He is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit. John 1:33
It’s strange to think that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, yet he didn’t really know who He was until he baptised Him. He knew him as a relative and as a very good and honourable man, but not as the Messiah. John had an intimate relationship with God. He heard from God, communed with God and ministered in the power of God. He knew his own calling was to warn people that the Messiah was coming and that they had needed to repent of their sins in preparation for His arrival, but he didn’t know who the Messiah was until the day that Jesus was baptised.
God had told him that when he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain on someone, that person was the Messiah. On that day, John said that he saw something like a dove descending from heaven and resting upon Jesus, and he heard the audible voice of God saying that Jesus was His Son. That is when it was revealed to him who the Messiah was.
Jesus had been fully God from conception. The Holy Spirit descending on Him was not Him becoming God, or even Him being filled with God’s power. He always was and is The Son of God. But His earthly ministry was now beginning. The Holy Spirit descending was not for Jesus’ benefit, but for John’s benefit. John now knew who the Messiah was.
Jesus was immediately led into the wilderness for 40 days. What an amazing 40 days that must have been for John. He now knew that the Messiah had come. He knew who the Messiah was, and his preaching became even more powerful and compelling, so much so that the Jewish leaders had sent a delegation to John to interrogate him about who he was and by whose authority he baptised.
John, the humble servant of God, did not elevate himself or his ministry. He knew that his baptism was only in water. It was an outward sign of repentance. But Jesus’ baptism was a baptism of new life; a life born of the Holy Spirit.
This is what Jesus continues to offer – a new life. A life born of the Spirit. A life that begins here on earth. A life of purpose. A life of privilege. A life that will spend eternity with Jesus, the lover of our souls.