October 4 Breath of Life

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.