John 3:30

It is necessary for Jesus to become more important by making more disciples than I have, and for me to become less important.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

He must increase, but I must decrease.

In Context

29Let me illustrate [MET]: He is like a ◄ bridegroom/man who is being married►, and I am like his friend. The friend of the bridegroom stands there and waits for him to come. That friend is very happy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice when he arrives. Similarly, I am very happy about what you have told me.

31Jesus came from heaven. He is more important than anyone else. Those who are born from parents here on earth [MTY] are just humans, and they speak about things that happen here on the earth. But since Jesus came from heaven, his words are more important than anyone else’s.

Read all of John 3

Cross References

Isaiah 9:7His rule, and the peace that he brings/causes, will never end. He will rule [MTY] fairly and justly [DOU], like his ancestor King David did. This will happen because the Commander of the armies of angels greatly desires that it happen.

Isaiah 53:12So Yahweh will consider him to be one of the truly great people; he will be like a king who divides up among his soldiers the ◄spoils/things they took from their enemies after defeating them► [MET], because he will sacrifice himself and die. Even though people will consider him to be a sinner, he will remove the guilt of many people, and he will intercede/pray that those who have done things that are wrong will be forgiven.

Daniel 2:44But while those kings are ruling, God who rules in heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. No one will ever defeat its king. He will completely destroy all those kingdoms, but his kingdom will remain forever.

Acts 13:36While David was living, he did what God wanted him to do. And when he died [EUP], his body was buried, as his ancestors’ bodies had been buried, and his body decayed. So he could not have been speaking about himself in this Psalm.

2 Corinthians 3:7Moses taught the people that if they did not obey God’s laws completely they would be separated from God forever. God wrote his laws on stone slabs. Then he gave them to Moses to teach them to the people. Although God’s laws condemned the people to die, when Moses brought those laws down from Sinai Mountain, God caused Moses’ face to shine Moses’ face to shine radiantly to show the people that these laws were God’s laws. It shone. so brightly that the people of Israel could not keep looking at Moses’ face. They had to look away. But the brightness was slowly fading away.

Hebrews 3:2He faithfully served God, who appointed him, just like Moses faithfully served God’s people [MTY].

Matthew Henry on John 3:23-36

John's Testimony to Christ. 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest… Read the whole commentary →

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