His way, while Christ as the Bridegroom come from heaven is above the earthly and His growing work was appointed from above.
He lived this by humility emptied of selfish ambition and jealousy, gladly accepting obscurity and decrease that Christ might increase and turning eyes away from himself to the Lamb of God.
He rejoiced with fulfilled joy at the Bridegroom's voice like the friend who bears messages between the betrothed and is glad when the bride is won, welcoming those who left him to follow Jesus.
He therefore refused to encourage his disciples' dissatisfaction or to speak one jealous word for sympathy, lest he sow dissension and hinder Christ's work and impede the gospel.
Setting and Meaning
John spoke these words in answer when his own disciples came to him complaining and murmuring that Jesus was baptizing and all men were coming to Him. At that time John's own crowds were lessening day by day and his power over the people was waning, and his disciples were jealous for fear his influence was diminishing. They had disputed over baptism, and their dissatisfaction made it an hour of temptation and a dangerous moment when John was being superseded.
A man can receive nothing on his own except what is given him from heaven. No position, role, calling, ministry, work, or opportunity is seized or held by ambition or personal entitlement, but is received as a grant from God. So also no ability, gift, influence, success, or blessing comes apart from what heaven bestows.
John used this truth to explain his relation to the Messiah, for he was not the Messiah but was sent before Him to prepare the way as only a voice crying in the wilderness. Christ came from heaven and is above those who are earthly, and as the Bridegroom He has the greater work and authority. Therefore Christ's growing following and success were given from above and were part of God's purpose, not a loss for John to resent.
Example and Application
Divine love had transformed common human faults and weaknesses and lifted John into an atmosphere free from selfishness, ambition, and jealousy, so that he lived in humility and self-abnegation. He clearly understood his place as only the one sent before the Messiah to prepare the way, and he gladly accepted silence and obscurity and a lesser place so that Christ would increase while he decreased. He refused ambition and the splendid bribe of worldly popularity and directed attention fixed upon himself to Another, seeking not to draw men to himself but to lift their thoughts higher until they rested on the Lamb of God and all eyes turned to the Light of life. His role as the one sent before the Messiah was assigned by God, and place, influence, success, gifts, and calling come from heaven rather than from personal entitlement or effort.
He rejoiced when Christ's ministry drew people to Him, and his joy was fulfilled as he heard the Bridegroom's voice. Like the friend who acts as messenger between betrothed parties and rejoices greatly when the bride is won, he gladly welcomed Jesus when men left him to follow the new Teacher. He rejoiced to witness the success of the Saviour's work rather than competing with Him, accepting that Jesus' growing following and influence were given from above and that his own diminishing was proper. Christ's greater work and authority came from above, for He came from heaven and is above those who are earthly, while John's own role was to go before Him and direct people to Him.
Though his mission seemed about to close, he could still have hindered the work of Christ. With the evidence of Christ's power before him he steadfastly refused the temptation brought through his disciples' words, refusing sympathy or encouragement for their dissatisfaction, murmurings, grief, and disappointment at being superseded. He refused to arouse sympathy in his own favor, to show grief or disappointment at being replaced, or to lose sight of his mission in that hour of temptation and dangerous moment when his power over the people was waning. He showed a noble unselfish spirit when one jealous word would have created serious division, and thereby he upheld Jesus' work and accepted his own decrease. By so doing he kept from justifying his disciples' jealousy and prevented sowing seeds of dissension, encouraging envy and jealousy, springing up anarchy, seriously impeding the progress of the gospel, languishing God's cause for want of proper workers, and disaster to the establishment of the Christian church.
The passage containing the verse, John 3:22-36, is to be read carefully as urging thorough conviction and repentance in the soul. It urges faithful kindly earnest words in season to erring ones instead of sporting trifling reproof. It urges serious remembrance that Satan in deceptive style seeks to overcome every soul and flatters himself that his great armies will stand victor over Christ's few, and heed to the angels of God present in every establishment where various business lines are carried on to protect every soul from becoming rude in word or actions and giving Satan a chance to triumph. It stands as part of the testimony concerning righteousness and truth that gives a wonderful lesson that except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, because the natural traits of character, temperament, and disposition in man, woman, and child must be transformed into Christ's likeness, so that deeds are wrought in God and made manifest in the light.