(John 1:32)
�And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.�
This is a passage which many have misinterpreted. There are those who suppose that Jesus was not born deity, as the Bible states, but was endowed with the �Christ Spirit� at the time of His baptism. This is an ancient heresy which finds no support in the Scriptural accounts.
Nevertheless, there are those who will point to this event in Scripture and say, �See! The Spirit descends upon the man, Jesus, to produce the �Christ,� Jesus Who is thus enabled to offer insight on a right relationship between man and God.
As a general rule, those who accept this faulty view will argue that there have been many who have had this �Christ Spirit� placed upon them. Thus, the argument of Scripture that Jesus is the unique Son of God is replaced with a spiritual sounding, but utterly false, teaching that the uniqueness of Jesus is not in His Person but in His membership in a sort of �club.�
This verse does not teach this falsehood. I say �falsehood� because such a view is at variance with the rest of Scripture. Therefore, if this verse did teach such a concept, the verse would be in error.
God�s inspired and preserved Word does not produce error! That Word produces insight into the Spiritual realm about those things which God would have us to know.
When we look at this verse we must realize that there are several things that God would be teaching us in the passage. First, we need to realize that Jesus is God, the Son. He was God even before His birth into human history in Bethlehem. He has the absolute attributes of the Godhead. Therefore, there was no need that the Spirit come upon Him to empower His essential Being.
Jesus came into the world to become the perfect sacrifice which would allow mankind to be reconciled to God. We understand this. We know this. But, Jesus was also One Who was under subjection to the Father while He was on this earth in the form of a man. The reason for this, and this we also know and understand, was so that He would be a teaching agent to his disciples.
The fact is that Jesus came to earth, partially, to give a physical picture of the Spiritual God to the human race. In this sense He is a Teacher. But, He also came to this earth to show men the correct manner in which to live their lives. In this He is also a Teacher.
The Spirit is the Active Agent, so to speak, of the Church of Jesus in the world today. He, The Spirit, is the One who empowers the churches. He, The Spirit, is the One who leads the churches in their work on earth.
When we couple these two concepts together we are able to see why it was important for man to realize that the Spirit rested upon Jesus. Jesus was teaching the people of the church He was founding. He was teaching that we need to walk in the power and leading of the Spirit.
�Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness�� (Matthew 3:12-15)
This manifestation was a teaching aid. It was a picture that the church, and the people of those churches, must not neglect. We are nothing of ourselves. We need the abiding power of the Holy Spirit if we are to be able to rightly conduct our own walk in the will of God.
Looking at this verse, the first thing we notice is the prophecy of John. �And John bare record��
The record which John related was a record carried forth. The beast of burden can carry a large load. In a sense, this is what John was - a beast of burden. He had a burden to carry the message of the coming Messiah.
We, as Christians, are programmed to carry the message of the crucified Christ. That is our purpose in this age.
I wrote a tract in our Bible Study section a few weeks ago. It was about a �Pastor�s Meeting,� a few years back, which turned out to be a political rally. The man who called the meeting is a well known pastor. He preaches a very solid salvation message. His theological stance is sound. But, he is known for his political learning.
That is wrong!
Jesus did not call us into the world to lead a voter registration drive. He did not die on a cross, and redeem us from our sins, so that we could try to restructure society toward our cultural system. He did not rise from the dead so that we could carry forth a message of personal renewal into the world.
Jesus calls us to a ministry of calling sinners to repentance. That is our purpose, in the sight of God. So far as we can use these other things to further that message, that is good. But, to let our message of the salvation offered in Jesus be hidden under a bushel of political activism is to hide the truth that Jesus Christ died in time so that we might live in eternity.
I do not believe that the Throne of God sits in front of the flag of any nation. I do believe that there is a concern of Him Who sits upon that Throne that His message of sin and redemption be spread among all people, in all cultures, and in all nations! That!, is our purpose in this world.
May I never be known for my svelte profile or my sparkling conversational manner. (No problem; ain�t gonna happen! My profile is rotund and my conversational ability is lacking.) May I be known, if at all, as a simple bearer of a message that Jesus died and rose again! May I be known, if at all, as a simple bearer of a message that Jesus is calling souls lost in the darkness of sin to repent and come to Him Who is the Light of the World. May I be known, if at all, as a simple bearer of a message that Jesus is coming back; we need to be prepared.
Notice that as he carried the message of the coming Messiah forth, John also cried forth that message.
Some people, many people, sadly, most people feel that the key to living a successful Christian life is to not let anyone know that you are a Christian. How utterly foolish and selfish.
That is a foolish consideration in the light of eternity.
A friend I knew back in our high school days owns several houses in this city. I have trouble keeping one house in repair. Why does he own several? There is a line from an old song, �Ain�t got but one suit. That�s all I can wear!? My friend can only live in one house.
The excess houses he owns are rental properties. This is his plan for his retirement. He is wise to do this.
But, what comes after retirement? A big party. A short ride. And, a little plot of land that a person can�t even enjoy. In the light of eternity we would be wise to lay up the treasure of obedience toward the God of eternity.
Living for Him means lecturing for Him. A good teacher in school will not just assign books to read. That teacher will also lecture on the subject so that the student, many of whom we know will never open their books!, will gain an understanding of the subject matter.
Most people will not read the Bible. The Bible is spiritual and natural man is carnal. That is a mixture of water and oil - in other words, that is no mixture. The two are mutually exclusive from an honest interest standpoint. Even those who will read will not have the Hold Spirit by their side illumining their understanding.
We need to take the message of salvation to the world because that is the method which God has chosen. We are either part of His work or we are not taking part in His will.
It is true that there are things in which a Christian ought not take part. But, not doing something is not the mark of a good Christian life. Doing something, that which God has ordained as His will for our lives, is the mark of a committed Christian life!
John talked of the record created.
I�ve been at lectures the past couple of days on the subject of Intelligent Design as it pertains to the historical record of life on this earth. The man doing the lecturing has written several books on the subject. The books are on sale in the lobby of the building where he has been speaking.
That is all well and good. Not a thing in the world wrong with that.
But, we need to take a hint from the scholars of the world. We, also, have a story to tell. We have the story of that which Jesus has done. We do not need to sell books on the subject. We do not need to speak in front of crowds about the subject. We don�t even need to write books on the subject.
There is a book already written. It contains the story that Jesus died in history so that man might live in eternity. As the author mentioned above spends his life speaking, and teaching, about his theories and insights on �beginnings,� may we spend our lives speaking about �endings.�
Jesus offers man an ending to his sin nature. Jesus offers man an ending to his life apart from God. Jesus offers man an ending to his meaningless life of labor and rest, sorrow and pleasure, youth and old age. Jesus offers a true meaning for man which, alone, can bring contentment and true joy.
Not living so as to allow people to see and hear the Christian message is selfish in that those not hearing will never learn what you know. How shallow and selfish to find riches you can�t lose, and joy you won�t share, and make a point - either from laziness or fear - of refusing to allow anyone else to swim in the pool of your serenity!
Worse, by refusing to share the message of the Savior, you are actively, by your passivity, allowing souls to be lost for eternity.
Is it any wonder that God will have to wipe away tears from those who enter the glories of Heaven? (see Revelation 7:17)
As we look at this test verse, we see the picture of the Dove. ��saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove��
Do you remember the story of Noah from Genesis? In the aftermath of the great flood, Noah sent out a dove to see if the land was dry enough for the people, and animals inside the ark, to disembark. It was the dove, who came back with an olive branch in his beak, that gave this knowledge to Noah.
The Dove of the Spirit is a symbol of the days of Noah.
The day of Noah was a day of utter depravity. Sin dominated the lives of the people of the day. For this cause God judged the earth. A great flood came upon the earth in which this sin was eradicated from the face of humanity.
But, there remained the taint of sin in the heredity of man. Even Noah had this inherited trait. Thus, while sin was judged, it was not completely removed from the face of the earth. Still, the flood gave mankind a chance to renew himself to a right relationship with God. As the Bible shows, even in the case of Noah, this was not to be.
God gave an opportunity; man failed.
Now, in this new time - the time of John the Baptist - God was again offering a chance for mankind to renew his fellowship with the Creator. But, this time God was not sending death and destruction upon sinning mankind. This would have been reasonable. �As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.� (Proverbs 26:2)
Sin is anathema to the mechanism of created humanity. It is a spiritual sickness that causes spiritual death. It would have been reasonable for God to judge humanity for the sin in which we live.
But, instead, God sent His Own Son to die on the Cross of Calvary as a means to allow man to renew his relationship with the Creator. The just died for the guilty.
The Dove, which we often portray as a sign of peace, was a sign of judgment completed. The die was cast. Jesus was committed to the death of the cross in order to offer mankind release from sin.
This time God gave both opportunity and means. Still, man has failed for two thousand years to come back to the fullness of his created capabilities and state.
The Dove also speaks of the data of the Prophets.
I am working on a new computer this week. My old one has broken down. I tried to get some of the programs off my old computer so I could put them on this computer. I can�t do it. This computer is not completely compatible with my old one. Some of the data has been lost.
The prophets of old offered much data about the coming Messiah. They wrote about the Savior Who was to come. They foretold His birth, life, and death. That data was transferable. When Jesus came into the world, He fulfilled the predictions made by those prophets.
That is just one of the proofs that Jesus was Who He said He is. He is the projected Savior. The prophets said, �He�s coming. Here�s what He is going to do!� these pictures on the �power point� screen of prophecy came to pass. They were proven true even as they proved Him to be true.
A wedding ring is said to be a perfect circle that illustrates the never ending love between the bride and the groom. Well, divorces happen. But, the perfect circle of the projection of the prophet and the justification of Jesus is a picture of the Love of God. It will never be broken. Johnny Cash sang, �Will the circle be unbroken?� This circle of God�s love will never be broken. We have the proof of this in fulfilled prophecies and certain, preserved Scriptures.
The dove of Noah�s day also pointed out the fact that a new day was dawning for humanity. The old things were washed away by the water�s of the flood. A new life, of new opportunities, was now upon the scene.
How glorious is the fact that a new day has dawned in this dispensation of Grace. We have an opportunity that the saints of the Old Testament did not have. We don�t have to wait for the Savior to come. The Savior has already completed His work. Our purpose is to live in the security of that which He has purchased. He has purchased our salvation.
God has placed the �Dove� of His Spirit upon the churches which Jesus founded. On that first Pentecost service, those flames of fire baked the church. The church rose from frustration and fear into the power of that Spirit. Thousands of souls were brought into the Kingdom.
That same Spirit dwells with us in this day. May we have the holy boldness, and complete confidence, to do as did those New Testament saints. May we walk in the Spirit and convert our little corner of the world! I know we can�t do this. But, as we hold the Hand of the Spirit, and as He holds our hands, He will take us to spiritual heights that we couldn�t reach alone. We can reach those heights, with Him, because He can reach those heights.
Fear not. But, follow the Savior. The Spirit is upon us, as well!
Notice, finally, the presence of the Dove. ��and it abode upon him.�
I get a picture, although I don�t believe this is in the Scripture, of the Dove of the Spirit just resting on the head, or shoulder, of Jesus.
You know what happened on the seventh day of creation, don�t you? God rested. But, on the sixth day, what did He do? He worked.
If the Spirit is resting upon us, the church, He is doing so in order that we might work. We have things to do! My granddaughter came to me this morning. She said, �Grandpa; help me clean my room.�
I said, �Didn�t your Mom tell you to do that last night?�
She said, �Yes.�
�And you didn�t do it?�
�No.�
�And now you expect me to help you do what your Mother told you to do?�
�Yes.�
Well, I helped a little. But, I really shouldn�t have. Shandi had a job to do and she ignored it.
We, also, have a job to do for our Heavenly Father. The difference, here, is that He has intended to offer us help to complete the task. All we have to do is accept the help and move on. He supplies all the materials and successes.
God asks that we clean up the world - one soul at a time. Our only task is to give out the message, and that the Spirit will convict the soul of the lost as to their need.
The Spirit came to Jesus as a Dove to signify the new opportunities of mankind. The Spirit came upon the church as �tongues of fire� to signify the soul searing heat of His presence in the life of the Christian - and the need to use our tongues to speak to others!
This is because the Spirit comes to rouse us to action. To rouse something is to wake it up. We need to be awake to the awful fact of a Christless eternity which awaits those who have not accepted the salvation He offers!
A couple of weeks ago we had a large fire in the downtown area of this city. It burned the biggest store building in the downtown section. A few other buildings went up along with that one.
That same night a young man failed to return to his home. His body was found this week among the rubble. The appearances are that he was overcome by the smoke and died. Had someone been able to rouse him from his slumber, he might have gotten to a place of safety. The fire was too hot. The building was too large. No one went to seek him out.
Our job, as Christians, is to seek out the soul that slumbers into destruction. We need to rouse them from their spiritual sleep so that they find the place of safety in Jesus Christ.
If we will do our part in this work, the Spirit of God will do His part. One of the reasons that the world is in such bad shape in this day is that so few Christians are willing to do their part to warn and rouse the unconverted. Money placed in a mission offering is needed. But, even more needed is lives placed in the mission offering of yielding to the Spirit!
We might also note that the Spirit recorded this story.
One thing we should notice in the Scripture is that God doesn�t generally waste words. He only records that which is important. He didn�t give us a complete history of the human experience. He told us what was needed so that we would understand His great offer of salvation. He has included incident and homily to show us the way to walk profitably in that salvation.
So, now, walk! Christian, do the will of God as He has given you to do.
To those who are not yet Christians, do the will of God as He has given you to do. What He has asked of you is that you trust your soul to Jesus. Accept Jesus as your Savior. He is the sacrifice which God has agreed to accept.
God offers you a new life of fellowship with Him.
Accept Jesus as your Savior.
Do it today!