John 1:35-39 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
 
JOHN the Baptist points John and James – the two disciples – to Jesus. He repeats, “Look the Lamb of God.” With humility and reverence, the prophet from God points to God. He is as all God’s teachers must be – wise in God’s knowledge and humble to point students to the Lord.
   As the two disciples approach Jesus, he asked, “What do you want?” I like this question. Jesus sometimes asked this of people who sought healing. He knew what they wanted, but he wanted them to speak their desires. Saying to the Lord, “I want …” can seem selfish, but our prayers are focused on what we want, aren’t they? Hopefully we want God to move for others’ benefit. “I want war to end. I want people to know Jesus. I want to be a good husband.” Jesus wanted to hear the disciples say, “We want to be with you.”
   In the language of the day, that is what they said. Asking, “Teacher, where do you staying?” the two spoke in the culture’s way to invite themselves to spend time with the Teacher. We may feel that is rude from our point of view in the U.S., but hospitality is very important to many people groups around the world. You actually honor someone when you say you want to see where they live. With Jesus’ invitation, the two disciples go. It is 4 pm. There is time for conversation and a meal. Their lives are about to change.
 
Prayer: Lord God, I want your church on earth to be true to you. I want your Spirit to empower the church to point the world truly to you. Amen.
  

John 1:32-34 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
 
GOD often revealed himself to his prophets through visions. Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel are some prophets who express the great wonders of heaven. Here, the Spirit opens John the Baptist’s eyes to see the Holy Spirit come upon Jesus. Note that John doesn’t describe the Spirit, only that he settles onto Jesus as a dove settles onto a tree branch. John had been told this would happen. He has waited for the proper sign and now testifies to what he has seen. This is the apostle John’s further testimony the gospel of salvation came in Jesus. The Holy Spirit has baptized Jesus, so he will baptize with the Holy Spirit. What does that mean?
   First, the Holy Spirit’s baptism is the breath of life. You see life come to mankind as the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The Spirit baptized Mary to give life to God the man in Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
   Second, the baptism of the Spirit also is new spiritual life for the sinner to be born again. John 3:6 “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” 
   Third, the Spirit’s baptism is the knowledge of God. The Spirit had revealed to John that Jesus is the Son of God. Likewise, we cannot know the Son is God until the Spirit of God baptizes us into this faith. 1 Corinthians 12:3b no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
   In the first 34 verses of John, we have seen the unity of the Trinity. The bold apostle makes extraordinary claims about the life of a particular man named Jesus of Nazareth. John declares he is the eternal Word who is God and is with God. He is the one through whom all things were made. He is life, shining his light into darkness, but no one understood him. But then the Word became flesh. Although the world did not know Jesus at first, we began to know him through the testimony of John the Baptist. John testifies Jesus is the Lamb of God, and Jesus is the Son of God.
   The apostle has set the stage for the gospel message. He has identified Jesus as divine. He is about to prove through Jesus’ work and words, how Jesus is the Son whom God sent into a world he so loved.  
 
Prayer: Thank you, Holy Spirit, for revealing the truth of Jesus to me. I pray you make him known to my friends and family who do not yet know Jesus is the Son of God. Amen.   
  

John 1:29-31 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
 
WHAT happens when a loved one for whom you have waited a long time comes to you? You get excited, don’t you? Eagerly, you exclaim, “Welcome! I’m so glad to see you!”
   John the Baptist saw Jesus walk toward him, and he knew this was the One he had been waiting to see for his entire life. John had been born for this moment. He had endured the wilderness, been steadfast to preach and baptize. He had answered, “Who are you?” to now say, “The reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
   John’s work has been worthwhile. He has prepared the way for the Lamb of God, who is now come to minister God’s gospel of grace. For centuries the Lamb had been the animal of redemption in God’s law. For example: Exodus 12:21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.” Also, Leviticus 5:6 and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. There are many others. Rarely was an offering complete without an unblemished lamb. John said that God’s law has become flesh.  
    Notice for the first time in his gospel, John, the apostle, mentions Jesus by name. He then immediately through John the Baptist’s words connects Jesus to “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus is the Lamb. Jesus is the complete sacrifice. He is Savior because he is the Lamb of God.
   As we learned about joy a few lessons back, we can readily believe John the Baptist was filled with joy to see the Savior! Likely, too, the apostle John wrote these words many years later with great joy as he recounted God’s wonderful love come to earth. Here is the unspeakable love, grace and passion the Lord God Almighty bestows upon the world. In the Living Lamb, the apostle and the prophet would each have hearts filled with a deep sense of well-being in the Lord. John the Baptist saw centuries of prophecy fulfilled before his eyes. John, the apostle, witnessed the wonder of the Lord’s life, death, resurrection and ascension. The prophet said the Lamb would take away sin. The apostle witnessed the Lamb’s power to do so.
   These are testimonies of two men called to witness God’s wonder on earth. I pray we joyfully see God walk so lovingly into our lives, and we know the One who takes away our sins.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the law to show the way to Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, that you are the Lamb of God, who takes away all my sins. Amen.

John 1:24-28 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
 
WHY did John the Baptist baptize? As Christians, we understand baptism to be an outward sign that we have received the Spirit’s regeneration of new life. In that new life, we are a member of Christ’s church. But John, of course, is before Jesus, whose church was yet to come.
   The Jews, though, did baptize Gentiles who became Jews. The Jews did not normally baptize Jews, but John was baptizing Jews this was a sign of the Messiah. That’s one reason the Pharisees questioned John. It seems they believed that the Prophet, Elijah or the Messiah would come with God’s holy authority to baptize Jews to cleanse the world’s sin. If John, then, was not one of the “three” why did he baptize?
   John the Baptist defined his purpose as he answered their question. John tells them his baptism is a sign of repentance to prepare for a greater one to come. Humbly, John stayed in his role. God had anointed John to awaken the Jews from 400 years of heaven’s silence. His words are urgent as the Messiah stands at the ready, prepared to take his cue from the Father and the Spirit to begin his gospel ministry. 
   Have you ever considered how John the Baptist is an excellent model for your own faith walk? We often, I believe, see the prophet as an isolated man who lived a hermit’s life. He dressed badly, ate bugs and preached harshly. Who wants to be like that?
   Let’s see, instead, a man who faithfully lived into his calling. He was neither more nor less the man God had made him to be. The Spirit had anointed him in his mother’s womb. He lived under the Spirit’s anointing until his death. God separated him from the culture to train him into his role. Then God used him to prepare the Savior to come to you.
   You and I are called to similar roles. Each Christian is anointed to live in the Spirit’s power until we die. This includes telling the gospel. We are to awaken the world to the true Messiah. He now stands at the ready, awaiting the Father’s cue to come again as Judge and King. God calls you to prepare hearts for the Savior.
 
Prayer: I receive your anointing, Lord God, to be your disciple. I pray I help the world to be prepared for you. Amen.