“And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God’ ” (John 1:32-34).
It’s like solving a great mystery. You find clues along the way and begin piecing each of them together. You ask questions and gather information. Everything starts coming together. It may take hours or even weeks to figure out how everything is connected. But once you find the last clue, everything else suddenly becomes crystal clear. Case solved!
God told John that the Messiah would arrive. John surely must have been thrilled. His entire life’s work revolved around preparing people for the Messiah, and making a clear path for His arrival. God told John what to look for to identify the Savior. When John witnessed the promised sign take place right before his eyes, the mystery was solved. John received closure. He was now certain. This was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Can you imagine knowing one of your cousins since you were a child, but never understanding that he was the Messiah? John was not able to know the real Jesus until God revealed it to him. The term, “Son of God” points to the deity of Jesus Christ. It points to His divine origin, His eternal existence, and His shared relationship with the Father and Holy Spirit.
The Messiah was destined to rule in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. His Kingdom would prevail over all evil and would have no end. From this point forward, God would speak to his people through Jesus, the Son of God. It was a powerful moment in the life of John. Here he stood with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.
Jesus would now take things to another level. He would begin to baptize and immerse people into God’s Kingdom through faith in Him. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would change lives. He would do much more than simply foreshadow our salvation. Jesus became our salvation.
Read: Open your Bible and read Hebrews 1:1-9.
Reflect: Prayerfully consider the following: How has knowing Jesus changed your life? What words would best describe His work in you?
Respond: As a result of these truths, what might need to change in my attitude, beliefs, and actions? What steps do I need to take outwardly?
The source of this content comes from our book, Walking with Jesus.