John 1:28

John 1:28 says, These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John the Baptist continues to witness about Jesus as the Messiah.  He had been baptizing with water at Bethabara beyond the Jordan when the Jewish leaders questioned him about who he was, and the next day he saw Jesus coming to him.  If we are a follower of Christ, it is because we have acknowledged His coming to us.  Jesus came to save all people, but until we acknowledge Him for Who He is, His sacrifice means nothing to us.  Verse twenty-nine adds, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  John said of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." We must realize that He did take away the sin of the whole world, but that does not automatically bring the whole world into the right relationship with God.  We, like John, must acknowledge Him personally.  Verse thirty continues, This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.  John said Jesus was the One he was speaking of when he said One was coming after him Who was preferred before him, because He was before him.  Jesus was born physically after John the Baptist, but He always was, because He was the Creator.  Verse thirty-one states, And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. John had not seen Jesus before, at least not in His real identity as the Messiah, but by the power of God he recognized Him as the Messiah.  We have not seen Jesus physically, but by the power of God we recognize Him when we encounter Him.  How we respond to that encounter makes all the difference.   Verse thirty-two adds, And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  John acknowledged Him and said he had been baptizing to make the people ready for His coming.  We as Christians today need to be preparing people for the coming of Christ into their life.  Verse thirty-three continues, And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  John said God bore witness to Jesus as the Messiah, that Whom the Spirit of God descended on and remained on, would come to baptize in the Holy Ghost.  Verse thirty-four concludes, And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.  John said he saw and bore record this was the Son of God.  We need to bear the same witness today, because as Christians, we are baptized in the Holy Ghost.