Competition …Day Five
I love competing. I’ve always been drawn to sports because of the challenge of competition. I still love to today to run a race to see how well I can do. Sometimes though competition isn’t a good.
I was struck this morning with how well John the Baptist understood this. We so many times get messed up when someone beats us. The juices of competition can come up in all sorts of ways: the way we cook, the way we raise our kids, who gets the promotion, who has the nice car, who’s the funniest and so on.
But John had it right.
In chapter three of John verse twenty-six, John’s disciples are feeling competitive. Jesus is now baptizing more people. “We are losing,” they might have been thinking.
Look at John the Baptist godly view.
- The Lord gives success to whoever he wants. v27 “A man can receive only what is give him from heaven.”
- John know his role. v28 “I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of him.”
- John cheers on Jesus’ success. v29 “The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom.” John was smiling and excited Jesus was taking over.
- John knew the order. v30 “I must grow less..Jesus must become GREATER.”
Groups Guy 
I’m struck by the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus saw the miracles of Jesus, and was convinced that Jesus was of God.
Jesus gave Nicodemus a scripture he should have known as a teacher of the Jews…a man must be born of water and the spirit (John 3:5). Ezekiel in chapter 36 was referring to the water of regeneration that changes a man’s heart; and also be born of the spirit to enter heaven. Paul in Ephesians 5:26 refers to the washing of the water by the Word………..for God so loved the world !