Exultation in Jesus Christ’s Exaltation

For quite some time now, my wife has suggested that it would be a good idea to set up a blog so that family and friends might not only observe what is happening in our lives, but also glean from all that Jesus Christ is doing in and through our lives. Indeed, her idea was great (as they usually are); however, I stood at a dilemma. Though blogging seemed like a great idea, I feared one thing:  my own prideful tendencies taking over what I would post on a blog so that it became more of a means of ‘puffing up’ rather than ‘building up.’ So, I refused to begin blogging when she first suggested it to me. However, by the Lord’s grace and the prayers of my wife, the Lord continued to show me that this could be the very place I display His glory in sanctification in my life. A blog would be the means of getting the word out that Jesus is magnificant and Bret is not. Hence the title of this post, “Exultation in Jesus Christ’s Exaltation.”

Over the past few weeks I have been saturating myself in the Gospel of John. Two weeks ago it landed on me that John the Baptist’s joy was rooted in his desire to see the Son of God exalted. The Baptist exulted in the fact that he would be decreasing and that Jesus would be increasing. He told his disciples, “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ’I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 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. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28-30). What a world-view this man had!

Without a doubt John the Baptist knows the Lord’s will:  to use him to preach the coming of Messiah Jesus and His kingdom until Jesus’ arriving for His public ministry and road to the cross, and then get out of the way. He does not begrudgingly step aside so that Jesus will increase; instead, as the best man, he rejoices to see the bridegroom arriving for His mission to redeem His bride. It was determined by God that the Baptist would decrease (noted by must), and he was glad. The Lord’s will to increase Jesus and decrease John was his delight. He found joy in submitting to the Father’s will to make Jesus supreme. Indeed, in this “his joy was made full” (3:29).

So, it is my prayer and Rachel’s prayer that this blog be one which is dedicated to exulting in the exaltation of Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, we hope to find our joy in the Father’s plan to make Christ supreme.