POWER IN HIS WORDS
John
1:35-51 Then
John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and
remain on him. 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.’ I have seen and I testify
that this is the Son of God.”
“When E. F. Hutton speaks, everyone listens”. If you
are not familiar with that commercial line, then you are not even close to my
age! God spoke and the world was created. Satan lied and humanity was
cursed. Martha complained and Mary
listened. The Judged fumed while the old woman railed. A Donkey spoke and a
Prophet was saved, (Numbers 22:4-20; 2 Peter 2:16). Jesus speaks and people follow.
Some of the people that followed Christ were
approached by him directly. When he called out to them, they recognized him as
a Rabbi, and followed him. Other people were brought to Christ by someone who
had seen and heard him speak. People connect what they saw and what they heard
in Christ as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. John the Baptist knew Jesus
was coming before he arrived. The Book of Isaiah gives clear teaching about the
coming of Messiah and the events to precede and accompany his arrival, see
Isaiah 40:1-11.
He was told to baptize Jesus when Christ came to the
Jordan River. There John heard the voice of God proclaim his approval of Jesus,
his Son and our Messiah. God spoke, John listened. Jesus is speaking, are you
listening?