Author: Frank Tunstall, D. Min.
Wow! it must have been an electrifying moment!
The Word Became Flesh.
In the first sentence of the Apostle John’s Gospel, he ascribed eternality to Jesus of Nazareth, which is one of the attributes of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John also presents Jesus of Nazareth as the embodiment of God who “became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” of Adam’s seed (John 1:14, MSG).
It is important to understand and embrace who the Bible says Jesus is. The writer of Hebrews penned Jesus is “the heir of all things, through whom [God] made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, who is sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:2-3).
Jesus Christ is the Word, the final word – the personal essence of all truth in every generation. He sets the standard for truth. This includes all things related to faith and practice. Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Heavenly Father’s plan to “take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus successfully fulfilled His mission, and as John was careful to record, “He has revealed God to us” (John 1:14, 18, NLT).
Jesus the Son of Man also identified as Jesus the Word of God became so blended in the life of Jesus that to see Jesus was to see the Word of God, and to say the Word of God was also to say, Jesus.
Because Jesus is the living Word, we conclude truth is ultimately expressed in and flows from this Person, Jesus Christ Himself (John 14:6). Final or definitive truth, for example, is not to be found in any philosophical system. Anyone who desires to know eternal truth must bow at Jesus’ cross to discover it (John 14:6). It is essential to comprehend the integrity of the Bible. It shows Jesus is who the Bible says He is and has the power to deliver on each and all His promises. When a person begins his quest for truth at Jesus’ feet, he has a stable standard by which to draw moral and ethical conclusions that are binding generation after generation because God never changes (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).
Jesus’ Investiture
Jesus’ investiture as Messiah was the occasion that launched His ministry, and it occurred at His Jordan River baptism. By investiture is meant that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure. A dove landed on Jesús’s head and God the Father spoke from heaven, “This is my beloved ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:22; 2 Peter 1:17).
A dove is such a graceful bird and is an appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit. Noah released a dove from the Ark, and it came back with an olive twig in its mouth that made Noah know the flood waters had receded. That twig showed Noah the judgment of God on the earth had ended (Genesis 8:8-12). Since then, the dove has symbolized innocence and peace, and after Jesus’ baptism, the dove has symbolized the Holy Spirit. Jesus wants His followers to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
Mark recorded that the witnesses at the Jordan River “saw heaven being torn open as Jesus was coming up out of the water” (1:10). The word schizoid in Greek translates in English as schism. It communicates to rend or tear, and even to split or to sever.
Students of Scripture can certainly wonder how that baptismal scene looked. At a minimum, the Holy Spirit and the Father were enthusiastically embracing God’s Son who was in a human body in the water of the Jordan River. One can feel the excitement of the moment as well as the powerful backing and support Jesus enjoyed in the audible words the Father spoke from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:10-11; 2 Peter 1:7). The onlookers saw it all and heard the Heavenly Father’s affirmation of Jesus.
All fathers need to learn from the Heavenly Father and develop a heart that affirms their children. This includes pointing out and celebrating their primary gifts. All children need to hear this kind of affirmation from their father and mother, and especially their father.
Jesus was Himself the very epitome of the temple of the Holy Spirit, and at the Jordan River that historic day He began to practice the meaning of being the first fruits of Spirit-filled people (John 2:19-21; 3:34). Jesus did it with the heart of a servant of His Heavenly Father whose plan was to save the world (Isaiah 42:1; John 3:16-17
It is the job description of the Holy Spirit to fill believers today and empower them for service – the same Holy Spirit that filled Jesus “without limit” (John 3:34). The Apostle Paul said our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The difference between Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit and our being filled with the Spirit is one of degrees: John the Baptist said God gave the Spirit to Jesus “without limit” (John 3:34). Luke recorded Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1). As Jesus came up out of the water, Matthew captured the moment when heaven opened, and he “saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on [Jesus]” (Matthew 3:13-17).
Wow! without question it was an electrifying moment at Jordon River.