John 3:28

“Ye yourselves bear me witness, etc.] In what they now said, and referred to, in describing Christ, as he to whom John bore witness; and he appeals to them for what he said in their presence, and before all the people in that testimony: that I said I am not the Christ; (see <430119>John 1:19,20); wherefore, if he, who is the Christ, is now come, and teaches, and baptizes, and has the greatest number of followers, it is not to be wondered at; and much less to be envied; but rather to be rejoiced at. For John, by repeating what he had before said, that he was not the Christ, suggests, that Jesus was; and therefore was superior to him in office, honour, and usefulness, who was only his harbinger…”

“Bear me witness - You remember that at first I told you I was not the Messiah. As he had been “witness” to Jesus - as he came for no other end but to point him out to the Jews, they ought not to suppose that he was his superior. It was but reasonable to expect that Christ himself would be more successful than his forerunner. “I came, not to form a separate party, a special sect, but to prepare the way that he might be more successful, and that the people might be ready for his coming, and that he might have the success which he has actually met with. You should rejoice, therefore, at that success, and not envy it, for ‘his success’ is the best proof of the greatness of my word, and of its…”

“I said: Joh 1:20, Joh 1:25, Joh 1:27 but: Joh 1:23; Mal 3:1, Mal 4:4, Mal 4:5; Mat 3:3, Mat 3:11, Mat 3:12; Mar 1:2, Mar 1:3; Luk 1:16, Luk 1:17, Luk 1:76, Luk 3:4-6 John 3:29”