John 3:27

A man can receive. John acknowledged that his success had come from Heaven, and affirmed his belief that the greater success now attending Jesus’ labors must likewise be from Heaven. In both instances the initiative lay with God, and what right did men have to challenge the acts of God? John was confident of his own divine commission, and had, from the beginning, foretold the coming of One even greater than he (ch. 1:26, 27). Why should he resent the fulfillment of his own prediction?

The utter humility and selfless submission of John are characteristic traits of the true follower of Christ. John was able to say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (ch. 3:30) only because he clearly understood his own relation to the Messiah and because the touch of divine love had transformed him (see DA 179). In vain, pride and jealousy assaulted his intellectual and emotional equilibrium.