God's Holy Fire: 'Confirmation'

Jesus was "God with us" (Matthew 1:23) every step of his human life. In today's verse, John reminds us of three witnesses that show Jesus as God's Son: the water (his baptism), the blood (his crucifixion), and the Spirit (present at every step of the journey). The Holy Spirit gives us many confirmations of Jesus as "God with us." Jesus was conceived by the Spirit. The Spirit was present at his baptism. The Spirit led him with power into and out of his temptation in the wilderness. The Spirit was upon him as he entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the Isaiah scroll. The Spirit led him in his ministry, and he had the Spirit's influence without limit. The Spirit led him to rejoice and praise God. The Spirit filled him as he debated his accusers, and the Spirit empowered his resurrection from the dead. The Spirit confirms the testimony of God, eyewitnesses, Jesus' self-declaration, and his earthly ministry! Jesus was revealed as God's Son at his baptism, but he was God's Son at his conception in the womb of Mary. He was also God's Son in ministry and was proclaimed God's Son at the Transfiguration. He was God's Son before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod Antipas. He was recognized as God's Son on the cross. And he was clearly identified as God's Son with power by his resurrection from the dead. After Jesus' ascension into heaven, he poured out the Spirit on the day of Pentecost upon his disciples and gave the gift of the Spirit's indwelling to each person baptized, including us when we became his followers.