The Grace of the Lamb of God, Who Even at This Very Moment Is Silently Bearing and Taking Away the Sins I Commit Today, the Wounds of My Past, and Even My Future Weaknesses

The Grace of the Lamb of God, Who Even at This Very Moment Is Silently Bearing and Taking Away the Sins I Commit Today, the Wounds of My Past, and Even My Future Weaknesses

 

 

 

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is the One of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who has surpassed me because He existed before me.”  I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.’  Then John testified, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “The One upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”  And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God’” (John 1:29–34).

 

 

(1)   When I read today’s passage, John 1:29–34, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek Bible, the first interesting point that caught my attention was what the Apostle John and John the Baptist testified about Jesus: the Word (v. 1); the Light / true Light (vv. 7, 8, 9); the only begotten Son of God / the only begotten God (vv. 14, 18); the One full of grace and truth (vv. 14, 17); the One who comes after me / who existed before me (vv. 15, 27, 30); the Lord (v. 23); the One whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie (v. 27); the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (v. 29); the One whom I did not know (vv. 31, 33); the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (v. 33); and the Son of God (v. 34).  Taken together, who do all these testimonies declare Jesus to be?

 

1.      From the heavenly perspective: the “true God” who has existed from eternity (the Word, the only begotten God, the Lord, the Son of God)

 

Comprehensive meaning: Jesus is not merely a human being who suddenly appeared in history one day, nor is He simply a great prophet. He is the “Word” (v. 1), who has existed eternally beyond time and space, and in His very essence He is “God” (vv. 1, 18).

 

He is the Lord (YHWH) proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets (v. 23), and as the Son of God / the only begotten Son (vv. 14, 18, 34), who exists in the most intimate relationship of love with God the Father, He is the sovereign Ruler who created the entire universe.

 

2.      From the earthly perspective: the perfect “true Man” who entered history (the Light, grace and truth, the One who comes after me, the One whom I did not know)

 

Comprehensive meaning: This eternal God personally entered the limitations of human history and time in order to save us—the incarnation.  Historically, He came after John the Baptist as the One “who comes after me” (vv. 15, 27, 30), yet He became the “true Light” (vv. 7–9), exposing and healing the profound darkness of human sin. 

 

He is the One who, going beyond the condemnation of the Law, pours upon us “grace and truth” (vv. 14, 17) like waves that never run dry.  And because He perfectly took on human flesh and stood quietly among the crowds, He came beside us as the complete and genuine Man whom even the human John the Baptist initially “did not know” by physical sight alone (vv. 31, 33).

 

3.      From the redemptive-historical perspective: the “one and only Savior” who recreates humanity (the Lamb, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the One whose sandal strap John was unworthy to untie)

 

Comprehensive meaning: The ultimate purpose of Jesus, who took on a human body and tabernacled among us (v. 14), was to rescue humanity from sin and recreate it.  He came as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v. 29), fulfilling the Old Testament Passover sacrifice and the offerings upon the altar, and through His own blood He made atonement for all our sins.

 

Furthermore, beyond water baptism, which washes the outward person, He is the One “who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (v. 33), completely transforming the innermost depths of the broken human soul and breathing new life into it.  Therefore, no matter how great a human being may be—even John the Baptist—before Jesus he is “not worthy even to perform the task of the lowest slave” (v. 27). Jesus possesses absolute and incomparable saving authority.

 

One final confession encompassing these eleven testimonies:

 

The Jesus Christ proclaimed in John 1 is the “true God” who has existed from eternity, the “true Man” who entered into the very midst of our lives, and the “one and perfect Savior” who, through His self-emptying and substitutionary death, pours out the Holy Spirit upon us and gives us eternal life.

 

(a)    Among these eleven testimonies, I would now like to meditate more specifically on John the Baptist’s testimony in today’s passage, John 1:29: “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” [Ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου (Ho amnos tou theou ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou)].  In particular, I want to meditate on this in connection with the Passover lamb (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:19) and receive the grace that this truth gives.

 

(i)               John the Baptist’s confession in John 1:29, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” is the culmination of the entire Old Testament sacrificial system and a declaration of the universal power of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.  Connecting the Old Testament background of the Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:19) with the vivid nuance of the original language, AI summarized the specific spiritual meaning and grace this Word gives us in three dimensions (Internet):

 

a.      The perfect fulfillment of the Passover lamb (fulfillment of the Old Testament background)

The power of the blood by which death passes over: On the night of the first Passover in Exodus 12, the Israelites obeyed the Word of God, slaughtered a lamb, and applied its blood to the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses.  When judgment struck throughout Egypt, upon seeing the blood of the lamb—the visible evidence—the judgment “passed over” that house without striking it. Hence, Passover.

 

Specific connection: As the Apostle Paul confessed: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).  The Passover lamb of the Old Testament had to shed its blood repeatedly year after year and delivered only the nation of Israel from judgment, but Jesus Christ is the one perfect and ultimate Lamb whom God Himself provided.  As the Apostle Peter confessed, it is through: “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet. 1:19) that we have been completely delivered—passed over—from eternal judgment and death caused by sin, because His blood has been applied to the doorposts of our souls.

 

b.     The mystery of substitution contained in “takes away” [ὁ αἴρων (ho airōn)] — the depth of the original language

 

The Greek αἴρων (airōn) is the present participle of the verb αἴρω (airō). It can mean not merely to carry a burden upon one’s shoulders, but also “to take up, take away, or remove.”

 

The bearing and removal of sin: This expression may also evoke the imagery of the scapegoat in Leviticus 16. Just as the high priest laid his hands on the goat’s head, confessed over it the sins of Israel, and sent it far away into the wilderness, Jesus took upon Himself the terrible burden of humanity’s sin on the cross and, through His atoning blood, removed our guilt.

 

The grace expressed by the present tense: It is deeply meaningful that John uses αἴρων (“taking away”) in the present participial form.  Jesus’ atonement was a once-for-all event completed on the cross two thousand years ago—an accomplished historical event. At the same time, we continue to live in the present grace flowing from that completed atonement: the sins I commit today, the wounds of my past, and even my future weaknesses are all encompassed by the sufficiency of the Lamb’s finished saving work.

 

c.      The universal richness of “the sin of the world” [τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου (tēn hamartian tou kosmou)]

 

John uses the singular noun “sin” [ἁμαρτίαν (hamartian)], thereby referring comprehensively to the fundamental root and power of sin that weighs upon humanity.

 

Furthermore, its scope is not restricted to the ethnic nation of Israel but extends to the fallen human world—the “world [κόσμου (kosmou)]” that stands in rebellion against God.  The Old Testament Passover lamb was associated with the deliverance of a household, but the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, possesses sufficient and immeasurable worth for the sin of the whole world.

 

Final application and lesson for my life today:

 

“Because the Lamb of God has taken my sin upon Himself at the cross and removed it, I will no longer live as a slave to condemnation and guilt.”

 

Laying down the heavy burden of condemnation: Satan continually accuses believers by bringing up their past faults and failures and saying: “And you still call yourself a child of God?”  Whenever that happens, proclaim John 1:29 in faith: “Behold, here is the Lamb of God, who bore all my shame and sin and took it away!”  I should stop the spiritual foolishness of taking back into my arms the burden of sin that Jesus has already borne, and instead enjoy the freedom, gratitude, and grace found in Him.

 

Approaching boldly through the blood of the Lamb: If I unexpectedly stumble or encounter my limitations today at work, at home, or wherever I live, I should not become discouraged and hide.  Rather, relying on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, and on the continuing efficacy of His finished work for my weakness, I should once again approach the throne of God boldly and exercise the privilege of a child who has been born again (Internet).

 

(2)   Second, I became curious as to why John the Baptist twice repeated: “I myself did not know  Him” [κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν (kagō ouk ēdein auton)] (Jn. 1:31, 33).  And what relationship does this statement have with John’s: “baptizing with water” [ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζων (en hydati baptizōn)] (v. 31; cf. v. 33)?

 

(a)   John the Baptist’s twice-repeated confession in John 1:31 and 33, “I myself did not know Him,” is a remarkable statement that reveals both the mystery of the gospel and the attitude of one entrusted with a mission.  AI summarized in three points the specific reason John—who was related to Jesus biologically and presumably had some human knowledge of Him—could say that he “did not know Him,” and how this confession is necessarily connected with his ministry of water baptism (Internet):

 

1.      The true meaning of “I did not know Him”: recognizing His “Messianic identity” beyond the flesh

 

Human knowledge versus spiritual knowledge: John the Baptist and Jesus were related through their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary (Lk. 1:36).  Therefore, it does not necessarily follow that John had no human awareness whatsoever of Jesus.

 

Specific meaning: By emphasizing twice that he “did not know Him,” John is confessing that by his own human wisdom and physical sight he could not discern Jesus’ divine and messianic identity as the “Lamb of God” who would bear the sin of humanity and the “Son of God” who would pour out the Holy Spirit.  This was something that could be known with certainty only as God revealed it through the promised sign of the Holy Spirit. It is therefore a declaration of profound humility.

 

2.      The necessary connection between water baptism and “not knowing”

 

Why, then, does John immediately connect his statement “I did not know Him” with his ministry of “baptizing with water”? (vv. 31, 33)\

 

①  The ultimate purpose of water baptism was “to reveal the Messiah to Israel” (v. 31)

 

“I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel” (Jn. 1:31).

 

John did not identify the Messiah merely by his own human discernment. Rather, while obediently carrying out the God-given mission of baptizing with water, Jesus came into the setting of that ministry, and John became the instrument through whom the Messiah was revealed to Israel.  John is confessing that, in the place of obedient mission, God granted him a fuller recognition of who Jesus truly was.

 

②  The “promised sign” given by God was fulfilled in the context of the water-baptism ministry (v. 33)

 

“I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’” (Jn. 1:33).

 

The God who sent John to baptize with water gave him a definite spiritual sign: he would see the Spirit descend and “remain” [μένον (menon)] upon the Messiah.  When John saw the promised sign associated with Jesus, he came to testify with certainty: “This is the Son of God” (v. 34).

 

3.      Three powerful lessons this meditation gives us today

 

①  We cannot truly know Jesus merely through human knowledge and physical sight.

 

Just as the Pharisees possessed extensive religious knowledge yet failed to recognize Jesus, John’s human familiarity or wisdom by itself was not the basis on which he identified Jesus as the Messiah.  Truly knowing Jesus is a gift of divine revelation, made known through God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

②  As we faithfully obey in the place of our calling—John’s “water baptism”—we come to know the Lord experientially.

 

John did not begin his ministry only after he had completely understood everything about Jesus.  He first faithfully obeyed God’s command to “go and baptize with water.” In the very place of that obedient mission (vv. 31, 33), he encountered the promised sign identifying the Messiah.  Likewise, when we faithfully obey God in the ordinary places entrusted to us—our homes, workplaces, and daily responsibilities—the Lord often deepens our experiential knowledge of Him in the very context of that obedience.

 

③  The relationship between “knowing and receiving” that we previously meditated on is also illuminated here.

 

John received and obeyed God’s command to baptize with water, and through that obedience he ultimately came to testify that Jesus is “the Son of God” (v. 34).

 

Final confession for today:

 

“Lord, I will not become proud, thinking that my shallow knowledge and the circumstances before my eyes mean that I know You completely.  As I quietly remain faithful in the small place of obedience You have entrusted to me—my ‘water baptism’—come to me through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit and enable me to know Your living reality more deeply.” (Internet)

 

(i)               Here I am comforted by the thought that, when we quietly obey our calling as John the Baptist did, we not only receive the grace and blessing of truly coming to know Jesus, but we are also given the grace and blessing of being used as channels through whom Jesus is revealed to the world as the Christ.  Therefore, I renew my determination to faithfully carry out to the end the mission entrusted to me: to meditate day and night on the Word of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life, to offer the Word I have meditated upon back to the Lord in prayer, and then faithfully share that Word with others in faith.

 

·        The following are three encouragements and spiritual resources, based on the Apostle John’s theology, that AI offered to help me faithfully keep this holy resolution to the end (Internet):

 

a.      Trust the supply that comes “from His fullness” (Jn. 1:16)

 

The ministry of meditating on and sharing the Word that I carry out does not depend upon scraping the bottom of my own wisdom or passion.  As we have already meditated from verse 16, we continually receive wave after wave of “grace upon grace” from the Lord’s inexhaustible “fullness.”

 

When I become weary in ministry or feel the limitations of my language, I should not lose heart.  In the place where I meditate on the Word day and night, the Lord will continually supply spiritual wisdom and springs of living water out of His inexhaustible divine fullness.  The Lord is the One who supplies.

 

b.     My ministry of sharing the Word is an “instrument of the Holy Spirit” that cultivates the soil of the world’s hearts (Jn. 1:33)

 

When John the Baptist baptized with water, God showed him the sign of the Spirit “descending like a dove and remaining” upon Jesus (vv. 32–33).

 

When I offer the Word I have meditated upon back to God in prayer and share it with my neighbors in faith, it is not merely the transmission of human words or printed letters.  The Holy Spirit can work in the place where the Word is shared, humbling the mountains of stubborn pride in the hearts of those who hear and straightening what has become crooked within them. It is the Holy Spirit Himself who performs this work of re-creating and cultivating the soil of the heart.

 

c.      Fully enjoy the glory of being a “voice that disappears” (Jn. 1:23, 27)

 

John the Baptist humbled himself before the Lord as one unworthy even to perform a slave’s task (v. 27), and he rejoiced to live simply as a “voice” (v. 23)—one that delivers the Lord’s Word and then disappears into the air without leaving a trace of itself.

 

As I carry out the ministry of sharing the Word, even if the world does not recognize me, or even if I encounter attacks and misunderstandings, I should patiently persevere.  The voice disappears, but the eternal Word, Jesus Christ (v. 1), proclaimed through my lips remains and can accomplish His work of life and light (vv. 4–5) in the souls of those who hear.  I desire to enjoy the contentment of being such a “voice”—my own name fading away while the name of Jesus alone increases (Internet).

 

(3)   Third, I want to understand in greater detail the meaning of John the Baptist’s testimony: “I have seen the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him”
[Τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡς περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ’ αὐτόν
(Tetheamai to pneuma katabainon hōs peristeran ex ouranou, kai emeinen ep’ auton)]
(Jn. 1:32), together with: “The One upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” [ἐφ’ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ (eph’ hon an idēs to pneuma katabainon kai menon ep’ auton, houtos estin ho baptizōn en pneumati hagiō)] (v. 33).

 

(a)   The solemn testimony of the Apostle John and John the Baptist concerning the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and remaining upon Jesus represents a climactic Christological confirmation of who Jesus Christ is.  When these two verses are meditated upon together, AI summarized their theological significance in three major dimensions, considering the Greek verbal forms and biblical background (Internet):

 

1.      Complete eyewitness testimony and unwavering conviction: “I have seen” [Τεθέαμαι (Tetheamai)]

 

Meaning in the original language: The Greek Τεθέαμαι (Tetheamai) in verse 32, translated “I have seen,” is a perfect-tense form of θεάομαι (theaomai), a verb that can convey attentive or observant seeing.

 

Specific meaning: John is presenting himself as an eyewitness. What he saw left him with an enduring conviction, fitting the force of the perfect tense: a past act of seeing with a continuing result.  His authority as a witness therefore rests not merely on speculation but upon what God enabled him to witness and understand.

 

2.      The Spirit “remaining” upon Jesus: fulfillment of the Old Testament expectation [ἔμεινεν (emeinen) and μένον (menon)]

 

The Apostle John deliberately places the language of “remaining” in both verses 32 and 33.

 

Old Testament background: The Old Testament records the Spirit empowering particular people for divinely appointed tasks. Against that broader background, John emphasizes something distinctive about Jesus: the Spirit descends upon Him and remains upon Him.

 

Meaning in the original language: In verse 32, ἔμεινεν (emeinen) is the aorist form of μένω (menō), “remain.” In verse 33, μένον (menon) is its present participle, “remaining.”  The theological emphasis comes primarily from the repeated lexical idea of remaining: the Spirit’s presence upon Jesus is not portrayed as fleeting.

 

The mystery of the connection: This resonates with Old Testament messianic expectation such as Isaiah 11:2: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding…”  Jesus Christ is uniquely identified as the Spirit-anointed Messiah, upon whom the Spirit rests and through whom the Spirit is given.

 

3.      The great transition in ministry: from water baptism to “the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (v. 33)

 

John administered water baptism, symbolically preparing people to receive the Messiah through repentance.  Jesus, however, is “the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

 

Specific meaning: The Spirit’s descent and remaining upon Jesus identifies Him as the One authorized to give the Spirit. Those who receive Christ (v. 12), who are “born of God” (v. 13), receive the life that only God can give.

 

One-sentence summary and lesson:

 

John the Baptist’s eyewitness testimony that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and remained upon Him (vv. 32–33) confirms that Jesus Christ is the Spirit-anointed Son of God and the unique One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, giving divine life to those who believe in Him. (Internet)

 

(i)               At this point, I want to pause and consider more carefully the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” that Jesus—the Lord—gives.  What is baptism with the Holy Spirit?

 

·        The Baptism in the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives is not merely an outward washing of the body with water.  It is God’s work through the Holy Spirit by which spiritually dead human beings are brought into new life and incorporated into the people of God.  Based on the context of the Apostle John and the New Testament, AI summarized its meaning in three ways (Internet):

 

a.      A fundamental change of identity (new birth and incorporation)

 

Union with the body of Christ: Through the work of the Holy Spirit, believers are united into the one body of Christ. The Apostle Paul declares: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks…” (1 Cor. 12:13).

 

Becoming children of God: This is closely connected with what we previously meditated upon in John 1:13—becoming those “born of God.”  Through the Spirit’s regenerating work, we receive new life and the privilege of being God’s children (Jn. 1:12–13; cf. 1 Jn. 3:9).

 

b.      The indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit (the grace of His abiding presence)

 

In John 1:32–33, it is stated that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and ‘remained’ (menon—abiding continuously) on Him. Believers who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit administered by Jesus enjoy this same grace.

The heart of a believer who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit becomes a ‘holy temple’ where the Holy Spirit dwells, never to depart.  God seals our souls with the Holy Spirit—a perfect receipt (or seal) signifying that He has claimed us as His own—and protects us.

 

c.      Empowerment for mission and witness

 

The work of the Holy Spirit is not limited to the believer’s private experience of salvation. The Spirit also gives power for witness and mission.  Jesus promised: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8).

 

It is through this baptism of the Holy Spirit that we are ceaselessly granted the practical spiritual wildness and power to live as a clear "voice" (witness)—steadfastly meditating on and sharing the Lord’s word day and night, and overcoming the world daily (1 Jn. 5:4)—without fearing the attacks and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, even amidst the harsh wilderness of the world.

 

Meditation summary:

 

Baptism with the Holy Spirit points to the saving and life-giving work of the risen Christ through the Spirit—bringing us into new life, incorporating us into His people, dwelling within us, and empowering us to live as His witnesses.

 

Therefore, the ministry I have resolved to pursue—“meditating day and night on the Word, the Bread of Life, offering that meditation to God in prayer, and sharing it in faith”—is not something I must complete through human strength alone.  I depend upon the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me (Internet).

 

(4)   Fourtha nd last, I want to receive the lesson given through meditating on: “And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God” [κἀγὼ ἑώρακα, καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (kagō heōraka, kai memartyrēka hoti houtos estin ho huios tou theou)] (Jn. 1:34).  In particular, I want to meditate on the expression “the Son of God” in connection with “the only begotten God / the only begotten Son of God” in verses 14 and 18.  What does this mean?

 

(a)   The declaration: “I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God” brings John the Baptist’s opening testimony to a magnificent Christological climax and connects it with the Prologue that began in John 1:1.  The relationship between “the only begotten God / the only begotten Son” in verses 14 and 18 and “the Son of God” in verse 34 reveals the coherent Christological structure with which the Apostle John introduces Jesus.  AI summarized its specific meaning and lessons in three dimensions, considering the Greek verbal forms and theological context (Internet):

 

1.      The significance of the perfect tense: an historical event with an enduring certainty

 

John the Baptist proclaims both “I have seen” and “I have testified” using perfect-tense forms: ἑώρακα (heōraka) and μεμαρτύρηκα (memartyrēka).

 

Specific meaning: The event John witnessed in connection with Jesus and the Spirit was a past historical event whose significance and conviction continued into the present.  Thus John’s testimony is presented not as a passing impression but as a settled witness: “I have seen, and I stand by my testimony.”

 

2.      The theological relationship with verses 14 and 18: the glory of the unique Son is proclaimed as “the Son of God”

 

John 1:14 → When the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, the Apostle John, speaking as an eyewitness representative of the believing community, confessed: “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.”

 

John 1:18 → The uniquely begotten/unique Son—described in an important textual tradition as “the only God” [μονογενὴς θεός]—is in the closest relationship with the unseen Father and makes Him known.

 

John 1:34 → John the Baptist now testifies, on the basis of the sign God gave him concerning the Holy Spirit, that this Jesus is “the Son of God.”

Thus the One introduced in the Prologue as the eternal Word who is with God and is God is the same One whom John publicly identifies as the Son of God.  The title does not mean that Jesus is a created being or a biological son of God. In the theological movement of John’s Gospel, it expresses His unique relationship with the Father and belongs to the Gospel’s confession of His divine identity.

 

3.      Three powerful lessons this connection gives us (reflection and application)

 

①  Our confession of faith should likewise possess enduring conviction.

 

Just as John’s past seeing resulted in continuing testimony, we should hold firmly to the Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture and confess Him faithfully throughout our lives.  When circumstances and emotions fluctuate, we should stand upon God’s Word and the confirming work of the Holy Spirit rather than making our faith dependent upon changing feelings.

 

②  Knowing the “Son of God” leads us into the privilege of becoming “children of God.”

 

Jesus is the unique Son in a sense that believers are not. Yet precisely through receiving and believing in Him, we receive the privilege described in verses 12–13: “the right to become children of God.”  We do not become children of God by bloodline, human desire, or human achievement, but are born of God.  Therefore, knowing and receiving the Son brings us into the grace of adoption and new birth as God’s children.

 

③  This truth is the deepest spiritual foundation for fulfilling my resolution.

 

In the preceding section I resolved: “I will meditate day and night on the Lord’s Word, the Bread of Life, offer it back to Him in prayer, and faithfully carry out the ministry of sharing the Word in faith to the end.” 

 

At the heart of the Word I share in the wilderness of this world is this testimony: “Jesus Christ is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world and the eternal Son of God who gives the Holy Spirit.”  As I faithfully carry out this calling to be a “voice,” I trust that the Holy Spirit who dwells within me will use the ministry of sharing the Word as a channel through which Jesus is revealed to the world as the Son of God.

 

The grand concluding statement of John 1:1–34:

 

The transcendent “Word,” who was with God in the beginning (v. 1), became “flesh” and tabernacled among us in human history (v. 14); He came as the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world (v. 29); and He is the “Son of God,” upon whom the Spirit descended and remained and who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (vv. 33–34) (Internet).