Why Did John the Baptist Say "He Must Increase I Must Decrease"?

He must increase, I must decrease—these are words many of us pray over our ministries. People are apt to follow human figures (1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:4). But Jesus is the supreme reason we have ministries. He is the Light whom humans merely reflect. So, we do very well to echo John the Baptist’s words about Jesus’ presence increasing in our ministries and lives.

John did not say, “he must increase, I must decrease,” as a mere sentiment. He followed through on what it meant. John took opportunities to proclaim Jesus as the greater. He stated that Jesus was the one whose sandals he was unworthy to untie (John 1:27). John the Baptist’s words dripped with Jesus. And when it came time for John’s ministry to decline in favor of Jesus’ ministry, he rejoiced.

John the Baptist was a beloved figure of Jesus—Jesus even said there is no greater human than John (Matthew 11:11). John the Baptist was so beloved for many reasons, but one clear reason was that he understood his role in Jesus’ broader ministry. He was a pointer, a forerunner. Jesus was (and is) the focal point, the prize. At a time when the disciplines would squabble over who the greatest would be (see Luke 22:24-30), we can be overjoyed to see that John the Baptist truly understood greatness as humility before the Lord of all.

When Did John the Baptist Say “He Must Increase I Must Decrease”?

John the Baptist spoke about his ministry decreasing and Jesus’ ministry increasing when their work began to overlap. John said, “he must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). They both baptized people in the Judean countryside. We see that people who had been familiar with John’s ministry started flocking to Jesus’ ministry.

What was John the Baptist’s reaction? John acknowledged that his ministry was a gift from heaven—not his own doing (John 3:27). John knew that he was not the reason he had become a great figure amongst the crowds—Jesus was why John the Baptist had become popular. A ministry was God’s to give and God’s to take away. John the Baptist knew that to his core. His ministry was to serve Christ at His discretion.

When Jesus started his ministry, it was time for John the Baptist’s ministry to decrease for Jesus to become more prominent. In the end, John the Baptist was ultimately a martyr for the sake of Christ (see Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29)—the final capstone of glory on a beautiful ministry.

How Did John the Baptist’s Ministry Prepare People to Meet Jesus?

John had been sent ahead of the Messiah, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). John the Baptist openly testified that he was not the Messiah but prepared the way for Him. John says: “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). So, John the Baptist prepared the way, openly testifying to the fact that the Messiah was coming, that Jesus’ greater ministry was starting.

John the Baptist further prepared the way by baptizing Jesus. John performed the physical act of baptism that inaugurated the ministry of Jesus—when Jesus heard the Father proclaim: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John the Baptist was the one entrusted with the gift of performing and being a viewer of the baptism of the Messiah.

When Did John the Baptist Meet Jesus?

The baptism of Jesus was not the only special interaction the John the Baptist had with Jesus. They met while both in utero. Jesus’ mother, Mary, visited her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, John the Baptist leaped for joy in the womb of Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-42).

This meeting of John the Baptist with Jesus highlights what an angel told John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, about John the Baptist: “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:14-15). Clearly, this child would be a special one—he had a special calling from God to be filled with the Holy Spirit and rejoice in the Messiah from before he was born.

Did Any of John’s Followers Join Jesus?

Jesus’ crowds were familiar with John the Baptist’s story and ministry. Jesus spoke to these crowds who knew John the Baptist, calling John a “burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35). Jesus used John’s ministry to highlight His own.

The people were familiar with the repentance and baptism of John. They followed him and knew of him. Jesus says that John the Baptist’s ministry pointed to Jesus. John the Baptist was the lesser: Jesus was given greater works to accomplish. Jesus had the power to perform miracles and healing and had the authority to forgive sins. Ultimately, Jesus would display the ultimate obedience of dying for the sins of the lost so that they could be spiritually healed and forgiven forever. Jesus spoke to convince John the Baptist’s followers to come after him.

Why Was John the Baptist Okay with Jesus Increasing While He Decreased?

John the Baptist was pleased that Jesus had come to overshadow his ministry; he testified that his joy was complete when this happened (John 3:29). “He must increase, I must decrease” was John the Baptist’s clear heart of humility because he knew Jesus to be the Messiah.

John the Baptist proclaimed about Jesus, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John knew that Jesus’ ministry was what he needed to be forgiven of his sins—and he rejoiced. He knew that Jesus’ ministry was what the world needed to be forgiven of their sins—and he proclaimed this message.

John the Baptist was filled with rejoicing that Jesus had come to save those in the world from their bondage to sin, and that the long-awaited Messiah had appeared to suffer for the sins of the people. John the Baptist understood that Jesus was not a mere man but was God incarnate sent by the Father to proclaim the new age of salvation.

The point of John the Baptist was Jesus. John the Baptist was for the benefit of the people (John 5:34), but his ministry decreased. For Jesus had one even greater than John the Baptist to testify to Him; Jesus said, “The Father who send Me has Himself testified about Me” (John 5:37). Jesus accepts this divine testimony over and above the testimony of John the Baptist. Thus, John the Baptist was a lamp of testimony, but the Light of the world had divine testimony that overtook mere human words.

We do well to mirror the “he must increase, I must decrease” words of John the Baptist in our ministries and our lives. If people see us without us pointing to the Savior of the world—then what benefit are we to others? But if people see Jesus increasing in our lives, words, ministries, and actions, then we are surely blessed by God and have learned from this man of whom Jesus gave words of great affirmation. Jesus Himself has come, and He has set the world ablaze with those who would live for Him humbly like John the Baptist, until He comes again.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/vesilvio

Lianna Davis is author of Keeping the Faith: A Study in Jude and Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss. She is also a contributor to We Evangelicals and Our Mission with Cascade Books. Lianna is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter. You can learn more about her writing at her website.

This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

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