John the Baptist Exalts Jesus | Eric Van Zee | March 1, 2026

·31 min·3 clips

A pastor describes the emotional moment he officiated his son's wedding and realized his role as a father had to change.

Eric Van Zee begins the sermon with announcements, including an update on Pastor Todd's surgery and a call for volunteers for the missions advisory team. He transitions into the sermon by reflecting on daily roles people play, such as parent or driver, and shares a personal story about officiating his son Ben's wedding in June 2025, noting how his role as a father changed. Van Zee reads John 3:22-36, focusing on John the Baptist's response to his disciples' jealousy that Jesus is baptizing more people. He explains that John describes himself as the 'friend of the bridegroom' or best man, whose joy is complete when the groom (Jesus) arrives. Van Zee emphasizes John's humility in saying 'He must increase, but I must decrease.' The pastor then breaks down the roles in the passage: John as best man, Jesus as bridegroom, and believers as the bride. He discusses Jesus' authority as coming from heaven and being above all, contrasting this with human authority that often fails. Van Zee uses contemporary examples, like the State of the Union address, to illustrate the search for truth. He applies the passage to listeners by asking if they believe in Jesus, using an analogy of free solo climber Alex Honnold to warn against trusting oneself. Van Zee connects this to obedience and eternal life, noting that without Christ, people remain under God's wrath. He concludes with applications for humility in leadership and references the church's upcoming vote on Pastor Paul Goebel, encouraging members to affirm leaders who point to Christ. The sermon ends with a prayer for Jesus to increase in their lives.

As heard by us

A warm sermon on releasing the spotlight so Christ becomes the center.

A sermon on John the Baptist becomes a focused meditation on what happens when people begin moving toward Jesus. As John's disciples notice the shift, the missions pastor traces John's response through the language of receiving from above and the image of the friend standing…

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you need John the Baptist's answer to a bigger crowd around Jesus and a smaller role for himself.

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