And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

John’s Character and Calling

Occasion and Cause - This story of John begins in John 3:22 with Jesus and his disciples moving outside of Jerusalem and Jesus is preaching and his disciples are baptizing in the Jordan and near them John is also preaching and baptizing people in preparation to meet their Messiah.

In vs 25 a question comes up about purifying and this seems to have lead to baptism and baptism to John and Jesus. And that led to the disciples of John defending their master and his ministry. When the discussion ended the disciples of John went to their master asked about Jesus, who they said Jesus, who you introduced, who you put on the public stage, behold he is just down the river and he is now everyone is going to hear Him. John 3:25-26 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to him.

John’s answer to his disciples is a window into this character and calling. He is a man…

Blessed by God and humbled by the blessing. He says in John 3:27 A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. He is telling his disciples all that I am, all that I have, all that I will ever be is because of what God’s blessing in my life.

He Is a man who understands his calling  John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. John understood what his task, his work, his calling from God wae and therefore, he knew who he was.

And most important, He is a man who knew himself through his relationship and services to Jesus Christ. John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. John illustrates his role in relationship to Christ as that of the best man, whose job it was to prepare everything for the wedding. He had to do all the work behind the scenes but then stands asides and takes great joy when the bridegroom can be heard coming and calling his bride. This now being completed, John says, fulfills my joy.  

Three Questions About Ourselves

As we read what John understands about himself, his calling and his fulfillment, it should lead us to three considerations, three questions about ourselves concerning those same things.

First, How do you understand who you are? How do you see yourself and your talents, your abilities, your possessions, or any of the things that we know or define ourselves by? John said, A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. He was humbled by all the blessings that knew came from God above.

James, the brother of Jesus said it this way in James 1:16-17 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Everything good thing we have, everything we own, everything we are is because of God’s blessing our life. When we know this then we will live in the humility that that understanding brings.

And if you don’t possess that kind of humility and knowledge the Lord sometimes has a way of teaching you. Like the pastor who was asked to speak for a large charitable organization that all the big wigs in town belonged to. The pastor thought he had done a pretty good job and was patting himself on the back when the program chairman tried to hand him a check. "Oh no, I couldn't take that," the pastor said, “It was an honor being asked to speak. You apply that to one of your uses." The program chairman asked, "Well, do you mind if we put it into our Special Fund?" The pastor replied, "Of course not. What is the special fund for?" The chairman answered, "It's so we can get a better speaker next year. -James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 296.

Know you are blessed by God and stay humble in those blessings.

Secondly, in light of John’s answer to his disciples we should ask, “Do we understand our calling?”

Every child of God is a called child of God. First we are called in salvation to God, and then along with that call and inseparable we are called to service for God. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Here is what the Bible teaches we are predestined to) in vs. 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

You are called to the praise of His glory. You are called to bring the things of this world to nothing in the light of the glory of His presence. A light we are called to carry into this dark world.  

Finally, Do you understand who you are in your relationship with Jesus? John said, my joy is fulfilled in my role as the preparer of the way of the Lord. He knew who he was by his relationship to his Messiah. That knowledge brought him fulfilling joy.

We can never know who we are or why we are here on this earth unless we know Jesus as our Savior, Jesus as our Lord, Jesus as our King and how we can and must serve Him. We have a role in our relationship with Jesus, it won’t be the role John had, but our own. In that role and relationship we will find the joy and fulfillment that only comes when we see ourselves through our relationship to Jesus.

My role may be insignificant in comparison to someone like John, but in the work of the Lord, every task is vital and every job has its reward. I remember as story about another John, John Brodie, who was the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers a long, long time ago. He was once asked by one of these eager to get new insight reporters, why a million-dollar player like him should have to kneel down and hold the ball for field goals and points after a touchdown. "Well," Brodie though for a moment and then said, "if I didn't, the ball would fall over."
Well, now, there you go. As apt an illustration as you'll ever read.