John 1:29-34 RECOGNITION OF THE INCARNATE WORD Just the day after John the Baptist told the Jewish leaders he was not the Messiah, but was the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord, He saw Jesus coming toward him. There was excitement in his voice as he called on all who were there to look earnestly at the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether John knew the Lord Jesus before His baptism is not told us, but we know on this day Jesus came to John to be publicly identified as the true sacrificial Lamb of God who was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices made before. John did not say, "Behold your King," nor did he say, "Behold the Mighty Conqueror." He pointed the Lord Jesus out as the Lamb, chosen by God, approved by God, and now in the flesh "The Word" was here to be seen and approved by men. But even though men saw Him and heard Him, many did not approve of Him.
John had seen the Spirit of God come and abide on the Lord like a dove after he had baptized Jesus. John clarified his role by saying he baptized with water in view of their repentance, but the Lord Jesus Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit. That happened on the day of Pentecost fifty days after the Lord rose from among the dead. The Lamb of God was here to bear away the sin of the world. He opened the way for all men everywhere to repent and be saved. He was also here to baptize those who believed on Him with the Holy Spirit and place them into the Body of Christ which is the Church. John was a humble man who knew who he was himself and knew the Lord Jesus Christ was "before" him both in rank and in His eternal existence. He knew now positively that Jesus was the Son of God. There was now no question as to who his earthly cousin was.
When we declare to the world the Gospel, we must make plain to the people who hear us that we who are sinners by nature, need a substitute to be able to come to God. For years types and shadows had been used to testify to sinners that a sinless substitute was needed. Lambs, bullocks, goats, pigeons and doves were sinless alternatives. Now the reality of all the types was here as one of our own kind and yet sinless because of Who He is and the way God sent Him. Born of a virgin without Adam's sin nature, in His sinless purity as the Lamb God provided for us, He could put away sin forever by bearing it and the consequences of sin, on Himself. By His death, He conquered sin and death. Now every person who accepts Him personally, comes into the lasting benefit of the sacrifice He made. The sin price has been paid in full and each person who comes to Him in faith can be forgiven.
The sign of the Holy Spirit was a testimony of God's satisfaction with the Lamb He provided. God had given John evidence that Jesus was from God, even though John had probably known Him or at least about Him. When Jesus was baptized, John was given the assurance He was the true Messiah because God had told him about the Spirit remaining on Him and he saw that happen, when like a dove resting on Jesus, the Spirit came. Now he knew positively that Jesus was the Son of God.
Our testimony to people is only effective when the Holy Spirit's working is unhindered. We have been baptized in the Spirit and when a genuine sense of humility and faith is seen in us, the Spirit of God can work through us and bring blessing to others. John's ministry was short but effective. The length of life on earth isn't the important part of our work on earth. The quality of it is more important that the quantity.