07/29/2026
“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 3:29
John the Baptist said this about Jesus. He had followers of his own, influence of his own — and he let it all go without bitterness, because his joy was never in being the center. It was in pointing to the One who is.
The very next verse says it plainest: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
That’s the picture behind every groomsman standing next to a groom on his wedding day — closest to him, not for his own sake, but for the joy of seeing him receive what he’s been given. A small echo of a much bigger truth: we were made to point beyond ourselves.
John’s whole life was aimed at making room for Jesus. And Scripture says that’s meant for us too — the church is even called the bride, and Christ the bridegroom (Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 19:7). We’re not meant to stand at the center of our own story. We’re meant to know His voice, rejoice when He’s near, and let our lives point to Him increasing, not us.
That’s the joy John had. It’s the joy offered to anyone who knows the Bridegroom. What would it look like to know Him not just as Savior, but as a friend standing near enough to hear His voice?
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Congratulations to Isaiah and Eve — may your marriage always point beyond yourselves, to the greater Bridegroom who makes sense of it all.…
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“Your story, His glory — Testify!”
Lens Through Bre
Central Florida Photographer
Gospel Writer
