Scripture

Then John gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have baptised him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”

Observation

The Jewish leaders send some priests and Levites to find out if John is the Messiah. He denies bring the one.

Then Jesus comes by, and John testifies that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John says that he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain on Jesus, and the Lord had told him that Jesus is the baptiser in the Holy Spirit.

Application

Jesus is both the Lamb of God and the baptiser In the Holy Spirit,

The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world. He has died to bring atonement- forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Jesus is also the baptiser in the Holy Spirit. He is the one who makes it possible for us to walk in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) are available to every believer. We can minister to others in the same power that Christ had. Even the Old Testament prophets had nothing like the power that is available to every ordinary follower of Jesus.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are also available to every believer. The fruit produces in us the character of Christ, It is the outward, visible sign of the grace of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a one-off event, but a daily filling, a daily relationship. As the power and grace of the Spirit pour into us, they are meant to overflow into the lives of the people around us, enabling us to be faithful witnesses of Christ.

Prayer

Holy Spirit fall afresh on me. Let me be so filled with you that everywhere I go, people are touched by your presence. Amen.