Seeking Jesus First Feb. 2, 2026
He Must Increase
Today’s Reading: John 3:28–30
(Read the full passage before reflecting below.)
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30, NKJV)
John the Baptist now brings his testimony to its most beautiful and mature expression. Having clarified that he is not the Christ, John uses an image rich with covenant meaning: the bridegroom and the friend of the bridegroom. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend does not compete for affection or attention—he rejoices when the bridegroom’s voice is heard. John declares, “Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.”
This is not loss—it is fulfillment.
John understood that his life was never meant to terminate in himself. His calling was preparatory, directional, and temporary by design. When Jesus increased, John did not diminish in value—he completed his assignment. True joy, in the kingdom of God, is found not in being central, but in being faithful.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
This statement is not about self-erasure or false humility. It is about right order. Christ increasing does not mean we disappear; it means Christ is formed in us. The apostle Paul echoes this same truth when he writes, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” The decrease John speaks of is the yielding of self-rule so that Christ’s life may take shape within us.
This is the pattern of spiritual maturity.
We begin life bearing the image of the man of dust—natural, limited, and self-centered. But Scripture promises something greater: “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” Christ’s increase is the process by which that transformation occurs. The more His life is expressed in us, the less the old nature governs us.
Paul describes this transformation as ongoing and progressive: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This is not forced reduction—it is Spirit-led transformation. We decrease only in what does not belong to our new life, and Christ increases in what He has already given us.
John’s joy was complete because he recognized that increase is not competition. Christ’s increase does not impoverish the believer—it enriches us. As the bridegroom receives the bride, the family grows. As Christ increases, His people mature. His glory becomes our covering, His righteousness our identity, His life our life.
This devotion gently reorients us. In a culture that prizes visibility, affirmation, and self-expression, John reminds us that the deepest joy comes from alignment with God’s purpose. When Christ is magnified, love governs us. When Christ increases, peace follows. When Christ is formed in us, we become who we were always meant to be.
Today, let John’s words settle into your heart. Decrease is not loss—it is surrender. Increase is not dominance—it is life. And when Christ increases in us, joy is fulfilled.
He must increase. And as He does, we are transformed into His likeness.