John 1:32–33

It is not merely the record of the event, but the witness of John concerning it: he tells us what he saw. Here also are added the words "it remained on Him." In the Son of God there was a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. One upon whom He could rest with deepest pleasure, and remain for the carrying out of all God's will.

Ravens might have been used in God's wisdom to feed the starving prophet in another dark day; but that was not the appearance of the Spirit descending from heaven to remain on Jesus. The dove alone could be the proper form, a picture of the spotless purity of Him on whom He came. Yet He did come upon Him as man. Jesus was man without sin — as truly man as any other, yet how different from all before or after! He was the second Man in bright contrast with the first.

Noah then sent out a dove. There was nothing to attract it: "the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot." It shows the condition of the world before Christ came. When He was here, the holy dove could remain upon Him. But before that, there was no man on whom the Holy Spirit could rest. He came upon certain men and gave them power for service. But there were none on whom He could rest.

Notice that word, "it remained on Him." In former days the Spirit had come "upon" men, but often He had left them. Moses partly lost it. Balaam lost it. Saul lost it. And David feared to lose it. But here is the only sinless Man, outside of Eden, that the world or God has seen. He received the Spirit, and "it remained on Him." The Spirit remaining is the Father's testimony to His delight and joy in that perfect Man. There and then, by this act, He owns Him as His Son.

He was sealed as Son of man, and as Son of man on earth before redemption. That needed no shedding of blood, because He knew no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. He was absolutely sinless. He could have the Holy Spirit remaining on Him apart from blood, because He was the Holy One — the Saviour. He needed no work, no blood, no redemption. Yet He died, shedding His blood and accomplishing redemption. Why? So that we might be sealed. We had no natural right to be brought near. The Holy Spirit could never have made His home in us. Now we may have that same Holy Spirit who dwelt in Him remaining in us.

The Spirit's descent, and His remaining on Jesus, was God's sign to John the Baptist about who Jesus was. Through it John saw the Son of God in His glory and bore witness to Him. The One on whom the Spirit came and remained was to baptize with the Holy Spirit. From this John saw the divine glory of Jesus. Who else but a divine Person could be the resting place of the Holy Spirit? Who but a divine Person could baptize with the Holy Spirit?

John 1:32 contradicts the theory that the Being who descended on Jesus was "the Christ," and declares that it was the "Spirit."

We may note the great care taken that John the Baptist should not have known Jesus beforehand. Luke 1 shows a remarkable link between the mothers of the two babies. That makes the Baptist's repeated statement, "I knew him not," all the more startling. God is setting out a knowledge that is infinitely above nature. It comes from His own teaching and the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit.

He does not deny that he had met Jesus before. But he does deny that his declaration came from conclusions he himself had drawn, or from any estimate of His Person he himself had formed. It rested on a revelation from heaven that he himself had received.

Notice that word: the Spirit "remained on him." In earlier days the Spirit came on men, but often He left them. Moses partly lost Him. Balaam lost Him. Saul lost Him. David feared to lose Him. But here is the only sinless Man, outside Eden, that the world or God has seen. He received the Spirit, and the Spirit "remained on him." That abiding Spirit is the Father's testimony to His delight and joy in that perfect Man. By that very act the Father owns Him as His Son.

But if the Spirit stayed on Him as man, this is He that baptizes with the Holy Spirit. None could so baptize but God. It would be blasphemy to say otherwise. It is the fullest prerogative of a divine Person to act in this way. So John the Baptist disclaimed it altogether. In every Gospel he points to Jesus alone as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, while he himself had come baptizing with water. It is the mighty work of Jesus from heaven, as He was the Lamb of God on the cross.

While giving this bright testimony to Jesus, the Baptist could not know all that lay before Jesus before He would baptize men with His Spirit. The Lord would not do this on earth. He would do it from His place of exaltation at the Father's right hand, after He had finished the great work of redemption on the cross.

It is evident that our Lord is applying these words when He says to the disciples after His resurrection, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:5). Here is the same contrast of water with Spirit, yet the same term, "baptism," applied to each. On the day of Pentecost, when these words were fulfilled, the Spirit did not connect Himself with water. It is certain, too, that these disciples were born again before Pentecost, so this baptism was not their new birth. The baptism of the Spirit is not what makes men new-born. It is what makes those already new-born members of the body of Christ.

That is, in John 1:32 you have the personal seal of the Holy Spirit given to Christ. "God the Father has set His seal on Him." The Holy Spirit came and stayed on Him. But a most blessed truth is brought out in the next verse. The same blessed Person, who was Himself sealed in this way, was also to baptize others with the Holy Spirit. There you have the two great divisions of our Lord's work. First, the Lamb bearing away the sin of the world, the crowning work of Christ on earth. Then His great heavenly work, founded on what He did on earth.