GOOD NEWS FROM ST. JOHN
JOHN the Baptist is an example to every minister of Christ and preacher or teacher. John the Baptist points people to Christ, and calls them to look at him. This is the minister’s ministry. We do not exalt a system, or a teaching; nor do we exalt ourselves; but we exalt Jesus Christ and urge people to put their trust in him.
Let us notice the words of John the Baptist here. John points to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Jesus is the Lamb sent by God and provided by God. Jesus was the Lamb sent by God to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world. There is no other meaning we can attach to the fact Jesus was the Lamb of God, than that he was the Lamb of God provided by God as a sacrifice for sin. He was God’s provision to atone for the sins of the world. He came to give his life a ransom for many. All the animal sacrifices ordained of God in the Old Testament were stop-gaps until the true Lamb for sacrifice should be provided by God and come into the world. Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, provided by God, his sacrifice of himself was all-sufficient to bear the punishment for sin, which the animal sacrifices never were. Jesus as the Lamb of God is the Saviour of the world.
John the Baptist also tells us that Jesus surpassed him, the greatest of the prophets. The reason he gives is that Jesus was before him. Jesus was before John in the excellence of his person. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. Jesus was also before John in time, for Jesus is the eternal Word, truly God. Here are the reasons why the minister’s business is to point people to Christ, for he is our God and he is our Saviour.
John the Baptist then speaks of his own ministry. His ministry was to baptise with water. This ministry was one of calling people to repentance for their sin. We are told in the other Gospels that the baptism of John the Baptist was unto repentance. John’s ministry was to make people understand how far short they had fallen in their living from the holy requirements of God, and cause them to be sorry for this abject failure. It is only as people see their failure in this way, and their need to be saved in order to escape the just punishment of God, that Jesus, the Lamb of God, sent to save sinners, will be attractive.
In the other Gospels we are told of the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. We are also told in the other Gospel’s the sign accompanying this baptism of Jesus of the Spirit of God descending on Jesus in the form of a dove. The Gospel of St. John does not record the baptism of Jesus, but here in verse 32 John the Baptist speaks of what he saw at the baptism of Jesus, and records that this was the sign he had been told to look for in order to recognise the Christ. John the Baptist tells us here that he would not have known Jesus from any other man, if he had not been given this sign.
This is an extraordinary statement. In the other Gospels we are told that John the Baptist recognised Jesus before he baptised him, and was reluctant to baptise him because Jesus was so far exalted above him. What these words of John concerning the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus do tell us is that John the Baptist was given in this fact, as an infallible sign, that Jesus was the Son of God and Saviour of the world, and we are meant to take hold of these words concerning the Spirit descending of Jesus, so that we may be sure that trust in Jesus will not be in vain. In verse 34 John the Baptist gives testimony to the assurance which this sign of the Spirit descending on Jesus gave him. John testifies to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. Because of this we can believe also with total assurance.
Lastly, John the Baptist gives testimony to the saving work of Jesus. John tells us that Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit. There is nothing confusing about this statement, even though these days there is much confusion about what baptism with the Holy Spirit is, with equally confusing claims about this baptism. Christ baptising with the Holy Spirit is simply the statement that he comes to give us new life. This baptism is the new birth and regeneration that we receive when we trust Jesus to save us. We are baptised with the Holy Spirit. Through trusting Christ our sins are forgiven, we are accounted righteous in God’s sight on account of Christ’s righteousness being put to our account. Because of this the sentence of death on account of sin is removed, so we are raised to new life by Jesus, and so being holy in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. This is the meaning of being baptised with the Spirit. Out of this salvation all the blessings of fellowship with God flows. We receive gifts from the Spirit, but each of us receive different ones, and there is no gift that is common to all believers, and these gifts are given, not for our enjoyment simply, but so that we may be able to serve God in the purpose God has appointed for us.
As we come to the end of this meditation let us leave with this one essential message - Behold, Lamb of God. Let us have our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us glory in him, worship him, and adore him.