He Must Increase
30 Days in John - day four
Some of you may be old enough to remember when people used to hold up large banners with John 3:16 painted on them in the end zone at NFL games. The goal was simple: make people curious enough to open a Bible.
John 3:16 is one of those verses almost every church child memorizes. And some of the best sermons ever preached have been organized around that verse.
That verse didn’t appear in a vacuum. It was spoken in the middle of a quiet, awkward, searching conversation. That is odd in a way. Nicodemus was an important man in his day. He belonged to the Pharisees and was one of the most respected among them. He likely enjoyed status, security, and influence - things most men try to build a legacy on. Those are the things most men try to build a legacy on. But Nicodemus’ came a different way.
Creating something to be remembered by wasn’t his goal the night he went to visit Jesus. His goal was to get answers to questions that were troubling him. A private conversation was what he sought. What he got was one of the most memorable and beloved sentences Jesus ever spoke. Nicodemus fades into the background of the story, but the glory of Jesus comes sharply into focus.
Here is the point: We spend far too much time trying to create a legacy – something people will remember us by. That is a fool’s errand. Just wade into almost any random crowd and ask basic questions about history and you will find people, for the most part, don’t know who the great figures of history are.
Being remembered is a fragile and unreliable goal.
Here is a better goal. Pursue knowing Jesus. Seek Him. Let your legacy be that somehow your pursuit of Christ leads to others coming to know him as well. Whether anyone associates your name with that result isn’t important.
John the Baptist shows up again in this chapter as well and puts a pin in this point. When he was told that some of his followers were leaving him to follow Jesus, he didn’t complain. He didn’t worry about his reputation or legacy. Instead, he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Nicodemus discovered that truth in the dark; John the Baptist embraced it in the light. But both men show us the way to live and leave a legacy that matters. Seek the glory of Jesus and let the rest take care of itself.
A meaningful life is not about being remembered, but about pointing to Christ.
