John the Baptiser was the prophet that had the best message – Jesus was about to arrive. The other Old Testament prophets all knew that He would arrive some day, and they were looking forward to that time, but John was the one that could finally say His arrival was imminent.<\/p>\n
\nMatthew 11:9-11 (WEBBE): 9<\/sup>But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 10<\/sup>For this is he, of whom it is written, \u2018Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.\u2019 11<\/sup>Most certainly I tell you, amongst those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptiser; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jesus went to John the Baptiser to be baptised in the Jordan river, and there He received the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
\nMatthew 3:16 (WEBBE): 16<\/sup>Jesus, when he was baptised, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And that anointing with the Holy Spirit went hand in hand with receiving the power that He needed for His ministry.<\/p>\n
\nActs 10:38 (WEBBE): 38<\/sup>even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
After Jesus rose from the dead, He announced that people, ordinary human beings just like you and I, would receive the Holy Spirit. And that they would be filled with power.<\/p>\n
\nJohn 14:16-17 (WEBBE): 16<\/sup>I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, that he may be with you forever: 17<\/sup>the Spirit of truth, whom the world can\u2019t receive; for it doesn\u2019t see him and doesn\u2019t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nLuke 24:46-48 (WEBBE): 46<\/sup>He said to them, \u201cThus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47<\/sup>and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48<\/sup>You are witnesses of these things. 49<\/sup>Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.\u201d<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And of course, it happened just as Jesus had said.<\/p>\n
\nActs 2:1-4 (WEBBE): 1<\/sup>Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2<\/sup>Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3<\/sup>Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4<\/sup>They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Note that Jesus didn’t say that this is a once off event. It wasn’t meant just for that one group, but for all believers. How can we know this for sure? Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians:<\/p>\n
\n1 Corinthians 3:16 (WEBBE): 16<\/sup>Don\u2019t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God\u2019s Spirit lives in you?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Firstly, Paul only had his encounter with God in Acts 9, which was after the initial outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2. So Paul wasn’t there in the room when the first outpouring happened. And yet, we read that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
\nActs 13:9 (WEBBE): 9<\/sup>But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Secondly, Corinth is in Greece, far away from Jerusalem by the transportation standards of 2000 years ago. So the people that Paul wrote to were separated in time and space from the group in Jerusalem, and still they had the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
Jesus came to Earth and died and rose from the dead, all in order to restore us to relationship with Him.<\/p>\n
\n2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (WEBBE): 18<\/sup>But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19<\/sup>namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So that the Holy Spirit can remain in us, to teach us and work with us.<\/p>\n
\n1 John 2:27 (WEBBE): 27<\/sup>As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don\u2019t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Now lets go back to Matthew 11 and read verse 11 again:<\/p>\n
\nMatthew 11:11 (WEBBE): 11<\/sup>Most certainly I tell you, amongst those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptiser; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
All of the believers under the New Covenant are part of the Kingdom of Heaven – that is us, here and now! And the “least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater” than John the Baptiser, because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. And it is because that same Spirit in us, the same Spirit that was in Jesus, that we can now do even greater works than Jesus did!<\/p>\n
\nJohn 14:12 (WEBBE): 12<\/sup>Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
All of this is already available to us through the finished work of Jesus. Whether we experience that reality is up to us though. God will only do for us as much as we allow Him to. So choose today to walk in power and love and relationship with God!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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