Read: John 1:29-34
THEME: The first two chapters of John’s Gospel record significant encounters at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Meetings that were noteworthy for Jesus were even more important for those He met.
When John the Baptist looked back to the day when he had baptised Jesus in the Jordan and had seen heaven open, he said ‘I didn’t know Him but God who sent me to baptise with water had told me that the One on whom I would see the Spirit descend and remain will be the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit’.
Now the interesting thing is that John and Jesus were related. Their mothers had met when they were pregnant and John’s mother had felt John leap for joy the day that Mary had visited to say she was expecting Jesus. This pre-birth encounter then led on to prophecies at John’s naming ceremony so that John was all set to announce the Messiah’s arrival. But it seems that despite all of this knowledge, John had not been able to bring things together in his mind. It took a revelation from God to bring home the truth when he was already out in the wilderness busy about God’s work.
We can too easily assume that having a few facts and figures and some impressive Bible knowledge will cause everything to fall into place. These are important but an open heart is important too. Even before John recognised Jesus as the Messiah, he had said ‘He who is coming after me is preferred before me and I’m not worthy to undo His sandal strap’.
The more widely we open our hearts, the more likely we are to discover the One we seek.