Musings on the Book of John - Connie Hecker

Musings on the Book of John

PROMISES

written by Connie Hecker

John 1:32-34 (NIV)

Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.'

Repeatedly, we are told that Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist did not recognize the Messiah in Him until the day he baptized Jesus. He had been waiting to see who it would be, knowing that one day the Spirit would descend and remain on The One. How excited John must have been that day! The whole reason John was in the Jordan was to be used by God for that one moment. The Spirit touched many, but with Jesus it remained. This is the sign for all of us, not just John, that Jesus is indeed The One.

Jesus will baptize in the Holy Spirit, and John made sure others, including the contingent from Jerusalem, knew and were aware of this new change.

Jesus has been shown to me as well. Let me too be excited over the certainty that He IS THE ONE! The prophecy is fulfilled and a new one given - we will be baptized now in the Holy Spirit. The writer sets us up at the beginning for what will happen at the end with Pentecost. He knows how it unfolded and it was completed. We can be confident as we walk by His Spirit now, that whatever He has promised shall be as true in our lives as in the life He lived.

Do I have unfulfilled promises? Praise God, for His timing is perfect and the end shall not come before His work is complete and His promises fulfilled.

WHERE ARE YOU STAYING, JESUS?

John 1:35-39 (NIV)

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,'Look, the Lamb of God!' When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?' They said, 'Rabbi' (which means 'Teacher'), 'where are you staying?'

John the Baptist had two of his own disciples, men who were intentionally seeking the Messiah. Perhaps they had not been there the day before when he had pointed Jesus out to the crowd for the first time. So, they must have heard and eagerly come looking. Of course, when John saw Him, he immediately pointed Jesus out to these two men, John and Andrew. They listened to what Jesus was saying. John does not tell us what this was, but the result, the effect of whatever Jesus said that second day of having been introduced to seekers, was enough to cause them to follow Jesus. Jesus was done speaking, and they followed Him. They were not going to lose sight of him again, they wanted to be sure to be able to find Him again, and not waste time in searching. So that is the first thing that they asked when Jesus spoke directly to them: “Where are you staying?”

Is that my heart as well? When Jesus turns directly to me, when I have His full attention, do I long to know that this encounter is not a one-time shot, but that I can easily seek Him out, knowing where He is to be found? We can always seek Jesus by turning to His Word or turning our hearts over to Him. Christian, Jesus is as close as stopping what we are doing long enough to be still and know that He is God.

Lord, settle my heart and mind today. As a new day, a new adventure begins, let me always remember You are never far from me. It is I who needs to shift my attention to You. For You have come near and are always available to me, if I only turn to You and meet You where You dwell.