In Isaiah's verse from the Old Testament (Isaiah 53:6), it's portrayed how we, members of humanity, have lost our way just like stray sheep. Despite our Creator, God, having the inherent authority to preside over us thanks to His role as our maker, He granted us the freedom to make our own choices. However, we selected the path away from His love, leading us down the route of sin. Seeing this, God made the ultimate sacrifice. He sent His son on a monumental mission to seek us, find us, and reclaim us. This quest was not without its cost, with God's son forfeiting his own life in the process.

 

This situation can be likened to a shepherd's experience. Consider a shepherd who, upon the birth of a lamb in his herd, notches the lamb's ear as a mark of ownership. But what happens when this lamb, now grown into a sheep, drifts away of its own accord? The shepherd does not abandon his wayward charge. Instead, he begins a ceaseless journey to find and retrieve this lost sheep. After much searching, he finally locates the sheep, but it's up for auction. Despite the mark on its ear signifying his ownership, to repossess the sheep he's required to participate in the auction. Undeterred by the rules, he submits his bid, paying an absurdly high amount that far outstrips the market value. The shepherd's two claims to ownership resonate strongly here—first as the creature of birth, and then as the redeemer.

 

Parallels can be drawn with our relationship with God. His claim to us arises as well from two powerful truths. Firstly, as our Creator, and secondly as our Redeemer, He paid the most exorbitant price—the lifeblood of His son—to redeem us.

 

Remember three key revelations about Jesus:

 

1. JESUS IS KNOWN AS THE LAMB OF GOD

"When I saw Jesus coming towards me," John the Baptist shared, "I proclaimed to those around me, 'Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John was speaking here in Bethabara, a place beyond Jordan, where he was baptizing. He continued, "Jesus, whose glory far surpasses my own, and whom I am not considered worthy enough even to untie his sandals, is following me."—John 1:27–29.

 

2. JESUS REPRESENTS THE ONE WHO BAPTIZES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

John the Baptist details an instruction given to him: "The one who told me to baptize with water clarified, 'The person whom you will see the Spirit descend and rest upon is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." This revelation designates Jesus as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit—John 1:33.

 

3. JESUS IS RECOGNIZED AS THE SON OF GOD

John the Baptist said, "I have seen and can testify that Jesus is indeed the Son of God." Here John offers the most profound confirmation of Jesus's divine identity—John 1:34.

 

Always remember, like the shepherd in the parallel we drew, God's love for us is so great that He was willing to pay an unfathomable price—the life of His son—to redeem us from the path of sin that we chose. This speaks volumes about the quality of His love, a love so powerful that He gave us the freedom to choose, trusted us to make the right decisions, and even when we didn't, He stayed by us, ready to pay any price to bring us back. It's because of this love that we can proudly affirm that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and He is indeed the Son of God, our savior. Remember these truths, for they are at the core of our faith.

My Name is Cesar and I'm A Voice In The Desert

www.avoiceinthedesert.net

 

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