Chapter BY Chapter

So, John’s disciples seem worried about this and they come to John and say, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 

 

There are a few other instances of discipleship envy in the Bible.  In  Numbers 11:26-29, Joshua is Jealous of two people other than Moses that prophesy.

 

“However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.  A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

 

“Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

 

“But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

 

John, the disciple of Jesus was jealous of others that drove out demons in Jesus’ name in Mark 9:38-41,

 

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

 

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.  Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.”

 

The Pharisees were jealous of Jesus’ discipleship in John 12:17-19,

 

“Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.  So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

 

Shortly after that they crucified Jesus.  Mark 15:10 says flat out that is was because of envy that Jesus was handed over. 

 

Discipleship jealousy is a big problem even today.  Imagine this.  A minister goes down the road, and knocks on the door of another church.  He says, “I just wanted you to know that God’s got a better plan than whatever plan your church figures he has.”  Does only one church know God’s plan for churches?  There have been churches that put together professionally done DVDs just to warn others about another church.  And there have been professional DVDs made to warn about other church DVDs falsely warning people. 

 

Benjamin Franklin said, “It is the eyes of other people that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither a fine house nor fine furniture.”  You see, envy is there because of wanting to impress others.  It is for the show.  It is for human approval.  But is that the purpose of the church?  Is that the purpose of the believer’s life? 

 

Envy seeks to destroy rather than to build.  When John saw someone else casting out demons in Jesus’ name, he stopped him from doing it.  This stopped the goals of Jesus.  Jesus explained that anyone having success in his name can only help his cause. 

 

Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!"

 

So, what is so wrong if you are rich and your fellow man is twice as rich?  Shouldn’t you have joy for yourself and joy for the other?  What is wrong if you lead people to Jesus Christ and your fellow Christian leads twice as many people to Jesus Christ?  Shouldn’t you have joy for yourself and joy for your fellow Christian?  Shouldn’t you have joy for those being led to Jesus Christ? 

 

The correct response is to focus on the true objective.  John the Baptist says, “I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.”  John counts it all as joy and says, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”  Shouldn’t we count the successes of others all as joy?  When our church is small and the church down the street is large, shouldn’t we count it all as joy?   Shouldn’t we continue what we are doing?  The focus should not be on what others are doing, but what we are doing for Jesus Christ.  In everything, the last words of John the Baptist should ring true in the life of every Christian, “He must become greater; I must become less.”

 

Jesus in Matthew 10:37–38 said,

 

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

 

Jesus is clearly demanding that we treasure him over everyone and everything else. To many people today, that is sheer egomania.  But that is because of who Jesus actually is.  John the Baptist goes on to explain:

 

“The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.  He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.  For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.  The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

 

Jesus only is the one who came from heaven.  John the Baptist testified in chapter 1 verse 30, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”  Jesus is pre-existent.  John the Baptist’s testimony is repeated in chapter 1 verse 15, where it says, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”  This testimony is linked to the Word in the previous verse.  About this Word, it says in chapter 1 verse 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

 

When you and I and John the Baptist were born, our being started with our human conception.  When Jesus Christ was born, there was no human conception.  A pre-existent being, the Word, entered Mary’s womb.  A physical miracle took place to create the body of Jesus because Mary could not have produced the male chromosome.  God’s plan is miraculous.  That is one way you know it is God’s plan.

 

There is no better plan for God to tell us about the truths of heaven than for God to come down from heaven.  There is no better method for God to tell us about the truths of heaven than to become a human being and experience what we experience.  God’s plan is logical.  That is another way you know that it is God’s plan.

 

Jesus testifies about what he has seen and heard in heaven.  John the Baptist says here that no one accepts his testimony.  This is not literally true because some people did accept his testimony.  Yet many people did not accept Jesus’ testimony.  In John 6:42, the Jews question whether Jesus came down from heaven.  John 1:11 says, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”  In John 5:43, Jesus says, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” 

 

The truth of Jesus’ words are certified by those that do accept them.  John the Baptists says, “Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.  For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God.”  God’s plan includes the testimony of others.  John the Baptist testified to the words of Jesus Christ.  The disciples testified to the words of Jesus Christ.  God’s plan is historical and attested.  That is another way you know it is God’s plan. 

 

John the Baptist explains, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.”  If everything is in your hands, you would have to be God.  Jesus proves that everything is in his hands through the miracles he performs.  Changing water into wine is proving that he has power over matter.  Jesus will continue to prove that everything is in his hands throughout the gospel.  God’s plan includes indisputable proofs.  That is another way you know that it is God’s plan.

 

There is a final verdict here in accordance to all this proof that Jesus is from heaven.  John the Baptist says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”  When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, God had told him that in that day he would surely die.  Adam did not die that day.  This shows that it is eternal death that Adam received.  Through one sin, Adam achieved eternal death.  This was passed on to all men so that all men stand condemned.  God’s wrath is on all men to begin with.  God’s only plan of salvation is through belief in his Son, Jesus Christ.  It is a free gift.  One cannot earn salvation when he is already due to pay for eternity for one sin.  God’s plan covers all the needs of salvation.  This is another way that you know this is God’s plan.

 

Will you accept God’s plan today?  Will you believe in God’s son, Jesus Christ?  Will Jesus become greater in your life?