John 3:29 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 3:29

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John then gives this beautiful illustration. What does it mean? Well, the bride is obviously the people, the crowds, the attention. Christ has the people. He is the bridegroom, and those who come to him are the bride. But the friend of the bridegroom, the best man, stands by and rejoices in the happiness of the bridegroom. The best man’s responsibility is to organise the wedding, to arrange what we would call the reception and the location of the service, to appoint the bridesmaids, and to be the officiating person. But then the groom would come. Everything would be ready first, and he would be out of town, and he would arrive just at the right moment. Would he be delayed? Would something happen? When the groom arrives at the wedding, how pleased the best man is. He is not jealous of him. He does not say, ‘I am losing the attention now the groom has arrived; that spoils everything.’ Of course he is not jealous. It is the bridegroom’s day and the bride’s day. So the friend ‘rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.’ I have had great joy, says John, in carrying out my role, in preaching to the crowds, and baptising; drawing attention to the coming Messiah, but now that joy has reached its climax because the one who I was called to announce is here.

Application

What John says here provides us with the secret of how to keep Christian joy and assurance. Do we want to be happy in Christ, to love him, to trust him? Let us always be grateful for grace. That’s why John wasn’t in the least bit jealous of Christ, his friend, when the crowds slipped away to Christ because, he says, ‘Everything I’ve had, I’ve received. I rejoice and give thanks to God for salvation, for light, for understanding.’ We must meditate frequently on the fact that Christ calls himself, our friend. There’s no closer relationship possible than this, that the Son of God has named you as a friend, and made himself your friend. Listen to him! Solve all your problems from the Scriptures. Come to them constantly, and when you are down, and when you are oppressed, hear his voice – and that’s the way to produce Christian joy.

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John 3:29 Commentary and Bible Study