施洗约翰的最后遗言
约翰福音三章22至30节
22这事以后，耶稣和门徒到了犹太地，在那里居住施洗。
23约翰在靠近撒冷的哀嫩也施洗；因为那里水多，众人都去受洗。
24（那时约翰还没有下在监里。）
25约翰的门徒和一个犹太人辩论洁净的礼，
26就来见约翰，说：「拉比，从前同你在约旦河外、你所见证的那位，现在施洗，众人都往他那里去了。」
27约翰说：「若不是从天上赐的，人就不能得甚么。
28我曾说：『我不是基督，是奉差遣在他前面的』，你们自己可以给我作见证。
29娶新妇的就是新郎；新郎的朋友站着，听见新郎的声音就甚喜乐。故此，我这喜乐满足了。
30他必兴旺，我必衰微。」
信息分享
今天还不是一样？我们不喜欢传道人触及我们内心隐藏的罪；然而，那其实是圣灵的提醒，我们却不愿意接受。
我们从这段经文看到，有些人想在约翰和耶稣之间挑拨离间。他们对约翰说：「跟从耶稣的人愈来愈多了，跟从你的便愈来愈少。」这种说话最容易勾起人的妒忌。可是，约翰的回答却令人诧异。他说：「一切都是神所赐予的；我和祂都是神差来的。你们谈论的那个人，确实比我伟大，现在是时候到祂站在舞台的中央了。祂必兴旺，我必衰微。」
约翰就如晚上的星星。当太阳在早上升起，星星的亮光便相形失色，太阳变成了注视的焦点。
我们是否愿意做星星呢？「祂[基督]必兴旺，我必衰微」。
祷告：
主啊，求你让我紧记，我只是仆人，你才是主人。
John the Baptist's Last Words
John 3:22-30
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to 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 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 this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Message
That is still true today. When a preacher touches the hidden sins of our hearts we do not like it. But it is the Spirit of God trying to speak to us and sometimes we do not want to listen.
In these verses we see that some people tried to make trouble between John and Jesus. They were saying 'He gets bigger crowds than you do.' That is the kind of statement which can create jealousy if we let it. But John replied in a wonderful way. He said 'Everything we have comes from God and both of us were sent by him. The one you are talking about is a greater person than I am and it is time for him to have the central place. He must grow greater and I must grow less.'
John was like the stars we see at night. When the sun rises in the morning, the light of the stars fades and the sun takes its place.
Are we willing for that? 'He [Christ] must increase, I must decrease.'
A Prayer for Today:
Lord help me to remember today that you are the Master, I am only the servant.