John 3:26

Ver. 26. “ And they came to John and said to him: Master, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him. ”

There is something of bitterness in these words. The words: “ to whom thou hast borne witness ” make prominent the generosity which John had shown towards Jesus: “See there, how thou hast acted, thou (σύ); and see here, how He is acting, He (οὗτος). ῎Ιδε, behold, sets forth the unexpected character of such a course: “He baptizes, quite like thyself; thus, not content with asserting Himself, He seeks to set thee aside.” Baptism was a special rite, introduced by John, and distinguishing his ministry from every other. By appropriating it to Himself, Jesus seemed to usurp the part peculiar to His predecessor and to desire to throw him altogether into the shade. And what is more poignant in this course of action is, that it succeeds: “ All men come to him. ” This exaggeration, all, is the result of spite. Matthew 9:14 shows us John's disciples in Galilee, after the imprisonment of their master, animated by the same hostile disposition and combining more or less with the adversaries of Jesus.