29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Observations
This is day 2 of Jesus’ ministry. John sees Jesus coming towards him and uses the phrase “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” for the first time. This concept would have been earth shattering to a Jew. The concept of an animal absorbing sin in place of man was quite familiar to the Jews. John’s statement now introduces the concept of God being the sacrifice for the sin of the entire world -not just for the Jewish nation. This is utterly unthinkable and incredibly shocking on two accounts: That instead of a lamb for sacrifice, it would be God Himself and That the sacrifice would atone for all of mankind, not just for the Jews. This would have been earth shattering and probably offensive to the Jews.
John would have been quite familiar with the Jewish sacrificial system since he was the son of a priest (Zechariah). Every morning and evening a lamb was sacrificed at the temple for the sins of the people. This was a practice that had to be done repeatedly. John the Baptist confidently looks at Jesus and gives Jesus the title He so rightly deserves, regardless of who might be offended. John points others to Jesus with this proclamation, especially his own disciples.
Application Point
- The fact that God Himself, Jesus in the flesh, would willingly come down to die for our sins, instead of an animal sacrifice, is sobering. How often do we realize this when we are in the midst of temptation or sin itself? Do we realize that the inappropriate images we thoughtlessly watch, the songs we happily sing, the crude language that we sometimes use….do we realize that Jesus’ death was required for every single one of those sins?
- The next obvious implication is that sin is serious to a holy God. And sin requires death as payment. So often we do not consciously understand this, that every sin committed against another person, is really committed against God. His holiness reveals and determines the standard by which every word spoken, every action, every thought, is measured. This is sobering and should lead us concern regarding our actions and thoughts.
31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John states twice in these verses, that He did not know Jesus. We know from the other gospels that Jesus and John are cousins so they knew one another, or at the very least knew of one another. So if John is not speaking physically, then what is he saying? John is saying that what he knows now about Jesus is different than what he knew previously. This new depth of knowing Jesus directly comes from the revelation from God that John received. John tells us that God told John the Spirit would descend upon Jesus and that is exactly what John witnessed. This occurrence convinced John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah, the Lamb of God and that God was trustworthy.
Application Point
God knew exactly what was needed in order for John the Baptist to be convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be. There is reason and purpose for God telling John beforehand what to watch for. And then God brings His words to pass, resulting in John’s belief. God alone is faithful and His words can be trusted.
God does this for each of us, maybe not in the same way as He did for John the Baptist, but God is working to reveal Himself to you. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. So why would He withhold the ways and means to help you understand this? As He provided revelations for John the Baptist, He will provide revelations for you and the primary way He does this is through the Bible. But His ways can extend far beyond the Bible. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and then be vigilant in watching for revelation.
33 … but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
John makes a point of noting the difference in the way in which he and Jesus baptize. John baptized with water (symbolizing repentance and cleansing of sin) while Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. What does “baptizing with the Holy Spirit mean? When the Holy Spirit came upon prophets in the Old Testament, He brought truth, power and courage to proclaim God’s message boldly. When John said that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit, he means that Jesus would place God’s spirit, His power, and His truth directly into our lives. With the Holy Spirit infused into our souls, we are enlightened, strengthened and cleansed.
The baptism that John brought, one of cleansing for the forgiveness of sin was a very helpful prerequisite for understanding the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus would soon bring. This is a brilliant progression of thought and understanding so necessary to understanding this concept, for both the Jew and us.