John the Baptist was regarded as the last of the prophets in the Old Testament mould. For a short period prior to John’s imprisonment and death, John and Jesus were both ministering along the Jordon valley. Sometimes this led to disputes between their respective followers. John addresses the dispute by emphasising the superiority of Jesus.

John 3:22-36

Prophet (2) 

The word prophet is not used in this passage, but what it says is ‘he testifies to what he has seen and heard’.

This is the mark of the prophet, to testify to what he has seen and heard from God. In the case of Jesus, he has come from heaven and so is above all. Any modern ‘prophet’ must be submitted to the greatest, Jesus, and his words consistent with the testimony of Jesus.

John the Baptist recognises Jesus as the greatest and says ‘He must increase and I must decrease’ (Jn 3:30).

What might this mean for us?

Henry’s@BibleHub Henry’s@BibleHub