John 3:22-30

22After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.

23John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming to him and being baptized.

24(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

25Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew concerning ceremonial washing.

26So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.

28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’

29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete.

30He must become more important while I become less important.”