John 3:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

NIV: The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

NASB: He who has the bride is the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.

CSB: He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete.

NLT: It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.

KJV: He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

NKJV: 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.

John the Baptist was clear, right from the beginning, that his ministry was all about leading people to Jesus (John 1:23; John 3:28). So, when people tell him that Jesus is attracting more attention, he is not concerned. In fact, he is joyful—this is what he was called by God to do, and he's seeing it happen.

Wedding terminology is common in the Bible. God is often pictured as a groom who takes Israel, or His people, as a bride (Isaiah 54:4; Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19). The best man at a wedding is not meant to be the center of attention. Of all of the men involved, the groom is supposed to get all of the applause. The best man's role is to help the groom, to be his advocate, and his friend. When the groom has his bride, the best man is joyful. He's not jealous or angry, because that outcome is exactly what he wanted in the first place.

In this way, John the Baptist has acted like a best man for Jesus. Now that Jesus has come on the scene, the Baptist is happy to see Him succeed. Verse 30 is the logical end result of this change. If people are going to follow Jesus, they can't follow John the Baptist, as well. In order for the Baptist's mission to succeed, he must lose popularity and fame, and Jesus must gain it.

John 3:22–30 describes an argument between followers of John the Baptist and a Jewish religious leader, over purification. Though the passage does not name him, it’s possible this man was Nicodemus, who had just been discussing that topic with Jesus. The Baptist isn’t upset that his followers are dwindling, while Jesus attracts crowds. Instead, he makes it clear that Christ’s glory was his mission, and seeing it succeed makes him happy. Rather than being selfish about our own applause, we should be happy when our efforts cause people to praise God.

John chapter 3 is one of the most important in the entire gospel. Many crucial ideas are explained in this passage, including the role of Jesus as Savior. After the loud, public commotion at the temple, John transitions to a quiet, nighttime discussion. These verses make it clear that Christ—and Christ alone—is the means of salvation for the entire world. This text also states that those who reject Jesus are rejecting God.

The gospel of John is meant to prove that Jesus is God. Chapter 3 contains some of the most direct, most important concepts in Christianity. The ideas of spiritual rebirth, and the need to believe in Christ, are reinforced by the rest of the information in this gospel. John continues to use contrast, moving from the loud and public temple cleansing to the quiet of this conversation. After Jesus injects humility into a powerful leader, chapter 4 will transition again, as Jesus gives dignity to an outcast stranger.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.