"John 1:29-51
The gift of the Holy Spirit
Are you enjoying everything Jesus has made possible for you? Or are you still feeling guilty and powerless? Jesus came to bring forgiveness, new life and the power of the Holy Spirit to you. Make sure you take possession of these gifts today.
In this passage we see a remarkable sequence of the titles given to Jesus. Jesus is the ‘Son of God’ (vv.34,49), ‘Rabbi’ (v.38), ‘Messiah (that is, the Christ)’ (v.41), ‘the one whom Moses ... and about whom the prophets also wrote’ (v.45), ‘King of Israel’ (v.49) and ‘Son of Man’ (v.51).
I want to focus particularly on two titles in this passage that describe the ministry of Jesus.
Lamb of God
John says of Jesus, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (v.29). As you come to Jesus, he takes away your sins. Claim, trust, believe in the forgiveness bought for you. Actively reject feelings of guilt or unworthiness. It is a proactive, practical, daily choice to take possession of the forgiveness that Jesus has made possible for you.
Spirit baptiser
John the Baptist describes Jesus as ‘the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit’ (v.33). Jesus fills you with his Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus has made possible for you. However, you have to take possession of the gift that God has made available for you.
Jesus also gives you the opportunity to do what John the Baptist did – to point others to him. Of course, God does not need a human agent. Jesus could continue his ministry without our help. However, we see in this passage how God uses people. Here it is not Jesus who calls others directly, but his disciples.
They bring the people to Jesus: John the Baptist introduces Andrew (vv.35–36); Andrew introduces Peter (v.41) and Philip introduces Nathanael (v.45). Nathanael was suspicious at first, but then he came and immediately found that Jesus really was the Son of God (v.49).
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, wrote a commentary on John’s gospel. When he came to the words ‘and he [Andrew] brought him [Simon Peter] to Jesus’ (v.42a), Temple wrote a short but momentous sentence: ‘The greatest service that one man can render another’.
Simon Peter went on to be one of the greatest influences in the history of Christianity. We cannot all be Simon Peters, but we can all do what his brother Andrew did – we can bring someone to Jesus.
Or, just like Philip, you can say ‘come and see’ (v.46) to your friends, family and work colleagues. You can be a part of God’s plan for people to hear about and respond to Jesus as you invite them to ‘come and see’.
I have found that there is nothing more exciting in life than being involved in the ministry of Jesus. It is so gracious of God to involve us, imperfect human beings, in his perfect plan.
Lord, help me today to enjoy this gift of forgiveness and the fullness of life in the Holy Spirit. Help me also to introduce others to you – to invite people to ‘come and see’ (v.46)."
1. You have given change in my life, Lord. Thank You for the gift of grace. May I bring people to You, no matter how imperfect I am.
2. Hallelujah for giving gifts and talents! Congratulations to El Gamma Penumbra!
3. Thank You for the Skype session with friends. :D
