I witnessed the Holy Spirit coming to rest upon Jesus in the form of a dove as it descended from heaven. When God sent me to baptize with water, He told me, “The One on Whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the One Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.” At the time, I was unaware that He was the One Who Would Baptize with the Holy Spirit. — John 1:32-33
Israel’s Messiah
Christ was the Lamb of God who was without blemish or sin, undefiled and set apart from others who commit sin. He did not sin. He had no concept of sin. He was perfect in every way. He was the perfect Son of God, free from all faults. When Jesus died on the cross, He not only paid the price for sin, but He also broke the power that sin had over people. Because their Messiah-King was going in and out among them and the kingdom of God was very close at hand, John the Baptist was calling on Israelites to repent of their sins. The kingdom of God was very close at hand. Oh, Israel had faith in God; they anticipated the arrival of a Deliverer who would save them, and John the Baptist was directing their attention to the One who had been revealed to him as their Messiah.
The Passover Lamb
They did not lack a god like the pagan gentiles did because they were not heathen. They placed a tremendous deal of hope in the one who would save them. They have a belief in God, but now they need to have faith in the Lord Jesus as well. They had been children who disobeyed their parents, but now they are required to repent from their wrongdoing and to Christ. John testified as follows: “I saw the Holy Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and landing upon Him.” When God sent me to baptize with water, He told me, “The One on Whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” – “Behold the Lamb of God….” I had no idea that He was the One until God told me that when He sent me to baptize with water.
Isaiah, the Son of God
Imagine the shock and awe that John must have felt when he saw the perfect Son of God, upon whom the Holy Spirit was going to rest, coming to him to be baptized in the water. He said, “You must baptize me; I cannot be saved any other way.” But God always has a purpose for what He does, and all that Christ accomplished was done under the guidance of the Spirit of God and in perfect harmony with the will of the Father – everything for the glory of God. But God always has a reason for what He does. Jesus, wanting to reassure His lowly herald, replied to John, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to accomplish all righteousness,” and so He submitted to being baptized.
Sinner’s Savior
There were a variety of reasons why Jesus said, “Allow it for now,” but the reason that He had come to this earth to be the sinner’s Savior was possibly the most poignant reason. Jesus said, “Allow it for now.” He had gone to earth in the form of a man in order to empathize with those whom he was going to save. He was willing to stand in our place despite the fact that He was God’s sinless Son; nonetheless, He was able to empathize with each of us, in all of our struggle with sin – in every single manner. He did this by volunteering to die on the cross in our stead.
Heaven’s heavenly realm
Jesus’s immersion in water marked not just the commencement of His earthly career but also the beginning of His public ministry. As He stepped out into three and a half years of blessing for humanity, He joined His voice with that of His herald, proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand – the King was here.” This silence that had surrounded Him throughout His childhood and early adulthood was broken for all time when He did this.
The long-awaited Messiah
The stunning image of the Holy Spirit descending and settling upon Christ as an audible voice from the Father exclaimed, “THIS is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased,” must have been a baptism of understanding for John – that this was the Messiah whom God had promised.
Spirit Baptism
When Jesus’ true identity was revealed as that of the Christ, did John witness it alone or were there others present? We will never know, but John was undoubtedly persuaded by this proof that Jesus was the Messiah, who would one day baptize with the Holy Spirit at a later time. And on that very first day of Pentecost, we witness the wonderful completion of that very first baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Unique Role
It is a lovely vision of the triune Godhead coming together on the banks of the Jordan to urge the Lord Jesus to fulfill His unique position as Prophet, Priest, and King as He took His first step on the path that led to Calvary. This took place while He was beginning His journey to Calvary. Let us never be satisfied to simply skim over the pages of the Bible without taking the time to delve more deeply into the compassionate nature of our Lord and Savior, who gave His life as a ransom for you and for me. Let us allow ourselves to be overcome with amazement and wonder.