Center Stage

~~~ 1 John 5:14-21 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~ John 3:22-30 ~~~

...Abundance...

He must increase; I must decrease.

...we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 

John was baptizing in the waters when nearby

 Jesus also began to baptize.

John did not see this as a problem.

He did not feel Jesus was trying to compete with him.

John did not object to people going to his cousin to be baptized.

John knew from the beginning that he was
 the 'opening act'

not the main attraction.

So it happened that a heated discussion erupted 

concerning the fact that Jesus was also in the waters.

The Jewish people had strict rituals surrounding water.
There was abundant water in this region.

They had water rituals for consecration, cleansing, 

bathing, and purification.

There were specific instructions just for
hand and feet washing.

Baptism is closely connected with the water ritual of cleansing.

A person being consecrated or purified 

was to have their entire body washed and even their clothes.

Jesus observed the washing, cleansing, and purification rituals,

but he shifted the emphasis from the outward or external

to the inside or the internal...

ultimately to the core of the person; their heart.

The closer you get to something the larger it gets.

As Jesus gets closer to John, John steps aside 

and Jesus becomes the focal point.
Jesus was more concerned about the cleansing of the heart.
He would even be ridiculed later for not following
the strict washing rituals before eating.

Today we believe that hand washing
is the primary way to avoid spreading germs
 from one person to another.

John knew that allowing Jesus to take center stage
 in no way diminished the role he was sent to fulfill.

Blessed are those who allow Jesus to increase 

as they willingly decrease.

Peace.