John the Baptist announces Jesus is the Son of God

A ripple in the water is all it takes to change the destiny of the world

Verses: John 1: 29-34

My thoughts about the verses:

I can see John witnessing that the Messiah is coming.  John had already addressed the leaders and told them that he was not the Messiah.  I often think of John as ripples on a creek.  I see his words as a simple leaf flowing gently among the current.  The leaf will follow the current from the creek to larger areas of water.  Eventually the water will pour into the Ocean where the current is more intense.  The leaf that started in one part of the world, through the simple flow of water, can end up in another part of the world.  That is if the wind does not pick it up or an obstacles destroy it.

This is exactly what happened with the message that John started there in that small pool of water.  He opened the flood gates by announcing to everyone that Jesus was the Son of God.  John had done his part he had prepared the way.  He had started the ripples and Jesus was now the fast current that would spread the good news to the world.

Can't you just see those standing there at the water.  John is preaching that he is preparing the way for the Messiah.  That the lamb of God will come too baptized in the water.  Yet, the water would one day be replaced with the baptismal of the soul by the Holy spirit.  John further told them that he would only know who the messiah was when a simple dove landed on the person after they were baptized.

Jesus came to the water to be baptized by John to fulfill that prophecy.  John would die before Jesus was crucified on the cross.  God therefor did something special that day to let John know that his work was completed.  John was given the chance to see the Holy Spirit and actually accept the peace that he had talked about. He had prepared the way and started the ripple that would get the word out to the world.

As soon as John saw the Holy Spirit rest upon Jesus's shoulder.  He announced that Jesus was the savior the son of God.  This was the first time anyone would make this statement.  It was one of the most important announcements because there was a group of individuals that had come to follow John. With this simple statement John stopped the rumors that he was the one that had come to save them.  You can imagine the word spreading among the crowd.

Then Jesus steps out of the water and begins his journey to the cross.  Jesus was now acknowledged as the savior that the people had desired for so long.  The word, leaf, would not be stopped because Jesus's current was much stronger than the ripples that John had started.  There was no wind or obstacle that would stop that current.  People tried to stop the word but the current created that day was too strong.

Prayer:

God we want to thank you for sending Jesus into the mist of the turmoil.  Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit down to Earth.  We praise you for all you have done and will do.  We ask now that you fill our hearts and minds with the love that you so freely desire to give.  We know that all we need to do is accept your gift of salvation.  Please work through us to keep your word flowing so that all will have the chance to hear that the savior has come and freed us from our past faults.

Questions:

Do you accept that Jesus is the son of God?  Have you given your heart and mind to God?  Have you felt the Holy Spirit fill you with love and grace?  Are you helping spread the word so others can fill the peace that comes from accepting Jesus?

For those that answer no to any of these questions I encourage you to look at all the signs that were sent before Christ came to Earth.  I encourage you to look upon your life and ask do I have the peace that passes all understanding.  Lastly, look at those around you and ask yourself what I need to do to help them as much as Christ has helped me.