WHISPERS FROM THE AGES
Episode 02 — He Must Increase
John 3:22–36 — The Voice of the Bridegroom
Released January 30, 2026

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and Bible study settings. This podcast exists for the Church.

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PAVLY:
Welcome to Whispers from the Ages, where we explore the history and wisdom of the Early Church to make Scripture a living reality. My name is Pavly (Ramez) [& my name is Ramez], and we make biweekly episodes diving into the orthodox church’s weekly lectionary readings.

RAMEZ:
Today, we are going to talk about the Old Covenant shaking hands with the New. The church directs us to John Chapter 3:22-36, looking at the final testimony of John the Baptist and when he famously says: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Before we begin, let’s pray a quick prayer from St. Ephraim the Syrian
Opening Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes and ears of my heart so that I may hear Your word and understand them, and by it fulfill Your will.” Amen
Historical Context (Geography)
PAVLY:
So, to set the scene, we need to look at the geography. The Gospel tells us that Jesus and His disciples are in the land of Judea, while John is baptizing in “Aenon near Salim”.

RAMEZ:
Why is that specific location important?

PAVLY:
“Aenon” is a word associated with springs. The text specifically notes there was “much water there”. This wasn’t just a scenic choice; it was a logistical necessity. If you are immersing crowds of people, you need deep water and a constant supply, which implies a location in the Jordan Valley near springs. Purification by water was also of great importance in the Jewish culture, setting the stage for what we are about to read: two massive movements operating close by to each other, utilizing the same resources.

RAMEZ:
With that setting in mind, let’s read the passage from John 3:22-36.

22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.

PAVLY:
Wait, pause there for a second. Just to set the mood for the next line, St. Cyril suggests the Jews were actually taunting John’s disciples here. They were essentially saying, “Hey, that Jesus guy you baptized? His baptism is better than yours,” just to get under their skin.

RAMEZ:
Exactly. So John’s disciples are properly cheesed. They feel like their team is losing and their Master’s honour is being stolen. Keep that defensiveness in mind as we hear their complaint in the next verse.

PAVLY:
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

RAMEZ:
Before we delve into our discussion, I’d like to pose a couple of questions for you guys to think about:
Why does John reference a bride/bridgroom in response to his disciples?
Why does John take the position about the wrath of God, when John hasn’t even talked about Christ’s ministry yet?

Just keep those in mind as we discuss.

Parallel Ministries
PAVLY:
To start our discussion, we have to unpack the tension here, because it stems from the reality of Parallel Ministries.
RAMEZ:
What do you mean by that?

PAVLY:
Think about the location we just mentioned. You have Jesus (through His disciples) baptizing in Judea, and at the very same time, John is baptizing in Aenon near Salim. They are operating in the same region, using the same water resources, and preaching to the same crowds.

RAMEZ:
And that proximity could create friction

PAVLY:
Exactly. And this leads to the question: Why were people saying Christ’s baptism was superior to John’s?

RAMEZ:
St. Cyril of Alexandria gives us a great insight here. He suggests the Jews were likely losing the argument about their own legal purifications against John’s disciples. So, to win the argument and annoy John’s followers, they pivoted. They essentially said, “Well, even if John is better than us, Jesus, the guy John baptized, is now superior to John!”

PAVLY:
It was a calculated move to vex them. And John’s disciples were completely cheesed by this. They took the bait.

RAMEZ:
But why did it bother them so much?

PAVLY:
Because of Honour. They wanted to defend John’s honour. In that culture, “Everyone is going to Him” serves as a status alarm. They viewed Jesus as not the Messiah, but as a rival teacher who was siphoning off the prestige of their own master. They felt that if John decreased, they decreased. So they ran to John to complain, hoping he would defend his territory.

And that brings us to our topic today, delving into how John was being a good and faithful servant.

John as a Servant
RAMEZ:
So, the disciples run to John, basically tattling on Jesus, expecting John to defend his territory. But John? He refuses to take the bait.

PAVLY:
How does he respond?

RAMEZ:
He responds with a masterclass on how we should credit accomplishments. Look at verse 27: “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven’”.

Pavly
That is a complete shutdown of their jealousy

RAMEZ:
It is. John is teaching them that if Jesus is succeeding, it is because God ordained it. He is essentially asking them, “Why are you upset about a good thing?” If Jesus has received this influence, and if crowds are going to Him, it is a gift from heaven. We cannot honour ourselves; we can only receive what is given. Rather than trying to keep up his honour, John understands that it was never *his* gift or good thing, but rather it was God’s who gave it to him from heaven. 2 Cor. 3:5 also says “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”, which is the same point that John is trying to drive home to his disciples.

PAVLY:
It really shifts the perspective. Instead of asking, “why is he winning?” John is saying, “God is working.” So John never fell into the trap of “Holy” envy.

Trap of Holy Envy
RAMEZ:
What do you mean by “Trap of Holy Envy”

PAVLY:
It’s when we disguise our jealousy as spiritual zeal. John’s disciples thought they were protecting their master’s honour, but they were actually just salty. They had the same goal as Jesus, salvation and repentance, but they were vexed because they weren’t the ones getting the credit anymore.
RAMEZ:
St. John Chrysostom has some heavy words for this.

PAVLY:
He does. He calls this vainglory a “wild beast” or a “worm” that eats through the soul. But St. Augustine goes even further to call it “spiritual adultery”.

RAMEZ:
Spiritual Adultery? That sounds intense.

PAVLY:
It is, but it makes sense. St. Augustine argues that if the friend of the bridegroom tries to keep the bride for himself, he is no longer a friend; he is an adulterer. John’s disciples were dangerously close to waiting for the “Bride”, which is the people, to stay with them, rather than going to the true Groom. They were acting like guards who refuse to let the Bride pass.

Bridegroom Analogy
RAMEZ:
Speaking about the bride and groom, that leads us perfectly into the analogy John the Baptist uses to explain his true role in verse 29: “He who has the Bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.”

PAVLY:
To really grasp this, we have to look at the historical context of Jewish weddings.

RAMEZ:
Right. John calls himself the “Friend of the Bridegroom,” and I want to put an emphasis on the word friend.

PAVLY:
Why is that?

RAMEZ:
Because a friend will serve, and love, which is why John refers to himself as the friend of the bridegroom, Jesus. In Jewish custom,

A marriage was approximately 5-7 days of celebration.

The friend of the bridegroom was referred to as the shoshvin or the Best Man. This wasn’t just a guy who stood next to you for photos. The Best Man was the liaison.

He would go before the bridegroom and guard the bridal chamber for those 5-7 days, making sure the bride is prepared and ensuring her safety until the time comes.

He went before the bridegroom and guarded the bridal chamber, prepared the bride, and ensured her safety.

PAVLY:
But this role had a very specific expiration date.

RAMEZ:
Exactly. The Best Man’s most important job is to hand off the Bride. Once the Groom arrives, the Best Man’s work is done. He steps back. And notice the posture John describes: He “stands and hears.”

PAVLY:
Why those two words?

RAMEZ:
St. John Chrysostom notes that “standing” implies he is a servant; he isn’t sitting as an equal to the Groom. And he “hears”, meaning his joy comes from hearing the Groom’s voice, not his own voice. John is telling his disciples, “My joy is fulfilled not in keeping the crowds, but in watching them meet the Groom.”

Increase and Decrease
PAVLY:
And then John the Baptist delivers the line that defines his entire ministry in verse 30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

RAMEZ:
This is inevitable. St. Cyril of Alexandria and Theophilus use a beautiful image from nature to explain this: The Morning Star

PAVLY:
The Morning Star, also known as the planet Venus, shines incredibly bright right before dawn. Its whole job is to announce that the day is coming. But what happens when the Sun rises?

RAMEZ:
The star fades

PAVLY:
Exactly. It isn’t destroyed; it is simply outshined by the true Light, yielding to that which is greater. John is the Morning Star; Christ is the Sun. John isn’t quitting out of bitterness; he is fading because the Day has finally arrived. By accepting his decrease, he actually retained his glory as the faithful friend.

RAMEZ:
But Pavly, St. Augustine asks a tricky question here: How does God “increase”? God is already perfect. He can’t get bigger.

PAVLY:
Right. The Fathers explain that God increases in us. It’s like the sun rising; the sun doesn’t actually get bigger, but as it rises, its light takes up more space in our vision. As we come to know Christ, He takes up more territory in our hearts, and our own ego, our “I”, must decrease.

RAMEZ:
And we can even see in John, that even if it contributes in the least bit to the advancement of Christ’s name, that John is willing to submit and is content to be anything, or even nothing.

Source vs Vessel (The Spirit by Measure)
RAMEZ:
After this, John shifts from earthly analogies to heavenly theology. In verses 31 & 32, he draws a hard line between himself and Jesus. He says, “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.”

PAVLY:
This distinction shows two things, Ramez. It shows that Man is from the earth, and that our soul is earthly and desires that which is carnal. However, John also solidifies that Christ is divine, and that he and Christ are not on the same level, so why bother competing?

RAMEZ:
Exactly. John continues on in the next verse and says, “He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies.”

PAVLY:
That phrase “seen and heard” is important.

RAMEZ:
It is. Until this point, prophets could only speak about what was revealed to them second-hand, through visions or dreams. But Christ? He speaks of what he has seen and heard in the presence of the Father. His testimony isn’t a hypothesis; it’s first-hand evidence from Heaven.

PAVLY:
And that leads to the theological climax of John’s speech in verse 34: “For God does not give the Spirit by measure.”

RAMEZ:
This distinction is crucial for us to understand who Jesus is compared to everyone else. The Church Fathers explain that we humans, even the greatest saints, are vessels. St. Augustine says God gives the Spirit to men “by measure”, like a cup that can only hold so much.

PAVLY:
Right, we have a “division of gifts”. One person gets wisdom, another healing, another service, etc. No human can hold the infinite power of God.

RAMEZ:
Exactly. But Christ is not a vessel; He is the Source. St. Cyril of Alexandria notes that Jesus possesses the Spirit “essentially,” just as fire possesses heat. He doesn’t need to be refilled. He is the Fountain. And because He has the Spirit without measure, He is the only One who can give the Spirit to others.

PAVLY:
I love the image St. Augustine uses here. He says the prophets are like lamps that need oil to shine, but Christ is the Light itself. We run to the fountain to drink, but the Fountain never thirsts.

This illustration is outlined more in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, where it says
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”

RAMEZ:
In this verse we see even more that divine knowledge is revealed through the Spirit of God, which was poured out by measure to the prophets. However, Jesus, who possesses the spirit, has all divine knowledge, and testifies about what He has ‘seen and heard’

So John outlines the validity of Jesus’ testimony and the importance of the people accepting it. So now, what happens to those who deny the Son?

Wrath of God
PAVLY:
This question is addressed in the final verse of this passage, which often scares people. Verse 36 says: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shalt not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

RAMEZ:
“The wrath of God” sounds like God is losing His temper.

PAVLY:
It does, but we need to look closer at the grammar. St. Augustine points out the key word here is abides, or remains. John doesn’t say the wrath comes to him; he says it abides on him.
RAMEZ:
Meaning it was already there?
PAVLY:
Exactly. Because of the Fall, our “default state” is mortality, darkness, and separation from God - that is the “wrath”. Jesus came to take that away. If you reject the Remedy, you simply remain in the sickness. God doesn’t have to add a new punishment; you just stay under the shadow of death. The question was never 'Why would God send me to handle His wrath?' but rather 'Why would I choose to remain under the shadow of death when the Light has come to take it away?'

RAMEZ:
And St. Cyril clarifies what it means when it says he “shalt not see life.” It doesn’t mean the unbeliever won’t exist or won’t be resurrected. It means he won’t see the blessed life - the joy and the glory of union with God. That privation, that emptiness, is what the “wrath” truly is.

PAVLY:
St. John Chrysostom adds that John uses this heavy language intentionally. He knew that some people aren’t moved by promises of good things, but they are awakened by fear. He wanted to shake his disciples out of their envy and indifference.

Application: Service under Christ
RAMEZ:
So, bringing this all home to our daily lives. We started this episode looking at John’s disciples, who fell into the trap of “Holy Envy.”
PAVLY:
They thought they were righteous and defending God, but they were really defending their own status

RAMEZ:
It’s easy to look at John’s disciples and judge them, but let's be honest about our own service.
Have you ever felt so attached to a specific ministry, a role, or even a spiritual leader that you felt a sting of defensiveness when things changed? If someone else succeeded where you laboured, did you rejoice, or did you feel threatened?

PAVLY:
That’s the hard question. Am I serving to lead people to the Bridegroom, or am I trying to keep the Bride for myself? Are we serving for the glory of God, or have we fallen into the trap of Vainglory, wanting the credit for being the 'friend' of the Bridegroom?"

RAMEZ:
We need to adopt John’s mindset: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” If we truly believe that, we stop competing. We become the “Friend of the Bridegroom,” standing aside and rejoicing when Christ increases, even if it means we are forgotten.

PAVLY:
That’s true humility, not just thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself as a servant whose only joy is the Master’s success.

Conclusion
RAMEZ:
And that brings us to the end of our walk through this passage. Let’s close with a prayer.

PAVLY:
In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen

RAMEZ:
Lord, grant us the humility of John the Baptist, and the knowledge that all good things come from Heaven, not from ourselves. Let us be true friends of the Bridegroom. Help us to stand, hear, and rejoice when You increase, even if that means we must decrease. Fill us with Your Spirit, and keep us from the wrath that abides on those who turn away from the Light. Amen.
PAVLY:
Thanks again for accompanying us. If you found this useful, feel free to send this to others, and we’ll see you in the next episode of Whispers from the Ages.