I’ve had the privilege of being a groomsman twice in the past year. There’s no better way to describe that kind of experience than a time of turning all attention and glory to one man, and having tons of fun doing it. Both times, I got to serve my friend throughout a weekend before sending him off into the beautiful adventure of marriage. In a sense, the groomsman’s motto is “he must increase, but I must decrease.”
The early Jews had a roughly similar tradition of groomsmen, and John the Baptist uses that image to describe his relationship to Jesus. People had noticed that Jesus was gaining fame and overshadowing John, and they probably expected that John would have the normal reaction of getting jealous for his own fame. We’re all at least a little glory-hungry, aren’t we? But John instead showed that he knew his own lifelong role as a groomsman to Christ. His utmost joy was in preparing the bridegroom for his union with his bride the church. Notice how John completely fizzles out of the narrative after this scene. He decreased so that Christ could increase.
Such is the life of a follower of Christ; our joy is complete when we advance the kingdom of God rather than our own kingdom! How willing are we really to accept that reality? If we’re honest, we’re all desperate to increase. We have been ever since the fruit was eaten in the Garden of Eden. But we are called instead to live a life of radical humility, turning all attention and glory to Christ Jesus who is worthy of it all. In fact, we have no need of glorifying ourselves; our God provides for us every good thing we could possible need, even going to the extreme of death on a cross. So we’re free from the pursuit of self-gain; we’re free to give all the glory that we can to him!
All of our choices in life bring glory to something or someone. Christ alone is worthy of it. Every Christian who is called to proclaim the name of Jesus is a groomsman at the wedding of Christ and the church. Take my word for it; the role of a groomsman is a joyous one. So we live joyously under the motto that “he must increase, but I must decrease.” All glory and honor be to Christ Jesus the bridegroom forever and ever!
