For many of us, it can be hard to let go of the spotlight once we’ve secured it. Once things get going, it’s easy to forget how or why we started and who helped us along the way. In a world where we compete for followers on social media, we can imagine what it’s like to lose followers. More difficult is imagining intentionally instructing our followers to follow someone else, especially after all the work and time we’ve put in toward earning their loyalty. Yet that’s just what John the Baptist does in this passage. John the Baptist had many followers. He was essentially a sold-out success as a forerunner for the coming Messiah. At the same time, he knew his place, and he never forgot why he was doing the work he did. John wanted everyone to move toward Jesus. And he kept that end goal in sight. When other people tried to create discord by saying Jesus was baptizing more people, John was unperturbed. His unselfish nature kept him from accepting personal praise or participating in petty jealousy. Instead, he stayed steady and pointed to Jesus, reminding others that Jesus was the whole reason John was there doing what he was doing. John compared his relationship with Jesus to that of a groomsman standing next to the groom. Jesus, of course, was the groom, and His church was the bride. John’s purpose was to support and aid in any way he could to ensure the two came together successfully. This selfless attitude is reflected in his words in John 3:30: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (NLT). John’s stature in relation to Jesus is a model for our own faith journeys. As we let Jesus become more and more in our lives, we’ll find that our own self-seeking and otherwise destructive behaviors become less and less.

Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:

When have you had to play a role you were not comfortable with?

Did any insecurities factor into your discomfort? If so, in what way?

In this passage, what stands out to you about John the Baptist?