"30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
John 3:30-36
John's words here are tremendously challenging and moving. We find him at the end of his ministry as at its beginning, bearing faithful and honourable witness to Christ, a Christ-exalting, self-abasing testimony (30). John knew he was only the morning star. Jesus was the sun. The idea here is of the star's light gradually fading as the sun rises, after break of day. The stars do not in fact become less, or perish, but they pale and become invisible before the sun's greater brightness and glory. What John says here of Jesus is worthy of comparison with the most exalted of Paul's teaching in Ephesians 1 and Colossians 1, and puts a different complexion on the general notion held of the Baptist as an uncouth, almost forbidding figure thundering forth repentance up and down the land. Surely this is the fruit of his long meditation in the deserts as he was taught of God and given insights and revelations into the mystery of the Person of Christ akin to those Paul himself was given. How like Colossians 1:19 John's words in 34b are, and how similar 35 is to Ephesians 1:10. Well might our gospel writer say in 10:41, 'John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.' No greater tribute could ever be paid to a man of God than this. God grant that it may be truly said of us also.