Mark 1.7,8 There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
These are the words of John the baptizer. He poses himself as a servant not worthy to unloose the sandal straps of Jesus. John preached that Christ was in an entirely different category from himself and the rest of the prophets. Jesus was and is far mightier and worthy of infinitely more honor. Every human instrument is laden with limitations. God’s ministers can only baptize the body of Christ with water; but only The Lord can give and baptize with and in the Holy Spirit. No matter what our gifting or calling, at the end of the day, we are only servants. We all have limitations. We are not sources of God’s strength or power, but conduits.
In a day and age when many are calling the deity of Christ into question, it is important for us to remember beloved that in the Old Testament, it is God who pours out the Holy Spirit (Isa 32:15; 44:3; Ezk 36:26-27; 39:29; Jl 2:28-29). Mark thus emphasized the divinity of Jesus here. But my point this morning is this, dear ones. Jesus is The Mighty One, not us. Jesus, Our Creator, is also our Redeemer Who fills us with The Holy Spirit. The purpose of the filling is that our lives would make much of Him, and bring Him glory. We are weak, He is strong. The One Who is mightier than I will give you the power to serve Him today.
