The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” … And John bore witness, saying,“I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” John 1:29, 32
When John the Baptist first introduced Jesus to the masses at the Jordan River, he made two analogies from the animal kingdom: Jesus was represented as the Lamb, and the Holy Spirit was represented as the dove. What can we learn from the relationship between them? A lamb suggests to us of three things: purity, meekness and sacrifice. And that is what the dove, the Holy Spirit, is attracted to. He is looking for the lamb nature to settle and remain in. The Holy Spirit does not approve of arrogance, self-seeking, boastfulness or aggressiveness. He is looking for purity, meekness and a life sacrificially laid down for God.
Jesus so attracted the Holy Spirit that the dove didn’t just descend on Him, the dove remained upon Him! In the natural, the dove is somewhat a shy bird that can be easily scared away. That is very true of the Spirit in a spiritual sense. The Holy Spirit, like a dove, is so gentle He is almost “shy.” If you say or do anything that He cannot accept, His presence will leave you immediately. Like a dove, He will fly away. The marvelous thing about Jesus is that He never scared off the dove. In His entire ministry, Jesus never said or did one thing that drove the Holy Spirit away.
Not only did Jesus attract the Holy Spirit, He depended on the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This relationship with the Holy Spirit is the key to the entire ministry of Jesus. There was not a single sermon that Jesus preached in the Gospels, or a single miracle that He performed, without Him fi rst feeling the Holy Spirit coming upon Him. He was totally dependant on the Holy Spirit. The whole public ministry of Jesus came out of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him (Acts 10:38).
How did Jesus maintain such closeness to the Spirit? Paul says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). What are the things that grieve the Holy Spirit? They are bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking (4:31). What are some attitudes that attract the Spirit? When we are “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (4:32). When the Holy Spirit doesn’t find the lamb nature, He cannot abide. As such, cultivate the lamb nature of Christ in your life today.
When John the Baptist first introduced Jesus to the masses at the Jordan River, he made two analogies from the animal kingdom: Jesus was represented as the Lamb, and the Holy Spirit was represented as the dove. What can we learn from the relationship between them? A lamb suggests to us of three things: purity, meekness and sacrifice. And that is what the dove, the Holy Spirit, is attracted to. He is looking for the lamb nature to settle and remain in. The Holy Spirit does not approve of arrogance, self-seeking, boastfulness or aggressiveness. He is looking for purity, meekness and a life sacrificially laid down for God.
Jesus so attracted the Holy Spirit that the dove didn’t just descend on Him, the dove remained upon Him! In the natural, the dove is somewhat a shy bird that can be easily scared away. That is very true of the Spirit in a spiritual sense. The Holy Spirit, like a dove, is so gentle He is almost “shy.” If you say or do anything that He cannot accept, His presence will leave you immediately. Like a dove, He will fly away. The marvelous thing about Jesus is that He never scared off the dove. In His entire ministry, Jesus never said or did one thing that drove the Holy Spirit away.
Not only did Jesus attract the Holy Spirit, He depended on the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This relationship with the Holy Spirit is the key to the entire ministry of Jesus. There was not a single sermon that Jesus preached in the Gospels, or a single miracle that He performed, without Him fi rst feeling the Holy Spirit coming upon Him. He was totally dependant on the Holy Spirit. The whole public ministry of Jesus came out of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him (Acts 10:38).
How did Jesus maintain such closeness to the Spirit? Paul says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). What are the things that grieve the Holy Spirit? They are bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking (4:31). What are some attitudes that attract the Spirit? When we are “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (4:32). When the Holy Spirit doesn’t find the lamb nature, He cannot abide. As such, cultivate the lamb nature of Christ in your life today.
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