THE KING’S BUSINESS
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prediction and symbol and type and so perfectly fits the other passages in the New Testament, that surpasses all the possibilities of that day or any day. We have here unmistakable his tory, and ovèrwhelmingly conclusive evidence of the truth of John the Bap tist’s testimony, and consequently of the fact that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. It was at this point in His earthly life that our Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power (Acts 10:38), and thus qualified for the work which the Father had sent Him to do. Not un til after this definite baptism with the Spirit did our Lord Jesus enter upon His public ministry. If our Lord Jesus, though He was supernaturally conceived of the Holy Ghost, and was God manifest in the flesh, having all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Him, very God of very God, still as a man never took up His pub lic ministry for which the Father had commissioned Him until thus definite ly baptized with the Holy Spirit, what is it but the most daring presumption for ordinary mortals to undertake the work of God, no matter how definitely God has called them to it and com missioned them for it, until they, too, are definitely equipped for service by being anointed with the Holy Ghost? V. 33. "And I knew Him not: But He that sent me to baptise with (rather, in) water, the same (rather, "that One”) said unto me, Upon whom (rather, whomsoever q thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on (rather, abiding upon) ■ Him, the same is He who baptiseth with (rather, in) the Holy Spirit.” John the Baptist had had a direct revelation from God before taking up his ministry that it was preparatory to the coming of another and had been given a Divine sign whereby he might know the coming One when
He should be manifested, he should see the Spirit visibly descending and remaining on Him. And whoever it might be upon whom he should thus see the Spirit descending and remain ing, by that sign he would know be yond a peradventure that He was the Coming One, the Messiah, the Bap- tizer with the Holy Ghost. Patient ly John waited until the appointed hour came and the sign was given. It apparently had been suggested to him, as he heard of Jesus from His mother and probably others, that He was the coming One—that He was something extraordinary he had no doubt (cf. Matt. 3:13-15), but he did not presume to decide that He was the Messiah, the Coming One, the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, until God Himself gave unmistakably the appointed sign. How God made the revelation to John the Baptist that he was to see the Spirit descending and remaining on the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, we are not told. We are simply told that God had made such a revelation. John knew that he was “sent” of God. As God sent him, he took his orders all from Him and just acted step by step as he was bid den. He sought a warrant from heaven for all he did. Thus we see the absolute reliability of his testi mony. The Spirit not merely came upon Jesus to prepare Him for His ministry on earth, but abode upon Him and thus He became in turn the One who gave the Spirit to others. Both the descent and the abiding of the Spirit was a matter which John “saw.” ; There are two baptists (or, bap- tizers) set before us in the Gospels —John the Baptizer in water and Jesus the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist declares of Jesus not merely that He was the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, but “in the Holy Spirit and fire,” thus
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