Episode 18 - The Spirit descends and remains

I hope you’re not tired yet of this segment on John the Baptist’s testimony. Ideally, you’ve seen that it’s quite rich and we are just scratching the surface. In this episode, I want to take one last look at this segment of John’s testimony and examine two more repetitive phrases or ideas and their significance.

First, John the Baptist’s repeated assertion, “I baptize with water.” (Verses 26, 31, and 33) What is his point? Why is it so important to emphasizes how he baptizes? Its significance comes out when he explains that the one to whom he is pointing (Jesus) baptizes with the Holy Spirit. (Verse 33) 

Secondly, we see a repetition of the Spirit descending and remaining upon Jesus. In verse 32, John the Baptist says, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and remained on him.” Then in verse 33, he explains that the One who sent him to baptize with water said to him, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” (verse 33)  This was to be the evidence for John to recognize the one to whom John would point others.

Let’s bring these together. The Baptizer is making it clear how he is NOT the one to whom the greatest attention is to be given. He is only a messenger to tell people who they should turn to and why he is so important. (He is the Son of God. verse 34) John the Baptist is emphasizing that he himself only baptizes with water; something of the natural world. But, Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Why is that important? I am going to attempt to answer that question in the same manner that I have the previous few episodes; by looking at the context. 

When we looked at the repetition of the word and concept of “seeing,” the immediate context helped us understand the purpose of the repetition and shifting meaning of seeing through those uses. When we examined the idea of “knowing” or “not knowing,” we expanded the context back to the religious leaders encounter with John the Baptist. He told them that they didn’t know about the one who was so much greater. But, then in verses 29-34 he twice mentions that he himself did not know him. In this case, I want us to expand our contextual examination to the Old Testament. Why? We need to understand a little more about what it says about John the Baptist’s role is in order to understand why he telling us these things about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

When John first tells the contingency of religious leaders, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (verse 23), he is quoting Isaiah 40:3 and claiming to be that “voice” which is now fulfilling this prophecy. The context of the first thirty-nine chapters leading up to this is about the sin of Israel and God’s discipline upon them for their rebellion. Now, we see hope and restoration of Israel to the LORD. In Isaiah 40:1 the prophet writes, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem , and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” 

Fast forward to Isaiah 42:1 in which God speaks through the prophet saying, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” No wonder John the Baptist recognizes the message given to him that the one upon whom the Spirit descends and remains is the one to whom he should point people. It’s consistent with what God had already revealed. 

John the Baptist is saying, What God has been promising in His word about your hope, Israel, has been fulfilled in Jesus because God’s presence and power are with him and he can and will baptize or dip you in the Holy Spirit to purify you and make you right with God. 

In Isaiah 42:1 it would appear that the promised hope is not just for Israel, but justice for the nations ( or “the world”) as well. 

John’s message to people coming to him is not something new that he was teaching. He was simply announcing that what God had promised has finally come about. That promise is found in the person of Jesus. 

My desire for these observations about the Baptizer’s testimony of Jesus and the Holy Spirit remaining upon him will prepare us for understanding and appreciating what the apostle John has in store for us about who Jesus is and his purpose for coming into the world.