Seeking Jesus First Jan. 2, 2025
(Part One) The Spirit Who Remains
“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him… And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’” (John 1:32–34, NKJV)
John the Baptist now bears his most profound testimony—not about what he heard, but about what he saw. This witness moves us from public declaration to divine confirmation. The identity of Jesus is no longer announced only in words; it is revealed through the visible work of the Spirit of God.
John says, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” That final phrase is critical. The Spirit did not merely descend and depart. He remained. Throughout Israel’s history, the Spirit of God would come upon individuals for moments, tasks, or seasons. But here, something entirely new is taking place. The Spirit rests permanently upon Jesus.
This marks Jesus as unique. He is not simply empowered by the Spirit—He is the One upon whom the Spirit abides without measure. This abiding presence confirms what John has already declared: Jesus is not just another messenger sent from God. He is the Son of God, living in perfect union with the Father and the Spirit.
John again emphasizes his own limitations: “I did not know Him.” This is not a confession of ignorance, but a testimony to revelation. John did not recognize Jesus as the Son of God through familiarity, relationship, or assumption. God Himself had to reveal Him. The Father had given John a sign: the One upon whom the Spirit descends and remains is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
This is a significant shift. John’s ministry was marked by water baptism—a call to repentance and preparation. But Jesus’ ministry goes far beyond external cleansing. He baptizes with the Holy Spirit. That means He does not merely prepare people for God; He brings them into living union with God. What the law could not produce and what water could not impart, Jesus accomplishes by the Spirit.
The Spirit who remained upon Jesus is the same Spirit He gives to those who believe. This is the fulfillment of everything John 1 has been building toward. The Word became flesh. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Those who receive Him are born of God. Now we see how that new life is imparted—through the Holy Spirit.
John concludes with quiet certainty: “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Witness, once again, is grounded in revelation. John is not speculating. He is not repeating tradition. He is testifying to what God has shown him. True witness always flows from seeing what God is doing, not from repeating what others expect us to say.
This passage also speaks personally to us. The Spirit who descended and remained upon Jesus is not distant or withheld. Through faith in Christ, we are invited into that same life of the Spirit. The Spirit now dwells within us—not temporarily, not conditionally, but as a gift of the New Covenant.
Today, let this truth settle in your heart: Jesus is the Son of God who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. He does not merely forgive sin—He imparts life. As you walk through this day, trust the Spirit who remains. God is not visiting you occasionally; He has chosen to dwell with you and in you through His Son.