After this Jesus and his disciples
went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and
baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept
coming and were being baptized – John, of course, had not yet been thrown into
prison.
Now a discussion about purification
arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here
he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “No one can receive
anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my
witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I
have been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom, who
stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this
reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
The one who comes from above is above all, the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and
speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He
testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he
gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all
things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever
disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.
Only God, the creator of all things, deserves to be called transcendent – that is, above and beyond all things. Truth comes from above us, not from within us. Do not ignore our Creator! He is the truth.
Our Daily
Bread – June 7, 2005