John 3:19 through 21 speaks of Christ as the light.
Referring to Christ, verse 19a says that “the light has come into the world.” According to 1:9 this was “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” Christ came into the world as light so that men might be enlightened for salvation.
In order to save us, Christ, the Son of God, came as light to enlighten every man. But, unfortunately, “men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. For every one who practices evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his works be reproved” (3:19b-20).
Verse 21 goes on to say, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they are wrought in God.” According to the context, truth here denotes uprightness (as opposed to evil), which is the reality manifested in a man who lives in God according to what He is, and which corresponds with the divine light, which is God, as the source of the truth, manifested in Christ.
For those who receive Christ as light, the light becomes their life (vv. 16, 36). This life is the eternal life, the divine life, the uncreated life of God.
The word of John the Baptist in verse 29 indicates that Christ is the Bridegroom: “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” The bridegroom is a most pleasant person, who comes for the bride. The believers in Christ as a corporate bride are prepared for Christ as the Bridegroom. To us He should be the attraction, the pleasure, and the satisfaction. All the believers should experience and enjoy Him as the pleasant Bridegroom.
As the Bridegroom Christ has the regenerated ones as His bride. Whereas verse 29 speaks of the bride, verse 30 speaks of the increase. The increase in verse 30 is the bride in verse 29, and the bride is a living composition of all the regenerated people. This indicates that in John 3, a chapter on regeneration, regeneration not only brings the divine life into the believers but also makes them the corporate bride for Christ’s increase. Regeneration, therefore, is for the increase of Christ; it is for the producing of the bride. Regeneration is for us to be a part of the bride of Christ.
The bride as the increase of Christ is related to the spiritual part of our being (v. 6b). Our regenerated human spirit is part of the increase of Christ, and this increase is Christ’s multiplication and reproduction. Through regeneration we have become part of Christ’s increase.
The bride of Christ is the increase of Christ. All of the reborn people are the increase of Christ, and this increase is the bride, which becomes the counterpart of Christ. The bride of Christ is the church, the composition of all the regenerated people. All those who are regenerated are composed together as the corporate bride to match Christ. Without regeneration, Christ cannot have His bride as His increase. Hence, Christ increases by regenerating the redeemed sinners, making them His bride, His wife.
Adam and Eve are a type of Christ with His increase. Adam was a bachelor, a single man, but one day the Lord opened His side, took out a rib, and built that rib into Eve as a wife to match Adam (Gen. 2:20b-24). Eve was Adam’s increase, and through his wife Adam has billions of descendants, who are also his increase. Adam is still increasing today because the earth’s population is continually increasing. All the upcoming new babes are parts of Adam’s increase. Adam is a type of Christ (Rom. 5:14), and Eve is a type of the church as the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2-3; Eph. 5:31-32). Not only the wife but also all the children are the increase of the husband. The increase of Christ today on this earth is immeasurable. Christ is still increasing.
In order for Christ to increase, we need to contact people individually to get them regenerated. Then gradually and steadily with the proper care, we as their parents should feed, nourish, and cherish them day by day through the small groups. For Christ to increase continually, each of us must be in a small group to produce new spiritual children.