When many people began to become Jesus’ disciples, and John the Baptizer declared that Jesus was greater than he, the Jewish leaders rejected John’s and Jesus’ testimony that Jesus was equal to God.

John 3:22-36

22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and directed us as we baptized people.

23 John the Baptizer was also baptizing people. He was doing that at Aenon village near Salim town in Samaria district, because there were many springs in that area. Many people kept coming to John and were being baptized {he was baptizing them}. 24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison. 25 Then some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew started arguing about the Jewish rituals of washing things to make them acceptable to God. 26 Then those disciples went to John and said to him, “Teacher, do you remember the man who was with you when you were baptizing people on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling us about. Well, now he is baptizing people, and many people are going to him instead of coming to us!” 27 John replied, “A person can become important only if God [MTY] permits it. So we should not be jealous about Jesus being popular! 28 You yourselves can verify what I said. I told you that I am not ◄the Messiah/God’s promised king►. Instead, I told you that I was sent {that God sent me} to prepare the way for him. 29 Let me illustrate [MET]: He is like a ◄bridegroom/man who is being married►, and I am like his friend. The friend of the bridegroom stands there and waits for him to come. That friend is very happy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice when he arrives. Similarly, I am very happy about what you have told me. 30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important by making more disciples than I have, and for me to become less important.”

31 Jesus came from heaven. He is more important than anyone else. Those who are born from parents here on earth [MTY] are just humans, and they speak about things that happen here on the earth. But since Jesus came from heaven, his words are more important than anyone else’s. 32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard in heaven, but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says. 33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true. 34 We know it is true because Jesus, the one God sent, speaks the message of God. That is also true because God causes his Spirit to live in Jesus to completely direct everything he says and does. 35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything. 36 Those who trust in God’s Son have eternal life. But those who reject God’s Son will never have eternal life. Instead, God is angry with them and he will surely punish them.