He Gives the Spirit Without Measure

Day 124: John 3:22-36, 4:1-3

“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” - John 3:34-35 ESV

John the Baptist's disciples are in a panic. This "Lamb of God" that John had baptized and announced is now officially stealing the thunder from their own rabbi (and them, if they are honest). Their competitive nature has been activated!

John the Baptist's response was definitely not something they had expected. He realized that the role of his ministry was temporary in design. He was to prepare the way and be the voice calling out in the wilderness (see Isaiah 40:3). Now it was time for him to decrease so that Jesus could take His rightful place as Messiah.

The difference between John and Jesus was the truth of limitlessness. Jesus was to empower His followers with the Holy Spirit, and He was the Son of God and thus had authority over everyone and everything.

How much strength do you require? Jesus can give you what you need and more. Not only that, but He can turn to the person next to you and do the same for them.

Jesus, empower us with so much of Your Holy Spirit that we are overflowing with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) and assurance (1 John 3:24).

"In rabbinic literature is a statement that throws some light on this: ‘R. Aha said: “Even the Holy Spirit resting on the prophets does so by weight [or measure], one prophet speaking one book of prophecy and another speaking two books” ’ (Leviticus Rabbah 15:2), i.e. God gave his Spirit by measure to the prophets in accordance with the task he assigned them. If the evangelist is alluding to this sort of teaching, he is saying that God poured out his Spirit upon Jesus in much greater measure than he ever did on the prophets. Because God poured out his Spirit upon Jesus ‘without limit’, he can speak the words of God, and, when he does, those words are completely trustworthy." - Kruse, C. G. (2003). John: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 4, pp. 125–126)